SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The USF and Augustana football teams are both 4-0 this season. The two rivals will now put those undefeated records on the line when they cross paths for the 28th time.
“It’s kind of old school football and that’s what it’s about,” USF head coach Jon Anderson said.
Augustana and USF are preparing to renew their rivalry this weekend. The two Sioux Falls universities first played 100 years ago, but Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting where both teams are unbeaten.
“They’re good offensively, they’re good defensively, they’re good at the skill positions, they’re good at the bigs, so they’re a pretty balanced football team,” Augustana head coach Jerry Olszewski said. “It’s somewhat similar to what we have I believe.”
“They’re a well coached team. They’re a team that is talented and a team that strives to be physical. Their defense is going to limit the run game. They’ve done that at a really good rate for the last couple years,” Anderson said.
The first contest was in 1922, but over the past 100 years, the two teams have only crossed paths 27 times.
“There was a long time where we didn’t get to play this game. We were in different conferences or different levels of play,” Anderson said. “We play with a chip on our shoulder for those guys that were on championship level teams, that didn’t get to play in this game.”
For the tenth time, the Vikings and Cougars will meet with the Key to the City up for grabs.
“That adds to the uniqueness of it and the specialty of it. We’re a pretty humble crew, so it’s time to bring it back and put it where we want it,” Olszewski said.
“It’s bragging rights, year round. You get to keep that key. You see those coaches, you see those players in our community together and it’s everything,” Anderson said.
In nine matchups for the Key, USF has won seven.
The Cougars and Vikings will meet on Saturday and you can watch that game on KELOXTRA, the CW of the Black Hills and KELOLAND.com.
Pregame begins at 1 p.m., with kick-off set for 1:05 p.m.