#23-Wheaton football battles to 20-3 victory in windy conditions at Augustana

Rock Island, Ill. - Cold and windy conditions dominated the storyline on Saturday afternoon as the Thunder football team battled to a 20-3 victory at Augustana. Wind gusts over 30 miles an hour made the passing attack for both teams nearly nonexistent as the teams combined for just 130 passing yards. The victory moves Wheaton to 5-2 on the season and 4-2 in the CCIW. Augustana falls to 3-4 overall and 2-4 in the CCIW. Wheaton will return home next Saturday, October 27, for a 1 pm kickoff against Carroll University.

Wheaton held the Vikings to just 127 yards of total offense with 77 coming on the ground and 50 through the air. Daniel Herber led Wheaton's defensive effort with nine tackles including a sack. Ryan Schwartz tallied seven tackles and Eric Stevenson finished with five hits.

Wheaton amassed 297 yards of offense with 80 through the air and 217 on the ground. Luke Sawicki led the Vikings with a game-high 17 tackles.

The Thunder defense stood strong with the Vikings benefitting from the wind in the opening quarter of the play. Neither team threatened to score until near the end of the quarter when the wind held up a Zach Feddeler punt for just seven yards, allowing Augustana to take over possession at the Wheaton 15-yard line. A false start penalty pushed the Vikings back five yards and the Thunder defense forced the Vikings into a turnover on downs at the nine-yard line to start the second quarter.

A 57-yard punt by Feddeler following the ensuing possession turned the field against the Vikings and allowed Wheaton to start its next possession at the Augustana 33-yard line. Augustana's defense answered with an interception on the opening play of the drive, but the Viking offense could not take advantage, going three-and-out.

A 23-yard punt return by Phillip Nichols, set the Thunder offense up at the Augustana 33-yard line and the Thunder offense responded on the next play with a 29-yard run by Jacob Cretin. Three plays later, Spencer Peterson rumbled into the end zone from the one-yard line, giving Wheaton a 7-0 lead with 5:58 remaining in the half.

That lead would last until the halftime break after penalties and a late sack cost Wheaton a chance at a score at the end of the half. Following an Augustana field goal midway through the third quarter, Wheaton answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a five-yard touchdown run by Cretin to take a 13-3 lead. Cretin led the Thunder rushing attack with 170 yards on 27 carries. Stone Watson highlighted the drive with runs of 13 and 24 yards.

Wheaton's final scoring drive of the game came midway through the fourth quarter when Noah Frazier capped a 10-play drive with a six-yard touchdown run to account for the final score of 20-3.