Augustana finishes 3-7 overall and 2-6 and in seventh place in the CCIW; Vikings set school records for passing yardage; Michael Daniels earns first team Academic All-America honors; Jacob Stytz named to All-CCIW first team
 
Augustana finished the 2016 football season, Coach Steve Bell's second at the helm of the Vikings, with a 3-7 overall record and a mark of 2-6 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. Behind a pair of sophomore quarterbacks who each threw for over 1,000 yards, Augustana set a new school record for passing yardage in a season with 2,584. Senior defensive end Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) became the 33rd Augustana football player to earn Academic All-America honors when he was named to this year's first team. Junior kicker Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) had an outstanding season and was rewarded with first team All-CCIW recognition.
 
Sophomores Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) and Luke Bleyer (Williamsville HS, Springfield, Ill.) split quarterback duties for the Vikings this year, with Fuller starting the first six games and Bleyer the final four. They recorded just the 18th and 19th 1,000-yard passing seasons ever at Augustana. Fuller was 121 of 242 (50.0%) for 1,520 yards (seventh-most in school history) and 10 touchdowns. He was intercepted five times. Bleyer connected on 90 of 151 throws (59.6%—sixth-best in school history) for 1,035 yards with four touchdown passes and four interceptions. The Vikings' 212 completions and 394 pass attempts also established new school records for a single season.
 
On the receiving end of those passes most often were sophomore Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) and senior Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.). Hennessy's 55 catches were second-most in school history and went for 501 yards and four touchdowns. Lattner had 50 receptions (tied for fourth-most in a season at Augustana) and his 874 yards were just six shy of Paul Anders' school mark set in 1968. A second team All-CCIW and Tazon de Estrellas selection, Lattner also had four touchdown catches. In addition, he finished third on the Vikings' career charts for receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,575).
 
Sophomore Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) and freshman Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) were Bell's leading ground gainers in 2016. Pitra rushed 133 times for 433 yards and four touchdowns and Jarosz ran for 220 yards on 56 carries and also reached the end zone four times.
 
Senior middle linebacker Jack Asquni (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.), also a Tazon de Estrellas participant, led Augustana in tackles for the third straight year with 112. His 52 solo stops, 60 assists, 14 tackles for loss and 4½ sacks were all team highs. He finished his career third all-time at Augustana in tackles, which have been compiled since 1986, as well as a period in the early 1970's. Senior strong safety Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) was second in tackles this year with 45 solo, 35 assists and 80 total. Kalble joined Jack Asquini on the All-CCIW second team.
 
Other defensive leaders for the Vikings included sophomore safety John Asquini's (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) four interceptions, senior corner Daniel Watson's (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.) nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries and junior linebacker Grant Burke's (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) two forced fumbles.
 
Stytz converted all 22 of his point after attempts and will enter his senior season with a string of 62 in a row. He hit nine field goals in 12 attempts with a long of 46 yards. Only Michael Clark—with 10 in 2001—has kicked more field goals in a season at Augustana. Stytz also took over the punting chores late in the year and averaged a school-record 41.7 yards on 10 kicks.
  
2016 CCIW STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Overall
North Central	8-0	11-1
Wheaton	7-1	11-2
Illinois Wesleyan	6-2	7-2
Carthage	5-3	7-3
Elmhurst	4-4	5-5
Millikin	3-5	4-6
AUGUSTANA	2-6	3-7
Carroll	1-7	1-9
North Park	0-8	1-9

           
2016 AUGUSTANA FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES 
 
INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS 
All-CCIW: Jacob Stytz, K – 1st team;  Jack Asquini, LB; Frank Kalble, DB; Danny Lattner, WR – 2nd team
CoSIDA Academic All-America:  Michael Daniels, DE, 1st team
CCIW Player of the Week: 09/06/16 – Robert Martin, P (Special Teams)
CCIW Academic All-Conference: Travon Aldridge, John Bastian, Luke Bleyer, Michael Daniels, Samuel Francis, Devin Haxby, Xavier Holley, Nathaniel Magiera, Ryan McCarthy, Matthew McKay, Thomas McSorley, Daniel Oliger, Ryan Pitra, Daniel Tjaden  
 
SCHOOL RECORDS
Individual
Career receptions per game: 4.45, Danny Lattner
Career fumble return touchdowns: 1, Daniel Watson
Single-season punting average: 41.7, Jacob Stytz
Single-season fumble return touchdowns: 1, Daniel Watson
 
