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ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings football team are set to hit the road for a conference matchup against the North Park Vikings on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The Vikings enter the game 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in conference play and are coming off their bye week after a high-scoring homecoming victory against Millikin on Oct. 10. Augustana jumped out to an early lead behind four first-half rushing touchdowns from senior running back Ben Ludlum, taking a 28-21 advantage into halftime. Ludlum added a 13-yard touchdown reception from David Finfer in the third quarter before Frank Lacny blocked a punt and Nate Magrini returned it 34 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 42-21. Millikin scored twice in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to seven, but Finfer's two-yard rushing touchdown restored a two-score lead. The Big Blue added a late touchdown, but the Vikings held on for a 49-41 victory.
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Ludlum delivered 34 rushing attempts for 209 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Finfer, accounting for five of Augustana's seven touchdowns. Finfer added 17 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground while completing six passes for 53 yards and another score. Defensively, Braden Houchin led the team with 11 tackles, nine solo and two assisted, while Carl Thomas had 10. Nick Golden finished the day with 2.0 sacks for nine yards and six tackles. Tyke Albritton secured an interception and returned it for 11 yards.
North Park returns to action with a 1-5 overall record and 1-3 in the conference after picking up their first win this past weekend against the Carthage Firebirds by a score of 17-12. North Park's defense and special teams played key roles in a 17-12 win over Carthage. Robert Kubon converted a 46-yard field goal in the first half to give the Vikings a 10-6 halftime lead. The teams remained scoreless in the third quarter, with Armando Martinez forcing a fumble recovered by Darrius Whiters and Manning Fisher intercepting a pass. Freshman Jamaal Jones extended North Park's lead to 17-6 with a 19-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter, and Isaiah Bernadel added another interception. Carthage scored a late defensive touchdown to cut the deficit to five, but Ardarius Elmore stopped the two-point conversion with a sack, and the Vikings' defense held on to secure the victory.
Augie holds a 57-6-0 all-time series record over North Park, with their last meeting resulting in a 24-21 victory for Augustana on the road. On the ground, Ludlum carried the ball 17 times for 65 yards, while Sean Schlanser had seven catches for 128 yards, including a long of 36. Defensively, Dino Hunt led with eight tackles and TJ Klein was disruptive up front with three tackles and two shared tackles for loss. The Vikings finished with three interceptions and multiple stops behind the line of scrimmage.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
