Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Augustana University came through with a pair of big fourth quarter plays to hold off Southwest Minnesota State 35-20 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday afternoon at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
Augustana, ranked No. 10 in this week's NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, finishes the regular season with a record of 8-3 NSIC, 5-2 NSIC South. SMSU closes its season 5-6 NSIC, 2-5 NSIC South.
 
Matt Heller caught a team-high six passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Augustana offense. It was his fifth three-touchdown game of the season. Trey Heid completed 16 of 31 passes for the Vikings for 264 yards and four touchdown passes.
 
Blake Gimbel completed 42 of 56 pass attempts for 362 yards and two touchdowns for SMSU, but was also intercepted twice. Gimbel's top target was Raphael Lawson-Gayle, who closed his SMSU career with eight receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
 
SMSU's Max Simmons closed the game with a game-high 86 yards rushing on a career-high 31 attempts. He also caught a career-high nine passes for 31 yards. Simmons finished the season rushing for 913 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns—one touchdown shy of the SMSU single-season record.
 
Mustang seniors Tyler Flud and Wes Bednar each recorded a team-high eight tackles. Flud closed his career with 300 tackles, ranking sixth in school history and also finished sixth in team history with 161 solo stops.
 
The final key play of the game came with less than seven minutes remaining in the four quarter with Augustana holding a 28-20 lead. The Vikings faced third-and-21, but Heid lofted a pass to Heller who leaped over a defender for the catch and ran in the final few yards for a 59-yard touchdown reception to push the final margin to 35-20.
 
The Vikings' rushing game was paced by Jackie Davis who finished with 77 yards on just eight attempts.
 
SMSU moved the ball down the field on its opening drive, setting up first-and-goal at the 9-yard line, but the Vikings defense held strong and forced the Mustangs to turn the ball over on downs at the 4-yard line.
 
Despite the poor field position, Augustana responded in a big way with Heid connecting on a 26-yard pass to Nathan Merriman on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage. Three plays later Davis broke free for a 35-yard run on third-and-1 to move the ball to the SMSU 35-yard line. Heid then found Charlie Hayes for a 35-yard touchdown strike to give Augustana a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
 
The game remained 7-0 until late in the first half when SMSU reached the end zone. Starting from its own 20-yard line following an Augustana missed field, SMSU used strong running from Max Simmons to move inside the Vikings' 10-yard line. Facing third-and-two, Gimbel ran free for a 5-yard touchdown run. Gimbel missed the PAT to keep Augustana in the lead at 7-6.
 
The Vikings added to the lead on its final drive of the half with Heid capping an 8-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-6 at halftime. 
 
Following a pair of punts by both squads to begin the third quarter, the Vikings were able to add to the lead on their third drive as Heid fired a 4-yard touchdown pass to Heller with 2:46 left in the third to extend the lead to 21-6.
 
SMSU answered right back to keep the game tight as Gimbel found Lawson-Gayle open on a 24-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 21-13 following a PAT by Austin Wells.
 
The SMSU defense forced a punt on Augustana's next drive, but Gimbel's pass on the first play on the ensuing drive was tipped at the line of scrimmage and Augustana's Kirby Hora intercepted the ball at the SMSU 25-yard line. Just two plays later Heid connected with Heller on a 21-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-13 with 13:27 left in the fourth.
 
SMSU didn't go away and made it a one possession game on the ensuing drive. On fourth-and-three from the Augustana 45-yard line, Gimbel tossed a perfect pass to Lawson-Gayle for a 45-yard touchdown at the 10:03 mark to cut the Augustana lead to 28-20.
 
Kicking off into a stiff wind, Austin Wells' kickoff landed near the Augustana 41-yard line and was recovered by SMSU's Michael Rivera. The Mustangs couldn't take advantage of the miscue and was forced to punt.
 
Augustana then answered on its next drive with the game-clinching touchdown pass from Heid to Heller.  
 
Today was the final game for 21 SMSU seniors.