Game Notes
ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings football team will travel to the campus of the Elmhurst Bluejays on Saturday, Sept. 26, for their first road conference matchup of the season.

The Vikings return to action after falling to the Illinois Wesleyan Titans last weekend, 17-10. Augustana jumped out to an early lead against Illinois Wesleyan, taking a 3-0 advantage on a 42-yard field goal from Jacob Garbett in the first quarter. The Titans responded with a touchdown and field goal in the second quarter to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.

Illinois Wesleyan extended its lead early in the third quarter when an interception was returned 30 yards for a touchdown, making it 17-3. Augustana continued to move the ball offensively, finishing with 375 total yards, including 270 through the air. Augie mounted a late comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, driving 72 yards on seven plays before David Finfer connected with Tyreke Fortney for a 15-yard touchdown with four seconds remaining, but the Titans held on for the victory.

Finfer finished the afternoon with 270 passing yards and a touchdown, while Fortney led the Vikings with 80 receiving yards and four kickoff returns for 102 yards. Ben Ludlum paced the ground game with 74 rushing yards on 16 carries. Defensively, Augustana held Illinois Wesleyan to 298 total yards and just 105 rushing yards. Nick Golden led the pack with seven tackles and 3.0 tackles for a loss of five yards, while Ronde Worrles, Dino Hunt, and TJ Klein added six tackles apiece. Worrels and Klein also tallied 0.5 sacks for a loss of four yards.

Elmhurst enters the weekend with an overall record of 1-2 and sits at 0-1 in conference play after falling to Carroll this past Saturday by a score of 33-0. Carroll took control early, scoring twice in the first quarter to build a 13-0 lead before adding another touchdown in the second quarter to take a 19-0 advantage into halftime. The Pioneers continued to pull away in the second half, scoring on a 56-yard run and a 40-yard touchdown pass to finish with a 33-0 victory. Elmhurst's defense forced three turnovers, including two fumble recoveries and an interception, but Carroll's offense totaled 539 yards, including 358 on the ground. Quarterback Justin Carlson completed 11-of-24 passes for 66 yards, while pacing the ground with 64 total yards on seven carries; Antonio Russell led the Bluejays with three receptions for 37 yards. Defensively, Jaden Genova collected 13 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and Jayvon King added eight tackles with an interception. 

Augie holds a 61-8-1 all-time series record over the Bluejays, with their last game resulting in a 48-7 victory for the Vikings. Ludlum totaled 146 yards with two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. Vrabec added 91 yards and a touchdown, Schlanser notched six catches for 71 yards, and Brosnan hauled in seven passes for 41 yards. On the ground, Ludlum led with 83 yards on eight carries; Finfer chipped in 34 yards on the ground and 16 through the air. Defensively, Hunt tallied seven stops on two tackles for loss, while Owen Keany added a sack and two tackles for loss, and Travis Kenzevich intercepted two passes. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.