KENOSHA, Wis.  — The Augustana Vikings football team traveled to take on the Carthage Firebirds and walked away with a 23-3 victory.

In the first, Augustana would receive the opening kickoff and complete a 72-yard drive in the endzone. Quarterback Jimmy Makuh would start the drive finding Brett Holcomb for a gain of 11 yards. On 2nd-and-6 Josh Lim would tote the ball for a pickup of six before Makuh followed up with his own six-yard run for a first down. On 3rd-and-9, Makuh would scramble for an 8-yard gain to bring up a fourth down for the Vikings, which they would pick up with a 4-yard rush from Lim. The biggest play of the drive would come when Makuh dropped back and found Sean Schlanser for a gain of 34 down to the Firebirds own 2-yard line. Makuh would connect with Ethan Vrabec for the touchdown and give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

Carthage opened its first drive at its own 30-yard line. Augustana's defense held strong early as Teke Nieto came up with the first down stop, while Peter Stapleton and TJ Klein combined for a 1-yard tackle on second down. On 3rd-and-9, the Firebirds converted with a 13-yard completion over the middle from Easton Heafner to Mark Hunter, moving the chains to the Carthage 44. Heafner faced pressure on the next play from Nieto and Nick Hogan, forcing an incomplete pass to the left. Carthage regained momentum when Heafner found Hunter again for 23 yards to the Augustana 33. One play later, he hit Omar Surveyor for 10 yards to the Augustana 23, pushing Carthage into the red zone. Heafner continued the air attack with a 16-yard pass to Collin Durian, setting up 1st-and-goal at the Augustana 7-yard line. The Vikings responded as Carl Thomas recorded a 4-yard tackle for loss, dropping Carthage back to the 11-yard line. Two incompletions followed, including a key defensive play by Darren Oregon, who broke up a pass in the end zone on 3rd-and-11. Carthage settled for a 28-yard field goal by Mugdim Kreho, 3-7 with 4:36 left in the first quarter.

Starting at its own 31, Augustana couldn't get much going offensively. On second down, Jimmy Makuh connected with Adam Gallagher for a short 4-yard gain to the 35. Facing 3rd-and-6, Makuh's pass to the right fell incomplete. Jacob Tyrcha punted 42 yards, pinning Carthage at its own 23-yard line with 3:09 left in the quarter.

Carthage took over at the 23, and Bryce Frank rushed for five yards on first down. Heafner followed with a 14-yard completion over the middle to Jackson Westmoreland, moving the ball to the Carthage 42. Frank picked up another 5-yard carry on the next play, but the Vikings held strong as Hogan made the stop and Dino Hunt stuffed Frank for no gain on 3rd-and-1 at the Augustana 49. On 4th-and-1, Heafner kept the ball on a quarterback sneak and picked up three yards to the Augustana 46, extending the drive as the first quarter concluded.

In the second, Carthage opened the second quarter with a big gain as Heafner found Westmoreland over the middle for 23 yards to the Augustana 23. On 2nd-and-9, a facemask penalty on Augustana extended the drive and moved the ball to the Augustana 11. Hunter followed with a 4-yard carry to the 7-yard line, but the Vikings delivered a momentum play two snaps later. On 2nd-and-6, Heafner scrambled up the middle before Ronde Worrels burst through for a 6-yard tackle for loss, forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Zach Gray at the Augustana 13 to end the Carthage scoring threat.

Taking over at their own 13 following the fumble recovery, Augustana opened the drive as Keegan Otte burst up the middle for eight yards to the 21-yard line. On 2nd-and-2, Jimmy Makuh took a deep shot down the right sideline intended for Holcomb, but the pass fell incomplete near the Augustana 44. Makuh appeared to convert the next play on a 4-yard keeper up the middle, but an illegal formation penalty erased the gain and pushed the Vikings back to 3rd-and-7 at their own 16. Makuh's pass to Otte on the left side was incomplete, bringing out the punt unit. Jacob Tyrcha's punt was blocked at the line by Carthage, and the ball was recovered by the home team at the Augustana 22-yard line, setting the Firebirds up with prime field position.

On first down, Heafner's pass over the middle fell incomplete as he was hurried by Frank Lacny. The Vikings stood tall on the next snap as Thomas stopped Frank for no gain on a run to the right. After a timeout on 3rd-and-10, Augustana's defense delivered as Thomas and Hogan combined for a 14-yard sack on Heafner, pushing the Firebirds all the way back to the Augustana 36-yard line. Facing 4th-and-24, Carthage elected to punt into the end zone for a touchback, and the Vikings' defense came away with a critical red zone stand.

Starting at their own 20, Otte rushed for seven yards on first down, then added two more to set up 3rd-and-1. Otte converted with a 3-yard carry up the middle to the 32. On the next play, Makuh took a deep shot down the right sideline and connected with Vrabec for a 41-yard gain to the Carthage 27. Otte added two yards on the ground before catching a pass over the middle for four yards to the Carthage 21. Facing 3rd-and-4, Makuh kept the ball and scrambled five yards to the 16, stepping out of bounds for a first down. Two plays later, Makuh found Schlanser across the middle for a 16-yard touchdown, capping a 9-play, 80-yard drive and extending the Vikings lead to 14-3 with 3:39 to play in the first half.

