Field Goal Lifts Big Blue over Augustana
The Millikin football team defeated Augustana College 30-27 when freshman Austin Brettschneider hit a 37 yard field goal with one second remaining on Oct. 1 in Rock Island, Ill.
Millikin trailed 21-19 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Big Blue then went on an 11 play 79 yard drive to take the lead. The drive was kept alive on two key third down conversions when Millikin quarterback Matt Holmes was able to scramble to keep plays alive and make key connections to Tommy Eichenauer for 13 yards and Jake Palmer for 15 yards. Holmes then capped the drive on a 16 yard touchdown run and hit Erik Tobey on the two point conversion to make it 27-21 Millikin with 4:59 left to play.
Augustana then drove the length of the field down to the Millikin two yard line.
Millikin's Cody Acree sacked Viking quarterback David Lee on second down and goal pushing Augustana back to the 12 yard line. The Vikings then tied the game on the next play with Lee hit Keith Abbey on a 12 yard touchdown pass with 23 left to tie the game at 27-27. It looked liked a first quarter blocked extra point would prove costly for Millikin as the Vikings lined up to take the lead with their on extra point attempt. Vikings kicker Brady Rogers hit the upright giving the Big Blue new life and a tie game.
The Vikings used a squib kick on the kickoff, which Keith Burczak returned to the Big Blue 41 yard line. Holmes then connected with Palmer for 38 yards to the Augustana 21 setting the stage for the Brettschneider game winner.
Millikin opened the scoring on its first possession capping the drive off on a three yard Holmes run.
Millikin moved the ball on its next two possessions, but had the drives ended by Viking interceptions.
Early in the second quarter Augustana tied the game at 7-7 on a three yard Brett McWilliams run.
The Big Blue responded and regained the lead with four minutes left in the first half on another three yard run by Holmes. The Vikings blocked the extra point making it 13-7, Big Blue.
Augustana then took a 14-13 lead with 34 second remaining in the first half.
A McWilliams two yard run on the Vikings first drive of the third quarter made it 21-13 Vikings.
Millikin answered back on its next possession due in large part to the running of freshman Sean Dunning. Dunning scored on a 26 yard run to make it 21-19 after the Big Blue missed the two point conversion try.
Holmes rushed for 81 yards and three touchdowns and was 16-24-2 passing for 198 yards. Dunning rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries. Tobey was the Big Blue's top receiver with seven catches for 96 yards.
Lee was 13-22 for 164 yards passing for the Vikings. McWilliams rushed for 72 yards.
Millikin is now 3-1, 1-0 and will host Carthage on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. during Millikin's Homecoming.
