CHICAGO, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings football team earned a 24-21 victory over the North Park Vikings on Saturday in Chicago, improving to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in CCIW play.
North Park grabbed the early lead in the first quarter with a touchdown, but the Vikings quickly settled in and responded big. Augustana got on the board in the second with a 28-yard field goal from Jacob Garbett. On their next drive after and interception by Toby Splitt, Jimmy Makuh led the offense 97 yards down the field, capped with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Breyden Smith. After trading punts, Augie went to halftime with a 10-7 advantage.
The Vikings' passing attack shined in the third quarter. After starting the drive with back-to-back darts to Sean Schlanser, Makuh connected with his big tight end Jake Miller on a 16-yard touchdown strike. After a North Park answer, Augustana would drive 67-yards and Makuh would find a wide-open Miller again late in the quarter for a three-yard score, pushing the lead to 24-14. Darren Oregon would pick off North Park on their first drive in the fourth, however Augie would fail to capitalize. North Park trimmed the margin with a long touchdown their following drive, but the Augustana offense would drive the ball for 6 minutes and take it down to the North Park 6-yard line. North Park would hold strong and force a turnover on downs, however Toby Splitt would snag his second interception of the game prior to the 2-minute warning. Augustana would hold the ball the rest of the game and seal a 24-21 victory.
Makuh had an efficient day under center, completing 26 of 33 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Smith led all receivers with 11 catches for 82 yards and a score, while Miller added two touchdowns on four receptions. Sean Schlanser provided explosive plays with seven catches for 128 yards, including a long of 36. Ethan Vrabec and Zamari Robinson also chipped in key receptions to extend drives.
On the ground, Ben Ludlum carried the ball 17 times for 65 yards, while Josh Lim added 47 yards on 10 rushes. Makuh also contributed 31 yards rushing. Defensively, Dino Hunt led Augie with eight tackles, while Splitt made a major impact with his five tackles and two interceptions. Up front, TJ Klein was disruptive with three tackles and two shared tackles for loss, while Cole Schroeder and Ronde Worrels also chipped in tackles for loss to keep pressure on the North Park backfield. The Vikings finished with three interceptions and multiple stops behind the line of scrimmage, helping seal the win in the second half.
Garbett rounded out the scoring with a field goal and three extra points, while Jacob Tyrcha averaged 36.5 yards on two punts. Cole Schroeder added a spark on special teams with a 46-yard kickoff return.
The Vikings will continue their Chicago trip on Saturday, Oct. 11, when they face Elmhurst.
