Simpson drops 2024 opener to Augustana

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Simpson College football team fell 30-13 in its season opener against Augustana on Saturday night.

The Vikings (1-0) went ahead 30-0 before the Storm (0-1) scored their first points of the season via a Jerad Fischer rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Noah Cracraft hauled in a 5-yard touchdown just after the two-minute warning for Simpson's final points of the game.

SCORING SUMMARY

• Augustana converted a 28-yard field goal on its opening drive for a quick 3-0 lead.
• The Vikings started their next drive with a 50-yard completion from Cole Bhardwaj to Ethan Vrabec and eventually scored a touchdown from three yards out. A bad snap on the extra point attempt kept the score at 9-0 with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.
• Augustana added a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, scoring on a four-yard pass by Bhardwaj followed by a 67-yard rush by Josh Lim, to take a 23-0 lead into the locker room.
• Mike DiGiolia pushed the home team's lead to 30 with a one yard rush up the middle with 11:54 remaining in the third.
• Simpson opened its first possession of the second half with a 43-yard completion to Noah Cracraft that set up 1st and 10 at the home 32-yard line. The Storm then turned to their run game and secured their first touchdown of the year on a one-yard rush by Jerad Fischer.
• The Storm defense forced a turnover on downs to end the third quarter and Simpson recorded its final points of the game at the end of a 14-play, 45-yard drive in the fourth. J Jensen III found Noah Cracraft on the edge of the endzone for a 5-yard score, Cracraft's first collegiate touchdown.

STORM LEADERS

• J Jensen III: 19-for-36, 219 yards, 1 TD
• Cole Staska: 10 rec, 110 yards
• Noah Cracraft: 3 rec, 51 yards, 1 TD
• Dillan Gulley: 11 tackles
• Zach Truitt: 10 tackles (2 TFL), 1 sack
• Payton Betts: 7 tackles
• Wyatt Schaben: 6 tackles, 0.5 sack
• Tanner Philpott: 5 punts, 174 yards

NOTES

• Augustana now leads the series 2-0.
• J Jensen III surpasses 6,000 career passing yards and moves into third place all-time, passing Brad Jorgenson (6,068 yards, 1994-97) with 6,187.
• Dillan Gulley's 11 tackles are a new career high. 

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts Crown for its home opener next Saturday at 6 p.m.