CHADRON, Neb. -- September 6, 2023 -- For the second week in a row, the Chadron State College football team will be meeting a new opponent.  The Eagles will host the Augustana Vikings from Sioux Falls, S.D., for a noon kickoff Saturday at Elliott Field.  The teams have never previously met on the gridiron.

Both teams won their season openers last week but by much different margins.  The Eagles edged the Quincy Hawks in Illinois 35-34 by scoring with 36 seconds remaining, while the Vikings breezed to a 38-7 win over the Mary Marauders from Bismarck, N.D., at home.

Chadron State got off to a great start in its opener, scoring on its first three possessions to take a 22-0 lead. But the Eagles had a pair of passes intercepted that led to 27- and 19-yard touchdown drives and fumbled a handoff at the Quincy one-yard line that was returned 99 yards by linebacker Peyton Plunkett in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles trailed 34-29 before capitalizing on Quincey's 10-yard punt and driving 35 yards to the end zone for the victory.

"The turnovers cost us, but I was really proud of how we ended the game," Head Coach Jay Long said.  "It was a total team win. With just over three minutes left, we needed a great punt, a defensive stop and a game-winning drive. We did all three in a tough environment a long ways from home."

The Eagles finished with 366 total yards--219 passing and 147 rushing.  They limited the Hawks to 85 yards on the ground and 165 passing for a 250 total.

Augustana scored in every quarter, led 24-0 at halftime and added a touchdown in both the third and fourth periods.  Mary's only TD came in the third stanza. 

The Vikings had 25 first downs and 433 yards of total offense.  Mary was held to 12 first downs and 219 yards.

Augustana quarterback Casey Bauman, a 6-foot-7. 225-pound grad student, completed 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. The Vikings rushed 37 times for 203 yards and three TDs. They also had an 85-yard punt return for their final score. 

Augustana, which was 7-4 last season, was picked to finish fourth in the Northern Sun Conference in the coaches' pre-season poll.  It returned 10 its offensive starters and six defensive players with starting experience.

During halftime of Saturday's game, the 1989 and 1990 Chadron State football teams will be inducted into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame.  It will be the first time since 1998, when the 1949, 1958 and 1978 teams were inducted, that this has occurred.

Parking guidelines for CSC Football home games has changed. A new parking map can be found below.