October 1, 2011
Augustana falls to Millikin 30-27
ROCK ISLAND, Ill.—Austin Brettschneider's 37-yard field goal with :00.9 seconds left Saturday provided the margin of victory as Millikin defeated Augustana at Ericson Field by a score of 30-27. Augustana is now 0-4 on the year and 0-1 in the CCIW, while the Big Blue improves to 3-1 and 1-0 in the league.
With 23 seconds left in the game and Augustana trailing 27-21, David Lee hooked up with Keith Abbey on a 12-yard touchdown pass on third and goal to tie the contest. The Vikings had a chance to take the lead, but Brady Rogers' point after attempt hit the right upright to leave the score deadlocked. After returning the ensuing kickoff to its own 41, Millikin got a 38-yard completion from Matt Holmes to Jake Palmer to set up Brettschneider's game-winner.
Millikin had the Vikings on their heels early, going 74 yards in 10 plays on the game's opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Holmes took it in from the three to cap the drive. The Big Blue then recovered an onside kick and drove to the Augustana 19 before freshman Bo Goshorn picked off a deflected Homes pass to end the threat.
Early in the second period, the Vikings put together an 86-yard, 16-play scoring drive. Brett McWilliams capped the march with a three-yard touchdown run. The Big Blue answered with a six-play, 68-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead, but the Vikings kept the deficit at 13-7 when Joe Weber got a hand on Brettschneider's PAT.
With just 34 second left in the half, freshman Armin Batang took a pitch from Lee on a reverse 14 yards to paydirt to give the Vikings a 14-13 lead at the half. Batang's run capped a 10-play 72-yard drive.
Augustana's Sean Walker brought the second-half kickoff into Big Blue territory and the Vikings went 49 yards in eight plays to extend its lead to 21-13. McWilliams finished off the march with his second touchdown run of the night, this one from two yards out. Millikin responded with a 5-play 70-yard march all of which came on the ground. Holmes accounted for 26 yards and Sean Dunning for 44, including the final 26 for the score. The failed two-point conversion attempt left the score at 21-19.
With 10:21 left, the Big Blue took over at its own 21 and went on a 79-yard touchdown march to retake the lead. Holmes went in from 16-yards out to cap the drive. This time, the two-point conversion was successful, with Holmes connected with Erik Tobey to put Millikin up 27-21.
Lee finished the night 13-of-22 for 164 yards and a touchdown. He spread the ball around, with Abbey, McWilliams and Jason Wagner each catching three passes. McWilliams paced the ground attack with 72 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Erik Westerberg had 10 tackles, all solo, to lead the Viking defense.
Next week Augustana is on the road, traveling to Naperville, Illinois to face North Central on Saturday, October 8. Game time against the ninth-ranked Cardinals is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
