ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings football team returned home in style on Saturday afternoon, claiming a 31–24 victory over the Carroll Pioneers. 

The Vikings wasted no time setting the tone on their opening possession. Starting from their own 37-yard line, Ben Ludlum opened with a five-yard rush before Jimmy Makuh found Mikey Brosnan on the left sideline for an 18-yard gain into Carroll territory. Makuh scrambled for eight yards on the next play, and after an Augie penalty, Ludlum burst ahead for nine to the 28. Makuh then connected with Ethan Vrabec across the middle for 14 yards and followed it up with a strike to Sean Schlanser for 13 more, moving the ball all the way to the 1-yard line. On the next snap, Makuh called his own number and dashed left through some Pioneers for a one-yard touchdown to cap the seven-play, 63-yard drive and give Augustana an early 7–0 lead with 11:34 left in the first.

Carroll responded with a sustained 70-yard drive of its own, knotting the score at 7–7 with 3:32 remaining in the quarter. The Vikings looked poised to answer again on their next series, and after a Carroll 15-yard penalty, Ludlum powered ahead for a gain of six. After an incomplete pass, Makuh picked up nine yards on a scramble. On 2nd and 10, Makuh would hand it off to Ludlum who would find 12 yards to push the ball to the Carroll 21-yard line. Augustana closed the quarter threatening near the red zone, keeping the momentum heading into the second tied at 7-7.

The Vikings wasted no time reclaiming momentum to open the second quarter, picking up right where they left off in Carroll territory. Makuh sparked the drive with a 12-yard scramble up the middle to the nine before lofting a fade to Ethan Vrabec in the left corner of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown. Vrabec's one-handed, highlight-reel grab through contact put Augustana back on top 14–7 just 48 seconds into the quarter. Carroll answered with another extended drive, but the Viking defense made them earn every yard. Carl Thomas appeared to notch an eight-yard sack on third down before a facemask penalty wiped it away. Teke Nieto got his hands up and broke up a short pass on the next series, and Toby Splitt stuffed an eight-yard rush while also teaming with Frank Lacny to halt a nine-yard run later in the drive. Despite the defensive resistance, Carroll punched in a 12-yard quarterback scramble to even the score at 14–14 with 9:30 to play in the half.

The Vikings' next series saw flashes of rhythm as Makuh connected with Josh Lim for 12 yards and Vrabec for 14 more, moving the offense across midfield. Lim added a six-yard carry on the ground before a penalty halted the push, forcing a punt with just over five minutes remaining. The Augustana defense would return the favor on the following possession. Travis Kenzevich delivered a one-yard tackle for loss, and Splitt and Kaden McShaw each broke up deep passes to stall the Pioneers' momentum. Carroll was forced to punt after a pair of incompletions and a strong defensive stand by the Vikings secondary. Makuh then guided the Vikings on a late-half two-minute drill, hitting Brosnan for 10 yards and Liam Peterson for a 23-yard strike near midfield. However, pressure forced an errant throw that was intercepted, setting up a short field for the Pioneers. Carroll capitalized to take a 21–14 lead with just 33 seconds left before halftime. Refusing to go quietly, Augustana moved the ball into scoring range behind an eight-yard and 31-yard pair of completions to Sean Schlanser, but a 43-yard field-goal attempt from Jacob Garbett was blocked as the clock expired. At the break, Carroll held a narrow 21–14 edge.

Coming out of halftime, the Viking defense set the tone early. After Carroll picked up one first down on the ground, Nieto and Nate Simon contained the run game before Darren Oregon and Splitt closed the drive with back-to-back stops in coverage, forcing a quick punt to give Augustana the ball near their own 30. The Vikings capitalized on their first possession of the half with a productive, balanced drive. Jimmy Makuh opened with an 11-yard loft to Jake Miller and followed with a 44-yard catch-and-run connection to Schlanser that flipped the field. Despite penalties that moved the ball back, Makuh regained rhythm with an eight-yard scramble to set up Jacob Garbett, who drilled a 40-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 21–17 at the 9:09 mark.

