ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The Augustana football team wasted little time making its presence felt in the 2026 season opener. Under the lights at Lindberg Stadium on Saturday night, the Vikings exploded out of the gate with three first-quarter touchdowns and never looked back, rolling past the Simpson Storm 42-14 to open the season.
Augustana's offense was sharp from the opening possession, its defense consistently forcing Simpson to work for every yard, and its special teams helping the Vikings maintain control throughout the evening. By the time the opening quarter came to a close, Augustana had already built a 21-0 advantage and established the tone for the remainder of the night.
After Simpson opened the game with a fumble, Augustana immediately capitalized. Running back Ben Ludlum took the handoff and raced 58 yards to the end zone, putting the Vikings on the board just 14 seconds into the possession. Jacob Garbett's extra point gave Augustana a 7-0 lead with 12:48 remaining in the first quarter.
Augustana's defense forced another Simpson punt, and the Vikings went right back to work. Quarterback Jimmy Makuh guided the offense down the field, eventually finding Tyreke Fortney for a six-yard touchdown pass with 6:50 remaining in the quarter. Garbett added the extra point, pushing the lead to 14-0.
With less than a minute remaining in the opening quarter, Makuh connected with Fortney again -- this time on a 50-yard touchdown pass. The explosive play capped a two-play, 52-yard drive and gave Augustana a commanding 21-0 advantage with only seven seconds left in the quarter.
Augustana continued its offensive pressure into the second quarter. After putting together an 88-yard scoring drive, the Vikings found the end zone again when Makuh kept the ball himself and powered in from five yards out. The seven-play drive consumed just over three minutes and extended the Augustana lead to 28-0 with 7:03 remaining before halftime.
Simpson eventually answered with a big play of its own. The Storm hauled in a 65-yard touchdown pass with 4:20 left in the second quarter, putting the Storm on the scoreboard. Augie carried a 28-7 lead into halftime, having already accumulated 263 yards of total offense. The Vikings' balance was particularly evident, as they produced 144 rushing yards and 119 passing yards during the first half.
Augustana's defense continued to limit Simpson's opportunities, while the Vikings' offense worked to protect its three-touchdown advantage in the third. Simpson opened the fourth quarter with a 69-yard, 12-play drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run from Devin Brophy, trimming the deficit to 28-14 with 12:43 remaining.
Just over three minutes later, Makuh found Sean Schlanser for a 21-yard touchdown pass, restoring Augustana's three-touchdown cushion at 35-14. The five-play, 55-yard drive took only 2:39 off the clock. With 4:53 remaining, Makuh capped an eight-play, 54-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Garbett's sixth successful extra point of the evening completed the scoring and gave the Vikings a 42-14 advantage.
Makuh completed 16 of 23 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 55 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, accounting for five total touchdowns in the victory. Ludlum provided the foundation on the ground. The running back carried the ball 19 times for 146 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Fortney was Makuh's top target, hauling in six passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Ethan Vrabec added three receptions for 83 yards, and Schlanser added two catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. Cole Schroder led the defensive side with seven of his 10 tackles being solo. Ronde Worrels finished the night with 2.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards and 1.5 sacks for 13 yards.
With the win, Augie begins the season 1-0 and will be back in action for a non-conference road game against UW-Stout.
