SIOUX FALLS, SD – In a game that saw five different lead changes, Griffon football lost a back-and-forth, non-conference battle at No. 23 Augustana Saturday, 30-26, as the Vikings threw the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left.
MoWest struck first in the opening quarter when quarterback Kane Donovan connected with Bryce Marcus III on a 44-yard pass to make it 6-0, as the extra point attempt hit the right goalpost.
Augustana quickly responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-6 lead.
The Vikings then forced a safety on the following MWSU drive, as Donovan was sacked in the end zone, extending the Vikings' advantage to 9-6.
The second quarter, however, belonged to the Griffons. Early in the period, kicker Mason Grove drilled a 47-yard field goal to tie the game at 9-9 with 10:15 left in the half.
The Vikings put together an eight-play, 77-yard drive that reached the MoWest one-yard line, but the Griffon defense came up big with a stop, forcing a turnover-on-downs with 6:06 mins left in the first half.
Later, Donovan struck again leading a 99-yard drive, this time hitting Michael Haggerty for a 19-yard touchdown to swing momentum back to the Griffons. Spencer Sprenger's extra-point capped off a 10-point quarter for the Griffons, giving them a 16-9 lead at halftime.
MWSU's opening drive to start the second half extended the lead to double digits, as the Griffons went up 19-9 with a 23-yard field goal from Sprenger.
The Vikings responded with a run of 14 unanswered points, taking a 23-19 lead over MoWest early in the fourth quarter.
Augustana lined up for a field goal attempt with 6:32 left in the fourth, but senior Grant Finley came up with a block, and Logan Clark returned it 54 yards to set up the drive.
In quick work, running back Rickie Dunn carried the ball three straight times, punching it in for the score from five yards out to put the Griffons ahead 26-23 with 5:01 left in the fourth.
The Griffons were later forced into a three-and-out and had to punt, leaving 1:44 on the clock for the Vikings. This gave Augustana a chance for a game-winning drive, which they seized with a 10-yard touchdown pass to take a 30-26 lead with 10 seconds left.
MWSU looked to the strong arm of quarterback Kody Kirk for the Hail Mary, but the prayer fell short as time expired.
Donovan completed 15-of-27 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Marcus was the top receiving target, collecting two passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. Haggerty finished with two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Gaskin led the Griffon defense with ten tackles and one solo tackle for loss. Deontae Young and Marvin Gant combined for one sack in the game.
MoWest will have an early bye week on September 6 before returning for its home opener at Spratt Stadium against Missouri S&T on September 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the Varsity Network App and GoGriffons.com/listen.
