SIOUX FALLS -- The city rivalry is here. On Saturday at 1 pm, the No. 14 Augustana Vikings (4-0, 4-0 NSIC) will travel across town to face the University of Sioux Falls (2-2, 2-2 NSIC) in the ninth matchup for the "Key to the City" which has brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the city since the two NSIC rivals started playing again in 2012. Even that first game, USF took a double-overtime 32-31 victory and subsequent games have brought thousands to the stadiums at USF and Augustana with the spirit high. Aside from this game being the city rivalry, it also is Cougar Days and the Hall of Fame game.

This matchup pits the VIkings, which lead the NSIC South with a 4-0 overall record, against a 2-2 USF team that is looking to rebound after a loss to Northern State on the road on Sept. 25. In the last matchup, the Vikings edged USF, 20-13 at Bob Young Field. During the previous eight games, the games have generally been close decisions decided in the final minutes. In a quirk in the schedule, due to the CoVID-19 pandemic, the game is back at Bob Young Field where the Cougars have a 2-2 record in this city rivalry matchup. 

Fans Can Follow Along on Social Media - Live Video/Stats/Radio

Fans can also tune into the radio broadcast on with veteran announcer Tom Frederick and analyst Tim Hiatt with sideline reporter Chad Birger on KWSN.com. Live video and Live stats will be available at USFCougars.com.   

Quick Look at USF in 2021
The Cougars, directed by fifth year head coach Jon Anderson (26-13 overall, 26-11 in the NSIC), rolled past Minot State, 49-10, on Sept. 11 as Adam Mullen threw for three TDs and 199 yards while Thuro Reisdorfer recorded his second straight 100-yard rushing game of the season and seventh of his career after gaining 124 yards on 16 carries and TDs of two and 44 yards two weeks ago. Then the Cougars returned home and rolled to a 50-14 win over Concordia St. Paul before falling at NSU, 41-10. USF fell to Bemidji State, 24-16 in the home opener on Sept. 2. This is the NSIC South opener for the Cougars and the Vikings. The Cougars will look for an important win as they look to cut into the South lead of the Vikings. Augustana comes into the matchup with four straight wins including a 49-0 decision over Minot State and a 43-20 road win at Bismarck, N.D., over U-Mary. The Vikings, which will try and stay in first in the South, also earned a 43-17 win over MSU Moorhead at home and a 52-24 decision over Bemidji State on the road on Sept. 25. 

Mayor TenHaken, Fire Chief, Police Chief of Sioux Falls to conduct coin toss
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, a 2004 USF alumnus, will be joined by a pair of honorary team captains in conducting today's coin toss.  The honorary team captain for the Vikings is 2001 Augustana alumnus and Sioux Falls Fire Chief, Matthew McAreavy while USF's honorary team captain is 2003 USF alumnus and Sioux Falls Police Chief, Jonathan Thum. Mayor TenHaken will flip the coin. Also today, the presentation of the colors will be made by the Sioux Falls Police and Fire Honor Guard prior to the National Anthem. During halftime, USF will unveil the USF homecoming royalty and also recognize the Hall of Fame Classes of 2021 and 2022.

On Friday night, USF to induct four teams and seven individuals into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame
On Friday, Oct. 1, the University of Sioux Falls will induct four teams and seven individuals in the USF Athletics Hall of Fame at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Sioux Falls. This year, USF inducted two classes due to the postponement of the 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony due to the CoVID 19 pandemic.

Here is a short synopses on each, including the three teams that comprise the Class of 2021.

~ USF inducted the 1980 and 1982 Women's Volleyball Teams which won championships and was directed by Hall of Famer Sherry Halleen. They were the first two USF teams to win NSIC championships. The 1980 team finished 21-12 while the 1982 team was 14-11 but 12-2 in league play.

~ USF recognized the first-ever football league champs with the induction of the 1981 Football Team, which was coached by the late Dave Schroeder.The team finished 6-3-1 and built the bases for the 1982 team to go 9-1 and earn national recognition. 

In the Class of 2020, USF inducted seven individuals and the 2003-04 Men's Basketball Team. 

~ Brigitte (Gross) Valentine, originally of Alexandria, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D., was a two-time national pole vault champ - winning at both the NAIA and NCAA DII levels. She was a seven-time All-American and twice USF Female Athlete of the Year.

