(Fort Wayne, IN) – Concordia football traveled to Saint Francis on Saturday evening for a critical MSFA Mideast Division matchup. The #4 Cardinals came in with a perfect 5-0 record while the #8 Cougars entered the tilt 3-1. CUAA nearly made another come-from-behind victory, erasing a 20-point deficit to tie the game 27-27. However, Saint Francis blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown in the final seconds to hand Concordia a 34-27 loss.
Peter Morrison (JR/Fort Wayne, IN) finished with 240 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in the game. Omar Sinclair (SO/Norcross, GA) ran for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Roderick Dailey (SR/Detroit, MI) led all receivers with 110 yards while Parker Graham (SO/Livonia, MI) added 53 receiving yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Prince Alex AyoOla (SR/Dearborn, MI) and Reggie Thompson (SR/Chicago, IL) tied for the team lead with 7 total tackles. Ryan Fish (JR/Allen Park, MI) finished second with 6 total tackles. DaJaun Thomas (JR/Grand Rapids, MI) and Drew Bordner (JR/Fort Wayne, IN) recorded interceptions in the game.
Saint Francis scored on their first offensive possession, taking an early 7-0 lead. Omar Sinclair broke a 23-yard gain off a screen pass on Concordia's next series, but the drive stalled at the Saint Francis 35-yard line. Kenneth Webb (FR/Scottsboro, AL) was able to pin the Cougars at their 1-yard line with a well-placed punt.
After both teams traded stops, Saint Francis scored again to take a 13-0 lead. Concordia's next drive spanned into the 2nd quarter with Keirell Jackson (SO/Westwego, LA) and Omar Sinclair breaking runs of 17 and 16 yards. The Cardinals converted on 4th down when Peter Morrison found Roderick Dailey for a 6-yard gain, but the drive ended with a missed field goal.
Saint Francis used several big plays to move downfield, and the Cougars scored again to take what appeared to be a commanding 20-0 lead. Roderick Dailey responded by setting Concordia up with good field position after a 42-yard kickoff return. Dailey hauled in a 27-yard reception to put the Cardinals in the redzone, and Omar Sinclair punched in a 3-yard rushing touchdown to break the shutout.
Saint Francis put together an 8-play, 72-yard scoring drive to retake a three-touchdown lead, but the Cardinals countered with a scoring drive that took just 24 seconds off the clock. Peter Morrison lofted a deep pass to Parker Graham for a 40-yard touchdown and CUAA trailed 27-13 at halftime.
The Concordia defense came up big in the 3rd quarter when Drew Bordner made an interception after Alex Hinojosa (JR/Allen Park, MI) blitzed the Cougars' quarterback and altered the throw. The Cardinals started with the ball at the 17-yard line, but the drive ended when a 4th-and-goal at the 2-yard line was stopped by the Cougar defense.
After the defense stopped Saint Francis, Peter Morrison put together a 10-play, 44-yard-scoring drive to pull CUAA within a touchdown. Facing 4th-and-2, Roderick Dailey picked up a first down with an 11-yard reception. A critical 15-yard penalty on the Cougars advanced the Cardinals further downfield. Peter Morrison eventually used a play action fake to find Luke Wilson (SO/Croswell, MI) in the endzone for a 6-yard touchdown.
The Cardinal defense forced a turnover on downs on the next series with Alex Hinojosa making a sack on 4th down. After a 37-yard reception by Roderick Dailey moved the offense downfield, Omar Sinclair bounced to the left and ran for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game 27-27.
Saint Francis threatened on their next possession, but a critical interception in the endzone by DaJaun Thomas kept the game tied. Concordia began a 16-play, 58-yard drive with 4 minutes left looking to make the game-winning drive.
Parker Graham came up with a key 4th-down catch to keep the drive alive. The Cardinals eventually lined up for a field goal with 9 seconds left, looking to take the lead. However in the game's defining moment, Saint Francis blocked the kick and returned it all the way for a touchdown. The Cougars were able to finish out the game and claim the 34-27 win.
Concordia falls to 5-1 after the loss. The team will have another tough match next week when they travel to #3 Marian in another crucial MSFA Mideast division game. Kickoff is set for 1pm.
