Football | 9/29/2016 10:12:00 AM

SIOUX FALLS -- The #12 USF Football Team (4-0, 0-0 NSIC South), which ranks second nationally in total offense and rushing, will face city rival and #25/24 Augustana in a matchup of nationally ranked squads on Saturday at Kirkeby-Over Stadium at 1:05 p.m.   This will be the fifth matchup of the two rivals in the "Key to the City" game with USF owning a 3-1 advantage. The first time the schools met was 100 years ago in 1916, a 46-0 USF win.  USF is ranked #12 in both the AFCA Coaches and D2Football.com Polls and #6, a move of four spots this week, in David Boyce's DII Power Poll at NCAA.com.

This game is part of the First Dakota National Bank Mayor's Cup Challenge of the 2016-17 school year. In the First Dakota National Bank Mayor's Cup Challenge, the teams compete head-to-head in 16 common, equally weighted sports at each school with each victory earning points. The Mayor's Cup Challenge also recognizes academic success and community engagement. 

The Matchup --     
Both teams feature explosive offenses with USF relying more on its rushing game (380.2 ypg) and Augustana heavy in passing (338 ypg). USF is fourth in the league in scoring at 42.0 per game while AU is first at 48.5. While USF leads the league and ranks second nationally in total offense at 569.5, the Vikings stand sixth in the league at 497.2 ypg. The Cougars, which has two of the three top rushers (Max Mickey, 161.5 ypg; Luke Papilion, 119.2 ypg), rank second nationally and first in rushing offense in the NSIC at 380.2 yards per game while AU is ninth in the NSIC in rushing at 159.5 per game and first in passing with 337.8 ypg.  On defense, the Cougars rank sixth in total defense (393.2) with AU second at 338.5 ypg.  USF is sixth in rushing defense at 126.5 ypg and AU, eighth, at 170.0 ypg. USF's defense has 13 sacks, which is third in the league while Augie has eight for ninth in  the league.  The Cougars have eight interceptions, which is second  in the league, while AU has two picks.
    
Series – USF 3-1 in D2 era vs. Augie
USF has won three of the four meetings in the NCAA DII era vs. city rival Augustana but trail the all-time series 19-4. The first ever meeting in 1916 was a 46-0 USF win.D2 Era Games
Oct. 20, 2012 -- Sioux Falls 32 Augustana 31 @ Kirkeby-Over Stadium, Att. 7,120:  After a long 26-year break in the series, USF defeated Augustana, 32-31 at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. In that first D2 matchup, USF took a 14-8 lead at halftime on a Kristian Porter TD run and a Taylor Perkins nine-yard TD scamper.  USF trailed 18-17 heading into the fourth quarter but led 25-18 when Jordan Taylor scored on a TD run with 3:59 to play.  The Vikings answered with 30 seconds to play on Josh Hanson's seven-yard TD pass to Isaac Jorgensen. Augustana scored on a Hanson four-yard run in overtime but missed the extra point. Carrington Hanna hauled in a nine-yard TD strike from Perkins and Braden Wieking's extra point provided the difference.  Perkinss completed 21-of-30 passes for 238 yards and a TD while Jeremiah Oates had 10 receptions for 129 yards. Hanson completed 25-of-42 

Oct. 26, 2013 -- Sioux Falls 27 Augustana 10 @ Bob Young Field, Att.  4,712: In 2013, USF took a 27-10 verdict, when the Cougars' standout running back Nephi Garcia rushed for 159 yards and three TDs to lead the way at Bob Young Field.  Two field goals by Bradley Hatfield and a 36-yard TD run by Garcia gave USF a 13-3 lead at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Garcia scored on a one-yard run with 11:39 to play in the fourth quarter for a 20-3 lead. Dajon Newell scored on a  19-yard run with 4:35 to go before Garcia finished the scoring with a three  yard run at the 1:48 mark. USF's Carrington Hanna was 21-of-37 for 199 yards. Trey Heid of Augustana completed  27-of-48 passes for 187 yards.

Oct. 11, 2014 -- Sioux Falls 23 Augustana 12 @ Kirkeby-Over Stadium, Att.  6,841: A year ago, USF took a 23-12 win at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. In the win, the Cougars reached 400 yards in total offense for the sixth straight game as they had 234 yards rushing and 217 passing for 451 yards on 82 plays. QB Luke Papilion led USF with 18 carries for 130 yards rushing and completed 19-of-34 passes for 217 yards and a TD.  USF took a 17-3 halftime lead on a 30-yard TD pass from Luke Papilion to Brady Rose and a  45-yard TD run by Nephi Garcia. Augie closed within 17-9 on a C.J. Ham five-yard TD run but USF added a pair of field goals by Bradley Hatfield to take the victory.  

