CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Augustana forced six Coe turnovers and held the Kohawks to just 18 rushing yards Saturday, opening the 2018 season with a 26-7 win at Clark Field. Coach Steve Bell's squad will be idle next Saturday before beginning College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play at Elmhurst on September 15.
 
The Vikings recorded their first takeaway on the very first possession of the game when senior John Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) intercepted a Quentin White pass. Their ensuing drive stalled after a 35-yard Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) run was negated by a holding call, but after forcing a Coe punt, they drove 41 yards in 10 plays and took the lead on a 40-yard field goal by senior Ryan Ganson (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.).
 
After the defense stopped the Kohawks on fourth-and-one at the Augustana 41 late in the first quarter, the Vikings went 33 yards in six plays to take a 6-0 lead. The key play of the drive—capped by a 43-yard Ganson field goal—was a 32-yard completion from senior Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) to sophomore Max Uranich (La Salle-Peru HS, La Salle, Ill.).
 
When sophomore David Lane (Civic Memorial HS, Bethalto, Ill.) picked off another White pass on the next possession, the Vikings had equaled their interception total for the entire 2017 season. Fuller capped a four-play, 18-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) on a fourth-and-three play. Ganson's point after made it 13-0 at 11:42 of the second quarter.
 
Coe got on the board when White found Matt Kopp behind the Augustana secondary on the Kohawks' next drive. Their 34-yard scoring connection capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive.
 
With 3:20 left in the half, junior Devin Haxby (Geneseo HS, Colona, Ill.) recovered a bad shotgun snap at the Coe 33-yard line. The Vikings drove to the one, but the Kohawk defense stiffened, stopping Pitra on both third and fourth down to keep the score 13-7 at intermission.
 
The momentum created by the goal line stand appeared to carry over into the second half, as the hosts forced an Augustana three-and-out and then went on a 13-play, 63-yard march, reaching the Viking 21. However, Tristan Connell's 38-yard field goal try went wide left.
 
Bell's bunch responded with a seven-play, 73-yard scoring march. Fuller hit junior Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) for 12 yards, senior Justin Pope (Whale Branch HS, Beaufort, S.C.) for 24 and senior Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) for 27 and junior Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) capped the drive by slipping down the right sideline and into the end zone from nine yards out. Ganson's conversion was no good and the visitors led 19-7 with 6:22 left in the third quarter.
 
New defensive coordinator Dick Maloney's crew handled it from there. Sophomore safety John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) recorded a fumble recovery and an interception on Coe's next two drives and Augustana forced a punt and stopped the Kohawks on downs twice on their next three possessions.
 
Pitra's 35-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-eight with 1:53 to play—along with Ganson's PAT—completed the day's scoring.
 
Pitra carried 31 times for 148 yards and a touchdown and Fuller completed 20 of 32 passes for 243 yards and a score. Uranich snared five passes for 90 yards. Lane had team highs of eight solo and nine total tackles. Senior Austin Nice (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) added eight stops, including one of the Vikings' four sacks.
 
Coe managed just 18 net rushing yards on 29 carries and White needed 50 attempts (25 completions) to throw for 294 yards.