ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Senior Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in little more than a half of action Saturday, as Augustana scored a 55-13 Family Weekend victory over Elmhurst at Lindberg Stadium. The Vikings improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW heading into their first road contest on Saturday, September 28 at preseason #15 Illinois Wesleyan. The visiting Bluejays dropped to 0-2 on the season and 0-1 in the league.
 
Fuller led Coach Steve Bell's club to touchdowns on its first six possessions of the contest. After an Elmhurst three-and-out to start the game, he completed five straight passes before senior Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mount Prospect, Ill.) finished off an eight-play, 59-yard drive with two rushes for 12 yards, going in from the three for the touchdown. Owen Ennis (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) added the point after to make it 7-0.
 
Jarosz carried five times for 54 yards on Augustana's next possession and Fuller capped it off with an eight-yard scoring strike to senior Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.). Senior Luke Phelan (Joliet Catholic HS, Shorewood, Ill.) beat an Elmhurst defender to the left-side pylon for the two-point conversion and a 15-0 lead.
 
It took just 2:33 for the Bluejays to go 77 yards in six plays for their first score. Quarterback Jake Tahaney hit Logan Techentin for 44 yards and Ben Fridrich for 29 before finishing the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Junior David Lane (Civic Memorial HS, Bethalto, Ill.) immediately swung the momentum back in the Vikings' favor though, blocking Matt Burns' PAT attempt, then scooping it up and returning it 90 yards for two points to make it 17-6.
 
Fuller connected on four of five passes for 51 yards on Augustana's next drive, including a seven-yard scoring pass to classmate Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.). Ennis' kick put the hosts up 24-6 early in the second quarter.
 
Jarosz added a 13-yard TD reception and a 19-yard scoring run in the period and Fuller hit freshman Craig Shelton (Oak Park River Forest HS, Oak Park, Ill.) in the back right corner of the end zone for his fourth touchdown pass of the half. Ennis converted after all three and the Vikings led 45-6 at intermission.
 
Fuller played only the first series of the second half and led his team on a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown march. Senior Antonio Cannon (Oak Park River Forest HS, River Forest, Ill.) rushed four times for 30 yards and Fuller connected twice with Dolis for a total of 33 yards before finishing off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
 
Bell went deep into his bench the rest of the way. Ennis' 33-yard field goal with 1:28 left in the third completing Augustana's scoring for the evening. Elmhurst scored on a 19-yard Noah Henkel-to-Dimitri Valcourt touchdown pass with 30 seconds left in the game and Burns' PAT accounted for the final.
 
It was the second straight game that Fuller passed for four scores and ran for one. He finished the night 17 of 20 for 194 yards. Junior Max Uranich (La Salle-Peru HS, La Salle, Ill.) had five catches for 61 yards and Dolis four for 48. Despite playing only the first half, Jarosz led the ground game with 108 yards and two scores on 14 carries. Junior Travor Spicer (North Lawndale HS, Chicago, Ill.) carried eight times for 54 yards and Cannon had 11 carries for 50.
 
Senior Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) again led the Vikings in tackles with four solo and four assisted. Freshmen Chase Tatum (Princeton HS, Princeton, Ill.) and Tim Swaney (Anderson HS, Cincinnati, Ohio) each had five stops, including a pair of sacks for Tatum. Junior John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) also had five tackles, along with his second and third interceptions of the season. Senior J.J. Cervino (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) also had a pick.
 
A balanced Augustana attack produced 221 rushing yards on 46 carries and 227 yards on 27 pass attempts. The defense limited the Bluejays to 281 yards—96 on the ground and 185 through the air.