WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University football team used a quick-strike offense early on and a lock-down defense in the second half to claim a key Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) win over Augustana University, 24-7.

Darryl Williams needed just under nine minutes at the start of the Warrior Senior Day contest to notch a pair of touchdown catches, allowing Winona State, currently receiving votes in the AFCA DII poll, to race out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, an advantage they would not relinquish the rest of the way. 

Trevor Paulsen connected with Williams on a 30-yard passing strike to cap a seven-play, 91-yard drive to move Winona State in front 7-0 early on. Then, with just under two minutes to go in the first frame, Paulsen hit Williams again, this time on a 15-yard route, to double the Warrior scoreline at 14-0. 

After the early Warrior offensive surge, the defenses from both teams dialed up the intensity and produced a grind-it-out war of attrition for the next three-quarters of play.

The Vikings and Warriors traded possessions for the remainder of the first half with neither team denting the scoreboard any further. Augustana looked poised to score at the end of the second quarter, as the Vikings lined up a 23-yard chip shot field goal. However, Viking kicker Ben Limburg sliced his effort just to the right of the goalpost, leaving Augustana scoreless as the half expired. 

Following halftime, a string of punts exchanged between Winona State and Augustana was broken when WSU received a 31-yard field goal from Jacob Scott, stretching the Warrior lead to 17-0 at 9:16 in the third quarter.  Scott's successful kick ended a 7-play drive and, most importantly, made the contest a three-possession game for the visiting Vikings. 

In the fourth quarter, Augustana avoid the shutout when quarterback Casey Bauman connected with Jack Fisher for a 33-yard touchdown. Fisher's catch was the second-longest Viking reception on a day in which the Warrior defense held their opponents to just two receptions for more than 15 yards.  

From that point on, the Winona State defense entered lock-down status, neutralizing the Vikings' passing attack with a combination of defensive line pressure on the pocket and tight downfield coverage.  That defensive quality shined most brightly when Warrior linebacker Ikenna Ujuagua intercepted a Bauman pass and returned it for a pick-six score at 8:27 in the fourth quarter.  Ujangu's effort put an exclamation point on the WSU victory, moving the scoreboard to 24-7 in favor of Winona State. 

Clay Schueffner was one of several Winona State standouts on defense, racking up 11 total tackles, including six solo stops. Mitch Snitker had seven tackles in the game and an important interception in the fourth quarter as Augustana was positioned to create momentum following their touchdown on their previous possession. Carter Duxbury, Corrie King, and Kyjuan Vengrowsky all added sacks to the WSU defensive stat line, with King notching two. 

Offensively, the Winona State quarterback combination of Trevor Paulsen and Kyle Haas were 14-of-23 for two touchdowns. WSU won the turnover battle thanks in large part to the interception-free outing by the two signal callers, and Paulsen added a set of key scrambles to extend Warrior drives.  The Marion, Iowa junior led all WSU rushers with 37 yards while running back Sam Santiago-Lloyd added 35 yards on the ground. 

In addition to Williams' clutch catches in the first quarter, Jaylen Schleicher and Cooper Nelson both notched three receptions apiece, playing a major part of the 173 receiving yards earned by the WSU receiving corps in the game. 

Tristan Root allowed Winona State to excel in the field-position battle, as the sophomore from Eau Claire, Wis. hit eight punts in the game, with three kicks over 50 yards. Root dropped one effort inside the 20-yard line and earned a 44.8 yard average overall.  Jacob Scott went 1-for-1 on field goal tries and was 3-for-3 on point-after attempts, extending his perfect streak on PAT's to 28 straight. 

As a team, Winona State took care of the football with neither a fumble or interception against the Vikings and was perfect in the red zone, going 2-for-2 on scoring opportunities inside the 25-yard line. 

With the victory, Winona State moves to 7-2 on the year and 4-0 in the NSIC South, good for sole possession of the first place in the Division with two weeks to go in the regular season. 

The win also snaps a two-game skid against Augustana and sets up an exciting final 14 days of the 2022 NSIC campaign.  WSU concluded the home portion of their 2022 slate with a perfect 5-0 record in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium and the Warriors have won their last eight games at home on Maxwell Field, dating back to 2021. 

Winona State will next play at Upper Iowa University on Saturday, Nov. 5.  The Peacocks and Warriors are set for a noon kickoff in Fayette.