WAUKESHA, Wis. -- The Augustana Vikings football team will travel to Wisconsin on Saturday, October 19 for a conference showdown against the Carroll Pioneers.

Augustana currently sits at 3-2 on the season and 2-2 in CCIW action, recently earning a win at home over Elmhurst by a score of 35-21. Mike DiGioia had a career day in the win, finishing with 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead a dominant ground attack that out-rushed the Bluejays 352-6. After falling behind 7-0 through the first 15 minutes of action, the Vikings struck for back-to-back scores in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead. DiGioia and Josh Lim both earned scores on the ground in the period before a late touchdown by Elmhurst knotted the game at 14-14 entering halftime.

A run-dominant second half followed, with the Vikings grabbing the lead back on a Ben Ludlum 4-yard touchdown. Augie went 84 yards in less than three minutes and was set up by a 64-yard run by Ludlum one play prior to the score. The defense quickly gave the team the ball right back thanks to an interception by Kaden McShaw, resulting in another touchdown on the ground five plays later by DiGioia. Augustana did not attempt a pass in the third quarter and led 28-14 heading into the final 15 minutes of action. 

The Vikings continued to thrive on their rushing attack in the fourth, controlling the time of possession before adding on to their lead on DiGioia's third touchdown of the game around the four-minute mark. Elmhurst notched its lone points of the second half on the following drive, but a recovered onside kick by Augie sealed the 14-point victory.

Augustana out-gained Elmhurst 408-259 in the win, with 352 of those coming on the ground. Joining DiGioia in the rushing attack was Ludlum with 84 yards and Lim with 66. Breyden Smith caught two passes for 39 yards. Defensively, the Vikings held the Bluejays to just six rushing yards and posted six sacks on the day, including two apiece from TJ Klein and Teke Nieto. Dylan Burton led the way with nine tackles, while Luke Willis was close behind with seven to go with one for loss.

Carroll enters Saturday's encounter with Augustana with a 2-3 overall record and 1-3 mark in conference. The Pioneers are coming off a close 30-26 road loss at North Park on Saturday. Carroll led after each of the first three quarters, but a North Park touchdown with a minute to go put the home Vikings up in front for good. Marcus Johnson was a bright spot for the Pioneers on offense in the loss, running for 113 yards on 16 carries. Santiago Rios caught two passes for 69 yards. The team also boasted two players with double-digit tackles in Will Campbell and Jake Binkowski. This season, the team is averaging an even 24 points per game and owns a balanced offensive attack with 139 yards on the ground and 275 through the air per outing. The Pioneers are 1-1 on their home field this season, with the last game resulting in a 49-14 win over Millikin back on October 5.

Saturday will be the 44th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Augustana holding a 25-16-2 advantage in the series. The teams have split their last six meetings with three wins apiece, with the Vikings winning last season's meeting in Rock Island by a score of 23-19. 

Start time is scheduled for 1 p.m.