~ All-American linebacker Bob Booth, a native of Bozeman, Mont., and now of Snohomish, Wash., helped lead USF Football to its first-ever unbeaten regular season in 1988 and ranks among the career leaders in tackles.

~ Standout wide receiver Jon Ryan, a Watertown, S.D., native now living and working in Rochester, Minn., set receiving marks (199 receptions, 3,492 yards, 52 TDs) while leading USF Football to NAIA national titles in 2008 and 2009 and a runner-up national finish in 2010. Ryan was the NAIA National Player of the Year in 2010. He was also a record-setting jump specialist in track and field.

~ Dr. Trevor Holleman, originally of New Holland, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D., was a defensive star on three NAIA national championship football teams at USF in 2006, 2008, and 2009. He led USF to a 56-1 record, had 16 interceptions, school record six blocked kicks and 191 career tackles.

~ Amanda Spronk Petz, originally of Edgerton, Minn., and now of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., ranks among the top women's basketball players in school history as she accumulated 1,224 points, which ranks 13th all-time at USF, and 853 rebounds for fourth on the USF career chart.

~ Two-sport (track and football) standout Travis Dumke, a native of Yankton, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D., was the defensive MVP of the 1996 USF NAIA championship game and also earned national track honors. He finished with 199.5 tackles and 21.5 sacks in football and twice was an NAIA track All-American.

~ Special contributor Chuck Hey of Sioux Falls, S.D., who founded School Bus Inc., and has a long-running connection to the USF campus. Aside fromUSF's connection with School Bus, Inc., for the past 15 years, Hey, his wife Marjory, and his family honored his mother, the late Gladys Holm Hey with a generous gift that reshaped the welcome area of the Stewart Center on the USF campus in 2017. 

~ USF will also honor the 2003-04 Men's Basketball Team, coached by Shane Murphy, which was the first-ever team in program history to reach the NAIA Final Four. It was a team that finished 26-10, won the GPAC Tournament and knocked out three nationally ranked teams at the NAIA Tourney before falling in the semifinals. The team finished with 10 wins in its final 12 games.

  

USF has a continuing legacy of winning

Beginning in 1902 and continuing into the 21st century, the USF program has thrived on high expectations through a rich tradition heaped in excellence. The Cougars have 453 wins (453-419-20), 26 consecutive winning seasons and have earned postseason NCAA DII playoff berths in four of the last five seasons. It is a program that has four national NAIA championships and 20 conference crowns including the 2016 team that was unbeaten in NSIC play.

USF has had at least six wins in every season in the NSIC and a winning run in DII of nine years, including 5-4 in the transition year from NAIA to DII in 2011.  The Cougars began NSIC play in 2012 and had a 9-2 mark while earning their first DII ranking (as high as No. 17). In 2014 USF opened 10-0 (11-1 overall) and later advanced to the Mineral Water Bowl, which they won 42-10 over Central Oklahoma of the MIAA. The Cougars earned their first NCAA DII playoff berth in 2015 (9-3 season) and won the NSIC with an unbeaten record (11-0, 12-1 overall). In 2016, USF earned a first-ever DII playoff win with a 34-21 win over Azusa Pacific as USF advanced to Sweet 16 in 2016. In 2017, the Cougars had the league's top defense and was ranked in the top five nationally in a 9-3 season which included another playoff berth in Anderson's first season as head coach. In 2018, the Cougars finished 7-4 with a 5-2 mark tied for second in the NSIC South. In 2019, USF was 8-4 with a 4-3 record in the South but earned a NCAA DII postseason bid for the second time in three years with Coach Anderson at the helm.

USF holds a 6-2 advantage in the "Key to the City" rivalry series

In the "Key to the City" series which started in 2012, USF  dropped a 20-13 decision to the Vikings in 2019 at Bob Young Field. In that game, 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. Three years ago, USF rolled up 576 yards in total offense, including a season-high 332 yards rushing, to key a 51-13 victory over city rival Augustana before 6,159 fans at Kirkeby-Over Stadium on Sept. 22, 2018. The USF offense recorded a 9.1 yard per play average, which tied USF's DII mark set against St. Cloud State on Sept. 1, 2016. USF featured a strong rushing game, led by Gabe Watson who had 23 carries for 140 yards and a career-best four TDs, which set a Kirkeby-Over Stadium record and was the most by a USF player since Luke Papilion had four against MSU Moorhead on Sept. 15, 2016. Colton Myles had the a career-best 154 yards on 15 carries. In total, USF had 332 yards and six rushing TDs, which is the most in a game in the DII era. In 2017,  USF took a 21-14 decision before 2,955 in attendance. In the decision, USF led 10-0 before the Vikings rallied to take a 14-13 lead into the fourth quarter. Stuart Vanden Heuvel hit two of his career-high four field goals as the Cougars took a 19-14 lead. Then, Dennis Gardeck, a five-time All-American linebacker in 2017 and now with the Arizona Cardinals, trapped the Augustana QB Kyle Saddler in the end zone for a safety.

