(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia celebrated homecoming on Saturday afternoon with an MSFA Mideast Division matchup against rival Siena Heights. Both teams featured perfect 4-0 records with the Cardinals ranked #5 and the Saints ranked #19. The game would go right down to the wire, featuring a tight defensive battle up to the final seconds. In the end, Clay Coltson (SR/Hastings, MI)'s 32-yard touchdown reception on 4th-and-15 secured a 10-7 comeback win for CUAA.
Peter Morrison (JR/Fort Wayne, IN) threw for 283 yards and a touchdown in the contest. Clay Coltson led the Cardinals with 94 receiving yards and the game-winning touchdown. Keirell Jackson (SO/Westwego, LA) was Concordia's leading rusher with 57 yards in the game.
On defense, Ryan Fish (JR/Allen Park, MI) led the Cardinals with 8 total tackles. Amaan Payne (SR/Holt, MI) and Alex Hinojosa (JR/Allen Park, MI) tied for second with seven tackles with Hinojosa also adding a sack. Reggie Thompson (SR/Chicago, IL) recorded an interception in the game.
The first quarter was dominated by defense as neither team put together a drive longer than 28 yards. The Concordia offense put together two long plays late in the quarter when Roderick Dailey (SR/Detroit, MI) made a 22-yard reception and Omar Sinclair (SO/Norcross, GA) reversed field for a 25-yard reception. The game was tied 0-0 after the 1st.
A turnover on downs at the Siena Heights 34-yard line ended the Cardinals' first drive of the second quarter. Siena Heights broke the shutout on their next series when quarterback Tyler Knecht hooked up with Kaleb Jefferson for a 22-yard touchdown, giving the Saints a 7-0 lead.
Both teams continued to trade defensive stops with Reggie Thompson making a critical interception for Concordia late in the quarter. The Cardinals still trailed by a touchdown at halftime.
Concordia began the third quarter with a big play when Keirell Jackson broke a 34-yard run into Siena Heights territory. On fourth-and-two, Omar Sinclair rushed for a six yard gain to keep the drive alive. However, the drive ended with a missed field goal at the Siena Heights 12-yard line.
The Cardinal defense continued to hold the Saints' offense in check, and the CUAA offense finally broke through with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Donovan Johnson (SO/South Euclid, OH) dove to make an 18-yard reception for a first down, and Wyatt Mast (JR/Delton, MI) eventually kicked a 40-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3.
After a defensive stop, Concordia's next offensive series lasted for 14 plays, 66 yards and took 7:41 off the clock. Omar Sinclair nearly scored for the Cardinals but was ruled down at the 1-yard line. After a facemask penalty on Siena Heights extended the drive, the Saints defense stepped up and forced an interception in the endzone with 2:57 remaining.
The CUAA defense remained resilient, forcing a three-and-out on the next series to give the offense one more chance with 56 seconds left. Peter Morrison found Clay Coltson for receptions of 23 and 12 yards during the final drive, both of which gave the Cardinals a first down and stopped the clock.
Facing 4th-and-15 at the Siena Heights 32-yard line, Peter Morrison fired over the middle to Coltson once again. The senior wide receiver found a seam and ran past several defenders for a 32-yard touchdown, sending Concordia fans into a frenzy as the team took their first lead of the game. The Cardinal defense forced one last stop on the Saints' next possession and the team celebrated a hard-fought 10-7 victory.
Coach Schumacher was pleased with the team's resiliency. "Our guys were resilient," said Coach Schumacher. Most teams would have flinched when failing to score on third and goal with three minutes left, but out defense stepped up and forced a punt. Our offensive line gave Morrison great protection throughout the game and the wide receivers made big plays. Clay has been a big play guy for us since late last season."
Concordia improves to 5-0 and 1-0 in the MSFA Mideast after the win. The Cardinals will head back on the road next week when the team travels to #3 Saint Francis (Ind) as they continue MSFA Mideast Division play. Kickoff is set to begin at 6pm.
Field Cam - Clay Coltson's go-ahea touchdown,
