SIOUX FALLS – While the University of Sioux Falls (2-2, 2-2 NSIC) defense dominated and the offense held a 319-to-139 edge in total offense, mistakes hurt as the Cougars suffered a heart-breaking 20-13 loss to Augustana (3-1, 3-1 NSIC) in the "Key to the City" matchup at Bob Young Field.

While USF holds a 6-2 lead in the "Key to the City" series, both losses have surprisingly occurred at Bob Young Field where the Cougars hold a 70-10 overall record since the stadium opened in 2007. USF lost in 2015, 35-28, and lost by seven points on Thursday night. For the second time this year, the Cougars dropped a game played on Thursday night.

"We made some mistakes that proved costly," said USF Head Coach Jon Anderson. "I felt like we moved the ball on them, especially through the air. Defensively, we were very solid and held them in check both on the ground and through the air," he said.

If someone picked up a stat sheet and saw the results, the final score would be a bit of a surprise. USF had a 25-to-8 edge in first downs and a 281-to-78 margin in passing yards. The Cougars held the Vikings to 61 yards rushing on 29 carries and allowed just four of 14 conversions on third down. Still, USF had the lowest total yards on offense at home since a loss to Minnesota State late in the year in 2015 and three turnovers proved costly.

Senior quarterback Caden Walters led USF's offense with 27 completions on 38 attempts for 281 yards with an interception and a touchdown pass. He set a personal best with 27 completions and his 38 attempts is also a high in his career. As for his yardage total, it ranks second to 283 yards against Upper Iowa in 2018.

Led by Walters, USF controlled the ball throughout with a 38:28-21:32 time of possession advantage over the Vikings.

Leading USF's receiving corps was senior Nate Johnson, who caught a career-high 10 passes for 82 yards. Junior wide out Karnell Collier also had a career-best with eight catches for 89 yards as he has had at least 89 yards in each of his last three games. In addition, senior tight end Clint Sigg hauled in four catches for 57 yards. USF's rushing attack, which produced just 38 yards on 46 attempts, was led by Thuro Reisdorfer with 17 carries for 50 yards. Reisdorfer also had a 25-yard TD catch as he scored his NSIC-leading seventh TD of the year.

On defense, the Cougars held the Vikings to 78 total yards and junior quarterback Kyle Saddler was able to complete just six of his 22 pass attempts. As a result, USF held an opponent to the lowest passing output this year. For the third straight game, USF held a rushing attack in check. In fact, in the last three games, USF has allowed just 116 rushing yards in 76 carries for 1.52 yards per carry. Over the length of this season, USF has allowed just 272 yards on 121 carries for 2.24 yards per carry.

USF was led defensively by junior linebacker Harvey (Michael) Enalls with six tackles (four solo stops) and a fumble recovery. USF had four tackles from Brody Grantham, Ryan Nieman and Logan Dykstra.

Game Breakdown –
Early on, the Vikings took advantage of a USF fumble as Logan Swanson sacked Walters and forced a fumble which was recovered by Grayson Diepenbrock at the USF five-yard line. On third and goal, Jarod Epperson scored on a one-yard TD run to give Augustana a 7-0 lead with 11:07 to play in the first quarter.

The tables were turned later in the quarter when Enalls recovered a fumble by Saddler at the Augustana 41-yard line. USF moved the ball 41 yards on seven plays with Walters scoring his third rushing TD of the season. However, a bad snap result in a failed extra point as the Cougars trailed 7-6 with 3:33 left in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, Augustana had its longest drive of the game as they moved the ball 51 yards in 10 plays and used 4:28 before Luis Guarita connected on a 37-yard field goal for a 10-6 Vikings lead. It was the only score of the second quarter.

After the break, USF gained their first lead of the game with a scoring drive of 64 yards on four plays. Reisdorfer caught a career-first 25-yard TD pass from Walters and with Daniel Esparza's extra point, USF had a 13-10 lead.

AU was able to forge a tie late in the third quarter when Kenneth Griffin forced a fumble by USF's Johnson and recovered by AU's Kyle Theis at the 21-yard line. However, the Vikings were unable to move the ball and settled for a 32-yard field goal from Luis Guarita with 37 seconds left in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Augustana had two of their seven sacks on the night and forced USF into a punting situation. However, the snap went over punter Thomas Chapin's head and he tried to run the ball out of danger but was tackled at the USF two-yard line. One play later, AU quarterback Zach Masoli scored on a two-yard run for a 20-13 lead.

After that, USF had a couple of drives, including one that ended deep in Augustana territory when Eli Weber intercepted Walters' pass in the end zone. With their final possession, USF moved the ball to midfield before their drive stalled and the Cougars suffered their second loss of the season.

Next for USF will be the Cougars Day game on Oct. 5 against U-Mary at Bob Young Field.