Series Record - USF leads the "Key to the City" series with Augustana, 6-2.  Overall, the series dates to 1916 when the Cougars took a 46-0 win.

Year-by-Year - "Key to the City" results

2012 -- USF 32 Augustana 31, Kirkeby-Over Stadium, Att., 7,120

2013 -- USF 27 Augustana 10, Bob Young Field, Att. 4,712

2014 -- USF 23 Augustana 12, Kirkeby-Over Stadium, Att, 6,841

2015 -- Augustana 35 USF 28, Bob Young Field, Att. 4,091

2016 -- USF 35 Augustana 20, Kirkeby-Over Stadium, 7,115

2017 -- USF 21 Augustana 14, Bob Young Field, 2, 955

2018 -- USF 51 Augustana 13 Kirkeby Over Stadium, Att. 6,159

2019 -- Augustana 20 USF 13, Bob Young Field, Att. 3,245

USF ranks 2nd in the league and ninth in DII in rushing 

Led  by the NSIC rushing leader Thuro Reisdorfer (69-509-5 TDs, 7.4 avg), the Cougars are outscoring opponents, 31.25-to-22.25.  USF is averaging 451.8 yards per game in total offense with 16 TDs. On the ground, USF ranks second in the NSIC and ninth in DII with 243.3 yards per game and a 5.5 avg while allowing just 70.5 rushing yards per game.  Last weekend against NSU, the Cougars welcomed back sophomore running Ja'Tai Jenkins, who has six carries for 62 yards and a TD against NSU. He adds to a deep and talented backfield which also includes Landon Freeman, Jacqueze Lockett and Dylan Rudningen.

Through the air, USF is led by Adam Mullen, who has completed 71-of-113 passes for 784 yards with five TDs and two int. Through four games, USF's receiving corps is led by Dominic Pegley with 21 receptions for 297 yards and two TDs. In his last game USF's Reisdorfer moved into 17th place in career rushing with 1,761 yards. He is ranked ninth in DII with 7.4 yards per carry. Receiver Ty Smith, who has five catches for 97 yards in 2021 including two big plays for 75 yards against NSU, has moved past 1,000 (1,026) career receiving yards.

Reisdorfer continues move up the USF charts
Thuro Reisdorfer, who earned this season earned offensive player of the week in the NSIC, has continued to progress up the USF season and career charts as a junior running back for USF. He has a league-best 509 rushing yards this year which is eighth in DII and his 7.4  yards per carry ranks ninth in DII. The Sioux Falls Washington prep has totaled three100-yard plus rushing games this season and now has eight in his career which ranks 10th all-time at USF. He has a career-best four straight 100-yard rushing games dating which began with the Colorado Mines playoff game in 2019 and continued through the first three weeks of the 2021 campaign. This season, Reisdorfer has 22 carries for 150 yards against Bemidji State; 16 carries for 124 yards and two TDs against Minot State;14 carries for 160 yards and three TDs against Concordia St. Paul and 17 carries for 75 yards against Northern State. Reisdorfer, who rushed for 1,150 yards as a sophomore in 2019 and was named second team All-NSIC, has pushed his career total to 1,761, which places leaves him just 41 yards from passing Andre McWell (1994-95), who had 1,801 yards. He has 24 career TDs with 19 by rushing.

Augustana has opened 4-0 and leads the NSIC in scoring
Augustana, which is directed by head coach Jerry Olszewski, a 1993 graduate of Wisconsin Stevens Point, has opened 4-0 and earned the No. 14 ranking in the AFCA Poll.  The Vikings lead the NSIC in scoring at 46.8 ppg and has the league's top offense at 492.8 yards per game. AU is third in rushing at 225.3 yards per game and fifth in passing at 267.5 yards per game. AU has wins over  Minot State, 49-0; U-Mary, 43-20; MSU Moorhead, 43-17; & Bemidji State,