Oct 11, 2014

Thunder football team remains undefeated with a 20-13 victory at Augustana

Rock Island, Ill. - The Wheaton Thunder football team, ranked 18th in this week's D3football.com Top-25 poll and 11th in the AFCA Top-25, remained undefeated on the season with a 20-13 victory at Augustana on Saturday afternoon. Wheaton overcame a ten-point deficit and ran off the game's final 17 points point en route to improve to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in CCIW play. With the loss, Augustana falls to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Wheaton has now won eight straight games against Augustana. The Thunder will next be in action on October 18, when Wheaton travels to Decatur, Ill. for a 6 PM tilt against Millikin.

Augustana out-gained the Thunder on the day with 293 yards of total offense, while Wheaton managed 229 yards of offense. The Vikings accounted for 122 yards through the air on 16-of-28 passing by Sam Frasco. Augustana also had 171 yards on the ground led by Austin Chausse, who ran for 96 yards on 11 carries. Andrew Bowers was 8-of-15 passing for 105 yards to lead the Thunder offensive attack. Bowers threw for one touchdown, in addition to the game-winning TD run. Bowers was also Wheaton's leading rusher, with 41 yards on 15 carries. Brandon Gray was Wheaton's leading receiver with 38 yards on two catches.

The Thunder defense was forced to answer the call twice to start the game after a forced punt bounced off the heel of a Wheaton blocker and was recovered by the Vikings at the Wheaton 35-yard line. Wheaton was able to hold the Vikings to just four yards on four plays forcing to force the turnover on downs. It was the punting game that turned the field allowed Wheaton to score first in the first quarter. Sam Cote's punt of 38 yards was kept out of the end zone on a diving attempt by Luke Thorson and downed at the Augie four-yard line, leading to a short field for the Thunder following an Augustana three-and-out. A 23-yard pass from Andrew Bowers to Matt Norton put Wheaton on the goal line but Wheaton was denied the end zone and Cote's 25-yard field goal gave Wheaton a 3-0 lead with 3:53 left in the first quarter.

Augustana's offense came to life on the next possession as the Vikings drove 75 yards on 12 plays to find the end zone on a 12-yard pass from Sam Frasco to Antonio Owens. Zach Lindquist blocked the extra point attempt to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Vikings. Wheaton's next drive was cut short by an interception and Austin Chausse broke the first play of the Viking drive for 58 yards and a touchdown to put the Vikings ahead 13-3. The Thunder responed on the ensuing possession behind a pair of 12-yard runs. Facing first and 20 following a holding penalty, Bowers found Brandon Gray (PICTURED RIGHT) for 21 yards to put the Thunder in the red zone and then hooked up with Matt Mitchell at the pylon for a 16-yard touchdown pass. Cote's extra point cut the lead to 13-10. Wheaton threatened to get on the board late in the first half but an impressive no-huddle drill was neutralized by a crucial sack at midfield and Cote's 53-yard field goal attempt was blocked as the clock expired.

A short field again was again the catalyst for the Thunder at the start of the second half. Consecutive false start penalties forced Augie from fourth and five to fourth and 15 from their own 35 when a fake punt attempt was thwarted by Austin Brooks giving Wheaton the ball at the Viking 40-yard line. A pass interference call and an additional personal foul penalty on the first play of the drive moved the ball down to the 12-yard line, where the drive promptly stalled and forced Cote to tie the game at 13-13 with a 27-yard field goal attempt.

Cote again swung the game in Wheaton's favor following consecutive three-and-outs when Cote's booming 55-yard punt was fumbled by Augustana's Kyle Frake and recovered by Wes Cannonier at the seven-yard line. A defensive penalty moved the ball down to the three-yard line and two rushes from Bowers finally pushed the ball into the end zone to give Wheaton the lead 20-13 with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vikings threatened to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, driving from the Thunder 46 down to the eight-yard line before an illegal chop block penalty cost the Vikings 15 yards. Attempting to convert on fourth and 13 from the 14-yard line, Frasco's pass for Sean Fitzgerald fell incomplete in the end zone. Augie received one more chance after a Thunder three-and-out but gained just three yards on four plays and Wheaton was able to kneel the ball to run out the clock.

Adam Dansdill led the Thunder defense with a game-high 12 tackles. Caleb Ashby recorded 10 hits including 2.5 tackles for loss. Logan McRae (PICTURED LEFT) filled the stat sheet with six tackles, two for loss including a sack, and a forced fumble. Tim Maroder and Jack Asquini paced the Vikings with eight tackles apiece.Print Friendly Version