Carthage began at its own 25-yard line. Hunter rushed for seven yards on second down to bring up 3rd-and-2. Hunter moved the chains with another 4-yard run to the 37. After a timeout at the two-minute mark, Ronde Worrels applied pressure to hurry an incomplete pass. On the next snap, Augustana's defense delivered a momentum-shifting play as Ryan Gustafsson sacked Heafner for a loss of six yards, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Korbin Rawlings at the Carthage 31 with 1:51 left in the half.

Taking over on the short field, Otte rushed for six yards to the Carthage 25, and on the next play caught a swing pass from Jimmy Makuh for seven more to the 18, stepping out of bounds for a first down. Carthage responded with a big defensive play as Makuh was sacked for a 14-yard loss back to the 32. After an Augustana timeout, Makuh threw incomplete under pressure on 2nd-and-24. On 3rd down, he found Jake Miller for 10 yards to the Carthage 22, setting up a manageable kick situation. Jacob Garbett converted the 40-yard field goal, extending Augustana's lead to 17–3 with 56 seconds before halftime.

Carthage would go three and out their next drive giving the Vikings the ball with 13 seconds left in the half. Makuh would take a knee and send the Vikings into halftime up 17-3.

In the third, Carthage opened the second half at its own 25-yard line, but Augustana's defense set the tone early. On 1st down, Stapleton broke up a pass over the middle, and on 2nd down Nieto stopped the rush for no gain. A third-down incompletion forced a punt, and an illegal formation penalty on Carthage moved the ball to the Firebirds' 40-yard line, giving Augustana possession in plus territory.

The Vikings started at the Carthage 40 with momentum. Makuh hit Gallagher for eight yards to the 32 but couldn't move the chains, as an incomplete pass and a stuffed run on 3rd-and-2 brought up 4th down. Makuh kept it himself but was stopped a yard short, turning the ball over on downs at the 31.

Carthage's next drive stalled quickly as Augustana forced another three-and-out with solid coverage and a run stop by Nieto and Toby Splitt on 2nd-and-10.

Augustana regained possession at its own 45, and Otte delivered immediately ripping off a 19-yard run to the Carthage 37. Two plays later, Makuh found Vrabec over the middle for 12 yards to the Carthage 23, converting another first down despite pressure from the Carthage front. The drive stalled inside the red zone as Makuh threw incomplete under pressure and was forced to scramble for five yards to the Carthage 16 on third down. Augustana turned to Garbett, who drilled a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20–3 with 7:42 left in the third.

Carthage opened the drive at its own 14-yard line, and after a 3-yard run, Heafner connected with Surveyor for seven yards and a first down to the 24. Frank bounced outside on 2nd down for a 22-yard run to the 47. Carthage crossed midfield on a 5-yard reception by Hunter before Heafner found Gavin Betts over the middle for 14 yards to the Augustana 34. Augustana's defense responded immediately as Klein shot the gap for a 2-yard tackle for loss on Hunter. The Vikings held firm the rest of the way, allowing only four more yards and stopping Heafner twice on quarterback draws, including a fourth-down stop at the Augustana 33 for a turnover on downs.

Taking over at its own 33, Augustana moved the chains efficiently to close the quarter.  Makuh hit Otte for five yards to the 38, then Otte followed with a 6-yard run up the middle to the 44 for a first down. Makuh found Schlanser over the middle for four yards to near midfield, but a holding penalty on the Vikings brought the ball back to the Augustana 38. The Vikings retained possession heading into the fourth quarter, still holding a 17–3 lead.

In the fourth, facing 1st-and-16 at their own 38, Augustana leaned on the run game to extend their lead. Otte burst up the middle for 11 yards to the 49, then followed with five more to cross midfield into Carthage territory at the 46. Makuh kept the ball on the next snap for a 5-yard scramble to the 41, stepping out of bounds. Otte caught a short pass for two yards, and on 3rd-and-3 Makuh converted with a 4-yard run to the Carthage 35. Augustana continued to methodically move the ball as Makuh hit Holcomb for two yards, followed by a 3-yard run from Otte to the 30. Facing 3rd-and-5, Makuh took a deep shot to Schlanser in the end zone, but the pass was broken up. However, an offside penalty on Carthage erased the play, giving Augustana a first down at the Carthage 25. After a timeout on 2^nd-and-9, Otte powered ahead for four yards to the 20. On 3rd-and-5, Makuh's throw fell incomplete under pressure from Carthage, bringing out the field goal unit. Garbett converted a 38-yard field goal, extending Augustana's lead to 23–3 with 8:13 left in regulation.

From there each team traded short possessions with neither team passing midfield and the Vikings cruised to a 23-3 road win.

Makuh finished the day with 160 yards through the air and two touchdowns, also adding 38 yards gained on the ground. Otte was handed the ball 22 times and finishes with 100 yards rushing while adding 18 receiving. Two receivers for the Vikings stood out in Vrabec and Schlanser each catching a score and finishing with 55 and 54 yards receiving, respectively. Five other Vikings would catch a pass on the day. Garbett was perfect on field goals going 3/3 from 40, 34, and 38.

The Vikings lead tackler was Thomas who finished with 10 total, two TFLs, and a half-sack. Klein finished with 1.5 sacks, Worrels was disruptive with two TFLs and a forced fumble, and Hogan added a half-sack. Gustafsson added a forced fumble and a sack for the Vikings. Splitt, Hunt, and Stapleton finished with nine, five, and four tackles, respectively.

With the win the Vikings improve to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in CCIW play. They will be back home on Saturday, Nov. 15 to take on Washington-St. Louis for Senior Day with kickoff set at 12 p.m.