Team
Single-season pass attempts: 394
Single-season pass completions: 212
Single-season passing yards: 2,584
Single-season passing yards per game: 258.4
 
ADDITIONS TO AUGUSTANA'S TOP TEN LISTS
Career completion percentage: 59.6, Luke Bleyer, 3rd
Career receptions: 98, Danny Lattner, 3rd
Career receptions per game: 4.45, Danny Lattner, 1st
Career receiving yards: 1,575, Danny Lattner, 3rd
Career touchdown receptions: 9, Danny Lattner, T-10th
Career field goals: 15, Jacob Stytz, 4th
Career punting average: 39.0, Robert Martin, 2nd
Career kickoff return average: 21.2, Travon Aldridge, 9th
Career fumble return touchdowns: 1, Daniel Watson, T-1st
Career tackles: 329, Jack Asquini, 3rd
Career solo tackles: 157, Jack Asquini, 2nd; 122, Frank Kalble, 6th
Career assisted tackles: 172, Jack Asquini, 6th
Career tackles for loss: 32.5, Jack Asquini, 32.5
Career tackle for loss yardage: 111, Jack Asquini, 5th
Career forced fumbles: 3, Jack Asquini, T-6th
Career fumble recoveries: 5, Jack Asquini, T-5th
Career pass breakups: 20, Daniel Watson, 2nd; 18, Travon Aldridge, T-4th
Single-season pass attempts: 242, Zachary Fuller, 4th
Single-season pass completions: 121, Zachary Fuller, 7th
Single-season passing yards: 1,520, Zachary Fuller, 7th
Single-season completion percentage: 59.6, Luke Bleyer, 6th
Single-season passing yards per game: 172.5, Luke Bleyer, 6th; 168.9, Zachary Fuller, 9th
Single-season receptions: 55, Ryan Hennessy, 2nd; 50, Danny Lattner, T-4th
Single-season receiving yards: 874, Danny Lattner, 2nd
Single-season field goals: 9, Jacob Stytz, T-2nd
Single-season punting yards: 1,975, Robert Martin, 6th
Single-season punting average: 41.7, Jacob Stytz, 1st; 38.7, Robert Martin, 7th
Single-season kickoff returns: 19, Jake Maher, T-6th
Single-season kickoff return yards: 380, Jake Maher, 10th
Single-season fumble return touchdowns: 1, Daniel Watson, T-1st
Single-season tackles: 112, Jack Asquini, 10th
Single-season solo tackles: 52, Jack Asquini, 8th
Single-season tackles for loss: 14, Jack Asquini, T-4th
Single-season tackles for loss yardage: 59, Grant Burke, 4th
Single-season forced fumbles: 2, Grant Burke, T-5th
Single-season pass breakups: 9, Daniel Watson, T-3rd
 
NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS TEAM – TOP 25 
Fumbles lost: 4, 14th
Kickoff return defense: 14.43, 8th
 
NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS INDIVIDUAL – TOP 50
Field goal percentage: .750, Jacob Stytz, 25th
Field goals per game: 0.90, Jacob Stytz, 46th
Punting: 38.7, Robert Martin, 49th
Tackles per game: 10.7, Jack Asquini, 32nd
 
CCIW STATISTICAL LEADERS – TEAM 
PAT KICKING – 1.000 (14-14)
 
CCIW STATISTICAL TOP FIVE – INDIVIDUAL 
Receptions per game: 5.75, Danny Lattner, 3rd; 5.12, Ryan Hennessy, 4th
Receiving yards per game: 92.2, Danny Lattner, 2nd
Interceptions: 3, John Asquini, T-2nd
Interceptions per game: 0.38, John Asquini, T-3rd
Punt return average: 9.0, Devin Haxby, 3rd
Kickoff return average: 20.2, Jake Maher, 4th
Punting Average: 37.5, Robert Martin, 3rd
Scoring (Kicking) per game: 5.1, Jacob Stytz, 3rd
Field goals per game: 1.00, Jacob Stytz, 1st
PAT kicking percentage: 1.000 (17-17), Jacob Stytz, T-1st
Tackles per game: 10.4, Jack Asquini, 2nd
Fumbles forced per game: 0.25, Frank Kalble, T-3rd
 
TEAM AWARDS 
MVP: Jack Asquini
Defensive Player of the Year: Frank Kalble
Offensive Player of the Year: Danny Lattner
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jacob Stytz
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Daniel Tjaden
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bobby Jarosz
Jerry Freck Inspiration Award: Michael Daniels