DECATUR, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings football team will continue its small stretch away from home when they travel south to face the Millikin Big Blue on Saturday, September 28.

Augustana currently sits at 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in CCIW play following a 42-3 loss against No. 18 Wheaton this past weekend. The Thunder controlled the ball often in the first half and saw success on third down to keep the Vikings offense off the field for a good portion of the first two quarters. Wheaton scored once in the first and twice in the second to bring a 21-0 lead into the halftime break. Augie saw its best drive of the game come in the third, marching down the field 72 yards on 11 plays, but came up short on downs to remain scoreless. Joren Clem got the Vikings on the board with a 34-yard field goal five minutes into the fourth.

Cole Bhardwaj threw for 137 yards through the air in the game, while Breyden Smith caught four passes for a team-best 86 yards. Mike DiGioia finished with 64 yards on the ground on 11 attempts. Defensively, Dylan Burton led the unit with 10 tackles, followed by Dakota Straight with six, and Toby Splitt and Rukkus Hunkins each with five apiece. Luke Willis and Hugh Keany both contributed one sack. Burton currently ranks in the top five in the CCIW in tackles, while cornerback Darren Oregon sits as the league leader in pass breakups.

Millikin enters Saturday's contest with an 0-2 overall record and 0-1 mark in conference action. The Big Blue are coming off a 44-0 loss in their CCIW opener against North Park in which they were out-gained 460 yards to 97. North Park notched two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters before adding a safety in the fourth to complete the 44-point win. Saturday will be Millikin's second game on its home field this season, previously dropping the season opener to Illinois College by a score of 46-21. Offensively, the Big Blue have seen four different players complete a pass this season, with Aidan Lombardo leading the way with 128 yards through the air in two games. On the ground, Millikin has just 54 total yards this year. Defensively, the team has two players leading the team with 12 tackles a piece, while Keven Washington has the lone force fumble and fumble recovery for the Big Blue in 2024. 

This weekend will be the 84th all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Vikings holding a 47-35-1 advantage in the series. Augie has won the last two meetings by a combined 112-3 margin, including a 42-3 win at home last season and a 70-0 decision in Decatur in 2022. DiGioia had two touchdowns last season on the ground, while Smith also caught one.

Start time on Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m.