Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Augustana University converted a pair of big third down plays in the fourth quarter which helped maintain the lead and eventually earn a 28-18 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in NSIC college football on a cold and windy afternoon at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
It was the season-ending game for both squads as Augustana closes at 7-4, including 4-3 NSIC South, while SMSU ends the season on a three-game losing streak and finishes 4-7, 1-6 NSIC South.
 
It was a record-setting day for SMSU senior quarterback Blake Gimbel who became the program's all-time leader in passing yards and finished his career with 10,530 yards. He broke the record of 10,116 set by Jeff Loots from 1990-92.  
 
Gimbel also set a pair of school single-game records today for both completions (43) and pass attempts (70). He finished the game with 423 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing a pair of interceptions. He completed passes to 12 different receivers in the game.
 
Gimbel closes his career playing in 43 games and holds the school record for passing yards, completions (953), pass attempts (1,451), completion pct. (65.7) and total offense (10,065). He also ranks second in passing touchdowns with 83.
 
SMSU junior wide receiver Daniel Davis caught a game-high 12 passes for 124 yards and finishes the season with 1,113 yards, becoming just the eighth Mustang to reach 1,000 yards in a single-season.
 
SMSU closed today's game with 423 yards of offense and 22 first downs, but was held to minus-4 yards rushing, which included 32 yards on four sacks. It was the first time SMSU was held to minus yards rushing since behind held to minus-7 versus Augustana in 2011.
 
Hudson Walton finished with a team-high 23 yards rushing on seven attempts.
 
Augustana closed with 385 yards of offense and 21 first downs. The Vikings were just 3 of 12 on third down conversions, but two of the conversions occurred in the final quarter, leading to scoring drives.
 
Kyle Saddler finished with 324 yards passing, completing 25 of 42 pass attempts with four touchdowns. Brett Shepley led the Viking receivers with nine catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns.  
 
Following a three-and-out on SMSU's first drive, Augustana opened the game's scoring on its first offensive play as Saddler connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass to Nickel Myers to take a 7-0 advantage.
 
The SMSU offense struggled to move the ball into a stiff wind during the opening quarter, going three-and-out on its first four offensive drives. The Mustangs caught a break following its fourth drive as Austin Wells' 31-yard punt was muffed by the Vikings' Avram Tynes and SMSU's Shaylar Burnell recovered at the Mustang 46-yard line.
 
SMSU picked up a pair of first downs on the ensuing drive, but Gimbel's pass to fourth-and-six was incomplete at the Viking 20-yard line.
 
Following a punt by Augustana, the SMSU offense—moving with the wind to its back—recorded three first downs, moving the ball to the Augustana 17-yard line. The key play on the drive was a 27-yard pass from Gimbel to Luke Narveson on second-and-21. Unfortunately for SMSU, the drive stalled and Skyler Crew came in to boot a 34-yard field goal with 11:46 left in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 7-3.
 
Augustana answered in a back way on its ensuing drive moving 64 yards on seven plays with Saddler connecting with Shepley on a 6-yard touchdown pass at the 9:33 mark to build a 14-3 lead heading into halftime.
 
Both teams committed costly turnovers in the red-zone in the third quarter to keep the game at 14-3. Following a Gimbel interception, setting up Augustana at the 12-yard line, the Vikings moved to the SMSU 1-yard line, but on first-and-goal, Saddler fumbled into the end zone and the ball was recovered by Lucas Fisher in the endzone.
 
SMSU put together an impressive drive with three first downs, moving to the Viking seven-yard line, but Gimbel was intercepted by Grayson Diepenbrock at the 3-yard line ending the scoring threat.
 
After a Viking punt five plays later, SMSU cut into the deficit as Gimbel fired a 28-yard scoring pass to Connor Wilkie to make the score 14-9. Gimbel then found Wilkie open for the two-point conversion to cut the Viking lead to 14-11.
 
Both teams traded punts on the ensuing possessions sending the game into the fourth quarter. The Viking offense then came through with one of the biggest plays of the game early in the quarter. Facing third-and-21 from Viking 3-yard line, Saddler connected on a 25-yard pass to Shepley to keep the drive alive. The Vikings kept the drive going and eventually added to the lead on a Saddler 15-yard touchdown pass to Rudolh Sinflorant with 9:57 left to make the score 21-11.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away and answered back with an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive as Gimbel capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Galamue midway through the quarter to cut the lead to 21-18.
 
The Vikings used a big kickoff return moments later to set up the offense at the SMSU 46-yard line. Following two first downs and with the ball at the SMSU 17-yard line on third and 10, Saddler found Shepley for a 17-yard touchdown to push the margin to 28-18 with 4:28 remaining in the game.
 
Alex Ney finished the game with a team-high nine tackles, while Hayden Acker closed with seven stops with one sack. Shane Ratkovich recorded six tackles with 1.5 for loss.
 
Ney finishes his career ranking 11^th in team history with 273 tackles, while Ratkovich added to his single-season record in tackles for loss with 21.5.
 
Today was the final game for SMSU seniors Hayden Acker, Hunter Cushman, Ricky Davis, Jon Dicke, Blake Gimbel, Je'Darien Jackson-Hanchett, Lukas Johnson, Paul Johnson, Carter Kirk, Rejean Macon, Alex Ney, Shane Ratkovich, Noah Sander, Tad Steffensen, Chance Steward, Nate Van Asperen, Hudson Walton, Austin Wells, Connor Wilkie.