ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings football team picked up their second win of the season on Saturday, defeating the North Park Vikings as part of Homecoming Weekend by a score of 17-14 in front of a jam-packed Lindberg Stadium.
Both defenses were the storyline to begin the game as neither team could get on the scoreboard after 15 minutes of action. Following a stalled drive from Augie to begin the game, North Park found themselves driving deep into Augustana territory when back-to-back plays saw a fumbled ball for the visitors, with the second of the two falling into the hands of Augustana. The two teams proceeded to have drives stall within each other's territory as the quarter ended with a scoreless tie.
Early in the second following a forced three-and-out on defense, Augustana put together their first scoring drive of the afternoon, capping off a quick three-play drive in under a minute with a
Mike DiGioia one-yard touchdown run. The Augie defense continued to hold North Park in check throughout the rest of the half, allowing just one first down in the second quarter alone.
Justin Wehr added a 19-yard field goal later in the frame and Augustana took a 10-0 lead into intermission.
North Park took control of the game in the third quarter, marching down the field on their first possession of the half that resulted in a 11-play, six-minute touchdown drive to get them on the board. The visitors then forced a fumble on the first Augustana play of the third quarter, using their ensuing possession to head into the end zone again and claim a 14-10 lead. That score remained throughout the rest of the third quarter and a deep Augie drive into North Park stalled to begin the fourth quarter and keep the visitors on top for the moment.
The Augustana defense forced another three-and-out to give their offense the ball back. A big return on the punt from
Bobby Inserra gave Augie excellent starting field possession and the team capitalized on the short field with a methodical drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run from
Thomas Hall. Now leading 17-14, the Augustana defense came up big once again, intercepting the very next play from North Park to put the ball right back into the hands of their offense. The two teams traded three-and-outs and over the course of the next three NPU drives, Augustana prevented them from getting a first down, which included another interception-- this time from
Nick Harper. On North Park's last possession, the Augie defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs to seal the game and give the home-team Vikings the 17-14 victory.
Overall, Augustana out-gained North Park 294-193. Hall finished 11-23 with 93 yards through the air for Augustana, while
Tyler Rivelli had a big game on the ground finishing with 109 yards on just eight carries.
Jordan Vesey led the team catching the ball, ending with 42 yards on four catches.
On defense,
Tim Swaney spearheaded a strong team effort with a game-high 14 tackles.
Jordan Geroulis was next in line with nine to go with a forced fumbled and an interception.
Chase Tatum had the lone sack for the Vikings.
With the win, Augustana improves to 2-2 on the season and 1-2 in CCIW play. The team will hit the road for their next contest on Saturday, October 9th when they visit No. 5 ranked Wheaton. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