Oct. 24, 2015 -- Augustana 35 Sioux Falls 28 @ Bob Young Field, Att. 4,091: The Cougars had 400 yards in total offense for the 11th straight game, putting up 411 on 76 plays. USF led 14-0 early but Augustana rallied with a 35-14 edge over the final three quarters. Augustana put up two TDs in the final two minutes to steal a win away from USF, which lost for the first time in four "Key to the City," matchups. Luke Papilion led USF's offense, totaling 356 yards in total offense, including 15 carries for 87 yards rushing. Through the air, Papilion was 23-of-36 for 269 yards and a TD, which was his 21st on the season.  Brady Rose tied a career-best with 10 receptions for 117 yards and a TD. USF recorded five turnovers including four interceptions against Trey Heid. Solomon St. Pierre had two interceptions. St. Pierre and Drew Jackson returned interceptions for TDs. Ham had 29 carries for 154 yards and two TDs, including the game winner from 31 yards with 22 seconds left.

Rushing Attack best ever at DII level through four games
This year, the Cougars' ground game has played a huge role in the team's 4-0 start. USF is averaging 380.2 yards per game on the ground, which ranks first in the NSIC and second nationally. USF has had seven individual games of 100 yards or more in a game, which gives USF 32 since moving to DII in 2011. Through four games, USF has 168 carries for 1,521 yards and a 9.05 average. The total is the best at the DII era and best dating back to 1990. In fact, USF's total for four games this season betters any season except 2013 when the Cougars had1,531 rushing yards after five games (1,107 after four games). The top three totals after four games in the past 26 years is

2016    168    1,521     9.0  
1995    195    1,128    5.78
2013    187    1,107    5.92
2008    209    1,098    5.25
1998    178    1,028    5.77

Papilion nearing all-time records in passing, total offense
Luke Papilion, a senior quarterback from Denver, Colo., is on the verge of cracking some significant school records. Papilion, the NSIC's only two-time Harlon Hill candidate, needs 71 yards to pass Dax Michelena (1997-2001, 10,410 yards total offense) in total offense. Papilion has 10,341 yards and averages 7.06 per play.  Papilion has 7,468 passing yards and is 198 yards from the all-time lead at USF, held by Michelena ith 7,665 yards. To reach #2 in passing TDs, Papilion needs three to tie Michelena.

Angulo moving up charts
Has 22 receptions for 263 yards and six TDs...has a season-career best 15 catches for 164 yards (1, 4, 43) vs. Bemidji State (37-36 W, 9-24-16)...his 15 catches in a win over then #22 Bemidji State tied a school record (Kalen DeBoer, Nov. 2, 1996 vs. Nebraska-Wesleyan) and is the most catches by a receiver while USF has been at DII. Also this season, he had two catches for 10 yards and a TD vs. SCSU (9-1-16), recorded four caches for 71 yards and two TDs against MSUM (9-10-16) at Bob Young Field, and had one catch for 18 yards against Minot State (9-17-16). This season, he has two TDs (37, 43) of 30 yards or more. Angulo ranks fifth all-time at USF in all three major receiving categories with 172 receptions, for 2,378 yards and 27 TDs.

Rose continues to climb receiving charts
Senior H-back Brady Rose show his flexibility in the USF offense by catching and throwing a TD vs. SCSU on Sept. 1 in the opener at Husky Stadium. In the in the win over SCSU on Sept. 1, both catching and throwing a TD.  Rose had seven catches for 163 yards and a 64-yard TD reception. He also threw a 39-yard TD pass to Kyle Groeneweg. Rose had five catches for 60 yards against MSUM on Sept. 10, three catches for  62 yards and a TD, and one catch for 11 yards vs. BSU (9-24-16). He has 16 catches and 296 yards  receiving. He now has 148 career receptions, which places him seventh all-time, just four from sixth (Trey Erickson, 151, 2004-07). Rose is sixth on the career yardage chart with 1,987 yards. With 13 yards, Rose will reach 2,000 yards and become the sixth receiver in USF history to reach that milestone.  He has 18 receiving TDs, including two this year, as he sits 10th all-time at USF, just one away from Zach Rutten, who had 19 from 1997-2001.

