BOX SCORE

MARSHALL, Minn. - Augustana scored the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes and 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter to earn a 38-35 victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday in the season finale for both teams.

SMSU had a chance to tie the game with less than 10 seconds left in the game, but Lance Schuveiller's 43-yard field goal sailed wide left.

Augustana finishes the season 5-6 NSIC, 3-4 NSIC South, while Southwest Minnesota State closes the season at 4-7 NSIC, 3-4 NSIC South.  The Vikings have now won 14 straight games over SMSU since the Mustangs won the first two games of the series in 1990 and 1991.

Dajon Newell, who rushed for game-high 165 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 11-yard run to give the Vikings a 38-35 lead.  The touchdown capped a 13-play, 92-yard drive. 

SMSU took over with a chance to tie or win the game starting at its own 21-yard line.  SMSU converted one fourth-down play and two third-down conversions to move the ball down to the Augie 26-yard line with 21 seconds remaining.  Following three incomplete passes, Schuveiller came on to attempt the tying field goal, but missed wide left.

Newell paced an Augustana offense that finished the game with 497 yards and 26 first downs.  Josh Hanson completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns.  Darren Nicklason had big day as well with 12 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown.

SMSU was led by Tyler Peschong, who completed 23 of 41 passes for 271 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes.  Gannon Moore rushed for a team-high 72 yards on 15 carries, while Warren Matthews added 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.  Matthews also caught three passes for 34 yards and one touchdown.

The Mustang offense racked up 25 first downs and 427 total yards.

Augustana started the game strong, taking the opening kickoff and moving 65 yards on 12 plays to take an early 7-0 lead with Hanson tossing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Niklason.

On SMSU's first play from scrimmage, Peschong was intercepted by Thomas Vanasek, who returned the pass 10 yards and setting up the Vikings at the SMSU 30-yard line.  Just four plays later Newell broke free for a 6-yard touchdown to give Augie a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

SMSU was able to cut the lead in half early in the second quarter taking advantage of a short Viking punt, taking over at the Augie 43-yard line.  Matthews capped the ensuing 11-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to trim the deficit to 14-7 with 14 minutes and 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

Augie answered right back and extended the lead, scoring two plays later with Hanson connecting on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Matt Gerry at the 13:22 mark to build a 20-7 lead following a blocked PAT by SMSU's AJ Page.

SMSU came right back and countered with its own scoring drive, taking advantage of a pair of big Viking penalties.  The Mustangs put together a 75-yard drive, with the help of a personal foul and holding on the Vikings, with Peschong closing the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Dean with 9:15 remaining in the half to make the score 20-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, SMSU's Dan Timm, forced and recovered a fumble by the Vikings' Grant Gebhardt, giving SMSU the ball at the Augie 40-yard line.  The Mustangs wouldn't waste the turnover and took its first lead of the game with 5:36 remaining as Peschong tossed a screen pass to Matthews, who took the pass 16 yards for a touchdown to make the score 21-10.  SMSU converted a pair of third-down conversions on the drive.

The lead didn't last long, as Augustana answered with a four-play, 75-yard drive, with Newell ripping off a 47-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-21 with 5:37 remaining following a Hanson 2-point conversion run.

The Mustangs would turn the ball over on downs on their next possession at the Augie 27-yard line with 55 seconds left in the half.  Augustana, with one of the most prolific offenses in the NSIC, quickly marched down the field, moving to the SMSU 1-yard line with two seconds left, before settling for a Hanson 18-yard field goal to take a 31-21 halftime lead.

The two teams combined for 504 yards and 28 first downs in the opening half, with Hanson completing 15 of 16 pass attempts for 172 yards and two touchdowns.  Peschong completed 11 of 19 attempts for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the half.

SMSU punted on its first drive of the second half, while Augustana missed a 37-yarde field goal attempt to keep the score at 31-21.

The Mustang offense then took over and put together a pair of scoring drives to regain the lead.  Following the field goal miss, SMSU marched 80 yards on just seven plays with Peschong completing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Erickson to trim the lead to 31-28 with 5:28 left in the third quarter.

Augustana moved the ball down to the SMSU 28-yard line, but the Mustang defense forced the Vikings to turn the ball over on downs to end the scoring threat. 

Taking over at their own 28-yard line, the SMSU offense put together another impressive drive, with Matthews starting the drive with back-to-back 12 and 24-yard runs, moving the ball to the Viking 36-yard line.  Three plays later, facing third-and-six, Peschong kept the drive alive with a 9-yard pass to Dean.

Facing third-and-two from the 15-yard, Peschong stepped up again with a touchdown pass to Cody Condon to give SMSU back the lead at 35-31 with 12:22 left in the fourth.

The SMSU defense then made a big stop, forcing an Augie three-and-out, but the SMSU failed to pick up a first down on its next drive and was forced to punt setting up the Viking final drive with 9:18 on the clock.

Joe Stupka led the SMSU defense with a team-high nine tackles, while Tate Bunker and Dashawn Miller each chipped in with eight tackles.

Today's game was the final for 18 SMSU senior players.