The Valley City State football team passed it second straight road test Saturday and can now look forward to a home opener and one of the biggest non-conference games in recent years at Shelly Ellig Field.
Jacob Duilio rushed for 176 yards and a score and the Viking defense forced four turnovers as VCSU rolled to a 55-6 victory at Mayville State on Saturday. VCSU is now 2-0 after road wins at Mayville State and Jamestown to start the season. The Vikings, ranked No. 17 in the nation, will have their home opener next Saturday at 1 p.m. when they host No. 20 Robert Morris. It's currently VCSU's only game against a ranked opponent and is an early chance for the Vikings to impress voters in the NAIA Top 25 poll.
On Saturday, Duilio's 176 yards led an impressive day from the Viking running backs and offensive line. VCSU racked up 298 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Vikings led 27-0 at halftime and 48-0 in the fourth quarter.
Viking quarterback Kurtis Walls completed 26 of 39 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns. VCSU out-gained Mayville State 589-283 in total offense. Andre Peppers picked off two passes for the Viking defense, while Mychael Bruce and Harvey McMahon both recovered Mayville fumbles.
VCSU opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 26-yard field goal by freshman kicker Lucas Norblom. Duilio then pounded in a 4-yard touchdown with 11:01 left in the second quarter, capping off a 15-play, 79-yard drive and giving the Vikings a 10-0 lead.
The score would stay 10-0 until Walls and DJ Edwards connected for two touchdowns in a 10-second span late in the half. After the first touchdown by Edwards the Vikings recovered the ensuing kickoff. On the very next play Walls found Edwards again for a 39-yard score and a 24-0 lead. The Viking defense got the ball back for the offense with 19 seconds left in the half. VCSU moved to the Mayville 23-yard line where Norblom kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to make it 27-0.
VCSU added three scores in the third quarter. Walls hit Josh Tovar and Mark Zinke for touchdowns, and Josh Hansana ran for a 9-yard score to make it 48-0 after three quarters. Mayville put up six points in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard pass from Andrew Blake to Jacob Lawrence. VCSU scored last as Damario Fair punched in a 1-yard touchdown for the final score of 55-6.
Senior tight end Mark Zinke had a career day with seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Edwards had five catches for 79 yards and two scores, and Colby Lum added five catches for 62 yards. Duilio's 176 yards came on 27 rushing attempts. Fair gained 62 yards on 16 attempts. Hansana had 31 yards on five carries, and Tate Aronson gained 24 yards on four carries.
Andre Peppers' eight tackles and two interceptions highlighted a strong defensive effort for VCSU. McMahon tallied six tackles, one tackle for loss and a fumble. Ethen Preston and Sam Cooke each had five tackles and Cooke added a sack. Five different Vikings had four tackles in the victory.
Up next: The No. 17-ranked Vikings host No. 20 Robert Morris on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. It is VCSU's home opener.