The defense delivered another statement on the ensuing series. After a long kickoff return put Carroll at the Augie 35, Cam Jurgens checked-in and wrapped up the Carroll quarterback for eight-yard sack on the first play of the drive. Splitt and Oregon then helped bottle up the Pioneer offense with tight coverage, forcing a three-and-out and a short punt that set the Vikings up at their own 19.

Augustana's offense responded with its most methodical drive of the afternoon, a 13-play, 81-yard march that showcased balance and poise. Makuh connected with Schlanser for seven yards and scrambled for eight more before Ludlum broke loose for an 11-yard burst up the middle. The senior quarterback continued to distribute efficiently, hitting Vrabec for 13 yards and Miller for 11 more to move the chains deep into the red zone. On 1st-and-goal from the six, Makuh found Vrabec again on a fade to the right that the big target would go up and get taking the ball off the defender's helmet. Garbett's extra point capped the 6:35 drive and gave Augustana its first lead since the opening quarter at 24–21. Carroll looked to answer late in the frame, but the Viking defense continued to make plays in space. Dino Hunt and Splitt each contributed tackles near midfield, while Oregon broke up a deep pass attempt to stall momentum. The Pioneers would manage a late 34-yard completion to enter the red zone as the third quarter expired, with the Vikings holding a 24–21 advantage heading into the final period.

The Viking defense made an immediate statement to open the final quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, Toby Splitt jumped a route near the goal line and came down with an interception at the Augustana 7. Taking over deep in their own territory, the Vikings methodically worked their way up the field behind a series of short completions and steady gains on the ground. Josh Lim picked up a pair of first downs, while Makuh found Miller and Schlanser on consecutive short routes to move the chains past midfield. Another nine-yard strike to Brosnan and a four-yard run by Lim pushed the Vikings into Pioneer territory before a sack and fumble ended the promising drive, giving Carroll possession at the Augie 49 with 8:42 to play.

The Augie defense responded with composure, limiting Carroll to short gains as Splitt, Nieto, and Hunt each made key stops to keep the Pioneers from reaching the red zone. Carroll managed to tie the game with a late field goal at 4:41, evening the score at 24–24. Augustana would start their drive near midfield where Makuh hit Schlanser for five yards before launching a deep strike down the right sideline to Vrabec for 32 yards. At the Pioneers 18, Ben Ludlum took control, carrying the ball on four of the next five plays, including back-to-back bursts of 4 and 10 yards to move inside the five. After two short plunges to the goal line, Ludlum powered across from two yards out to reclaim the lead with 59 seconds remaining. Garbett's extra point pushed the margin to 31–24. Carroll's final possession saw the Pioneers move the chains once before the Viking defense closed the door. After an Augustana penalty extended Carroll's drive, a last-second heave fell incomplete, sealing the 31–24 victory for Augustana.

Makuh led the Vikings with a balanced performance, completing 26 of 36 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 42 yards and a rushing score on the ground. Ludlum anchored the backfield with 72 yards on 14 carries and the game-winning go-ahead touchdown, while Lim contributed 23 rushing yards and 19 receiving. Through the air, Schlanser paced the receiving corps with seven catches for 116 yards, followed by Vrabec, who posted 97 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. Brosnan, Miller, and Peterson each chipped in key gains to round out a passing attack that totaled 320 yards. Defensively, Splitt led all tacklers with 12 stops, an interception, and a pass breakup, while Oregon added four tackles and two breakups. Jurgens, Thomas, and Kenzevich each notched tackles for loss, with Jurgens collecting the team's lone sack. McShaw added two breakups in the secondary. On special teams, Jacob Garbett went 4-for-4 on extra points and converted a 40-yard field goal, while Cole Schroeder added a 31-yard kickoff return to spark field position.

With the win, Augustana improves to 5–1 overall and 4–1 in CCIW play. The Vikings will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 25, traveling to face North Central.