USF's "lightning fast" offense
During 2015, USF's spread offense was a quick-strike offense.  In 2016, USF is continuing that fast break offense. In a week one win over SCSU, USF had six TDs with drives taking three minutes or less. Of that six TDs, five came in two minutes or less and two in under a minute. Against MSUM, five of the six scoring drives were under three minutes, including two in less than 20 seconds. USF added three more scoring drives in three minutes or less against Minot State.  Against Bemidji State, the Cougars scored 34 points in the third quarter, including three TDs in 6:27 to open the second half. All five TDs by USF were scored in less than three minutes of drive time with two under a minute vs. BSU. This year USF has produced seven TDs  in 40 seconds or less. In 19 of the 23 TD drives, USF has taken less than three minutes. A year ago, USF had 44 TD drives of three minutes or less drive time with 33 in under two minutes and 16 in one minute or less.  In the past two years  years USF has had 104 TD drives in three minutes or less. In the past two seasons, USF has 23 scoring driving in under one minute and 45 in under two minutes of time.

Max Mickey ranks 1st in nation in yards per carry; 3rd in rushing
Junior running back Max Mickey has had a big start in his junior season at USF. The standout from Holden, Mo., ranks first NCAA DII in rushing yards per carry at 12.97 and ranks second in rushing yards per game at 161.5 per game while sitting second third rushing yards with 646 (51 carries). He is part of a backfield and an offense that leads the NSIC and ranks second nationally in rushing yards at 380.2 per game. The Cougars have rushed for 343 yards (SCSU), 444 yards (MSUM), 328 (Minot State) and 406 (Bemidji State) this season. Mickey had 13 carries for 178 yards and a TD in the win over SCSU and then produced 15 carries for 185 yards against MSUM before totaling 77 vs. Minot State on just nine carries and a career best 207 yards on 14 carries with a career-best 75-yard TD run against BSU on Sept. 24.. Interestingly he has done it off the bench as senior Justin Fulks has started with Mickey entering in the second or third offensive series. Fulks (103 vs. SCSU) and Mickey (178) both had 100-yard rushing games against SCSU on the road. Mickey (185) and Luke Papilion (149) busted out for 100-yard rushing games against MSUM.  Papilion added 101 yards rushing on Sept. 17 week vs. Minot State. Against BSU Mickey had 207 yards, the most by a USF rusher since Nephi Garcia rumbled for 225 in the snow against Wayne State on Nov. 15, 2014, and Papilion had 163 yards on 17 carries with a 46 yard TD run.  So, USF, which had just five 100-yard rushing games all last year, already has surpassed that with seven through four games this year. Mickey now has 276 carries for 1,665 yards rushing. Mickey, who now has seven career 100-yard rushing games, has scored 16 career TDs, including three this year. He already has 30-yards more (646-to-616) than he had a year ago. Senior Justin Fulks, who earned the start in the opener, has two 100-yard rushing games at USF, has 36 carries for 268  yards and a TD. He now has 162 carries for 830 yards and five TDs USF. Fulks, who has been on a playoff team three straight years (twice with Northwest Missouri State, who won a national title his freshman year), has 199 carries for 1,033 yards and six TDs in his time at USF and NMSU. 

USF ranks in top 10 nationally in 14 categories, including sitting third in rushing
The #14 ranked University of Sioux Falls Football team ranks second nationally in total offense and rushing, according to the most recent NCAA DII statistics released on Sunday. The Cougars are ranked in the top 10 nationally in 12 team and individual categories. Junior running back Max Mickey leads the nation in rushing yards per carry at 12.67 while also ranking third in both rushing yards (646) and rushing yards per game (161.5). Mickey has had rushing totals of 178, 185, 77 and 207 in his four games this year. With Mickey , who ranks 11th nationally in all-purpose yards (170.0 per game), leading the ground attack and senior quarterback Luke Papilion directing the offense, USF is second nationally (1st in the NSIC) with 569.5 yards in total offense per game. USF has generated 505, 604, 453 and 636 yards in the four games this season. In fact, USF, which ranks second nationally in yards per play (7.97), has now generated 600 or more yards 10 times in the era of head coach Jed Stugart (since 2010). The Cougars rushing attack, which has produced four straight games of 300 yards rushing or more (344, 444, 328 and 406), is second nationally (1st in the NSIC) at 380.3 yards per game.  USF, which had five 100-yard rushing games last year, has six already this season. Aside from Mickey, Papilion, who has three straight 100 yard rushing games (149, 101, 163), ranks fourth in DII with 9.94 yards per carry and fourth in rushing TDs with nine. Papilion, who is 16th in the country with 477 rushing yards, is fifth in points responsible for with 96 and sixth in DII in average points responsible for at 24.0. He is also seventh in DII in scoring at 13.5 per game. On defense, Clifford Redmond ranks sixth in fumbles recovered with two. USF also ranks sixth in kickoff returns at 29.71 with junior wide receiver Kyle Groeneweg, 24th individually (7-208-29.7 per return).