Augie Moves to 8-0 with Dominant Effort, USF Grinds Out 5th Win

It was another winning weekend for our Sioux Falls-based DII College Football programs, and they both won in vastly different styles.

The expectation when you travel to Minot is that you will get a physical battle win or loss. That's just what the Sioux Falls Cougars got on Saturday.

Per USFCougars.com:

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MINOT, N.D. – The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (5-3, 4-3 NSIC) bounced back in a big way this afternoon, rallying from a halftime deficit to defeat Minot State, 24-17, at Herb Parker Stadium. The Cougars shut out the Beavers in the second half while scoring 14 unanswered points to secure their fifth win of the season.
USF struck first midway through the opening quarter when JT Frieders drilled a 32-yard field goal to cap a 10-play drive following a Minot State fumble. The Cougars then extended their lead early in the second quarter as Bubba Tann III broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run — his longest of the season — to make it 10-0.
Minot State responded with 17 straight points before halftime, highlighted by a pair of explosive touchdown runs of 45 and 24 yards, followed by a late 48-yard field goal to take a 17-10 lead into the break.
After halftime, the Cougars wasted no time reclaiming momentum. On the second play of the third quarter, Tate Schafer connected with Adonis Hutchinson for a 63-yard touchdown to even the score at 17-17. Later in the quarter, Schafer and Hutchinson linked up again — this time on a 15-yard strike — to give USF the 24-17 advantage, which would hold for the remainder of the game.
The Cougar defense clamped down in the second half, forcing two fumbles and an interception while holding the Beavers scoreless across the final 30 minutes.
Beau Giblin recorded an interception in the fourth quarter to halt a promising Minot State drive, while Cade Morse and London Kolb each tallied eight and six total tackles, respectively.
Sioux Falls returns home next weekend to host Winona State at Bob Young Field. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in Sioux Falls.

The Cougars are now 5-3 with three games left on their schedule.

As for the Augustana Vikings, they remained undefeated on Saturday with an dominant road win in Marshall:

MARSHALL, Minn. - The Augustana offense flexed once more on Saturday afternoon, knocking off Southwest Minnesota State 57-29 on Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
The point total is the most for an Augustana offense since scoring 63 points on November 5th, 2016 against Concordia-St. Paul. The win moves Augustana to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the NSIC while the Mustangs fall to 1-7, 1-6.
Breylon Blount ran for 136 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns while Cody Oswald added three touchdowns on four catches and 74 yards. Rich Lucero Jr. went 16 for 21 for 221 yards and three touchdowns while throwing an interception. Isaiah Huber sprung a 71-yard return as well to help him reach 120 all-purpose yards. Sam Scholten threw for and caught a touchdown, the first time a player had done each since Gunnar Hensley and Jack Fisher each did it against Northern State last season.
Logan Leonard continued his stellar season with four pass breakups to go with two tackles. Ashton Toll led the defense with six tackles, including a sack, while Brock Salm added five tackles. Gradee Sherman recorded a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss while the Viking defense got to the Mustangs for six sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
Augustana begins a three-game stretch against some of the top teams in the NSIC next Saturday, hosting Northern State on Saturday at 1 p.m.