SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Winona State University football team heads to Sioux Falls for the second consecutive weekend and will take on #19 Augustana University today, Oct. 30, at 1pm.
The Warriors (5-3, 2-1 NSIC South) are looking for back-to-back wins in Sioux Falls as they try to upend the Vikings (7-1, 3-1 NSIC South) who lead the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and are ranked first in the current NCAA Division II Super Region Four Rankings.
Augustana moved to 7-1 on the season after their most recent win over Minnesota State 45-35. The main story line for the Vikings is their stout run defense, which leads the country in giving up just 37.6 rushing yards per game. On the other side of the ball, Augustana leads the NSIC by averaging 489.4 yards of total offense per game.
The Vikings are led by quarterback Kyle Saddler who has thrown for 28 touchdowns, which is good for second in the nation. The team averages 303.6 passing yards per game and 185.8 rushing yards per game. Saddler's favorite target, Sean Engel, has caught 11 touchdown passes and averages 91 receiving yards a game. Jarod Epperson has led the attack on the ground for Augustana, rushing for 101.5 yards per game.
Winona State captured a win at Sioux Falls last weekend in a very tough defensive battle. A late 70-yard touchdown helped the Warriors secure a 14-10 victory and move to 5-3 on the season.
Owen Burke surpassed the 500-career completion mark on his game-winning touchdown pass to
Dakota Matthees, moving Burke to second all-time in Winona State history for career completions.
The Warriors will try to wear down the Vikings' defense this week using a tandem backfield of
Dominik London and
Noah Carlson. London leads the team with 462 yards this year, and Carlson is coming off a career-high 78 yards on 16 attempts. These two, along with the offensive line will be key for Winona State's rushing attack.
WSU will also be looking to air the ball out as Augustana is second-to-last in the NSIC for passing defense, giving up an average of 299 yards per game. Burke is averaging 249.1 passing yards per game and has thrown for 15 touchdowns this season. He will look for his favorite targets
Jake Balliu and
Ethan Wittenburg to exploit the Augustana secondary. Balliu leads the team with 29 receptions, and Wittenburg leads the Warriors with 499 receiving yards.
Balliu, a threat in all aspects of the game, surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season last week. He currently leads the league in punt return yards with 283, is second in kick return yards with 451, and has 352 yards receiving.
On defense Winona State is led by
Clay Schueffner who has 66 total tackles, which is good for the second most in the NSIC.
Mitch Snitker is also in the top-10 within the NSIC with 60 total tackles.
Carter Duxbury has been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks as he leads the league with 7.5 sacks. The Warriors' defense will look to slow down the high-powered Viking offense this week.
Winona State will look to end Augustana's current nine-game home winning streak and also enter the NCAA DII Super Region Four discussion with a win today.. Kickoff is set for 1pm at Kirkeby-Over Stadium, and Midco Sports will have the broadcast.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
