(Ann Arbor, MI) After reaching the NAIA playoffs in each of the last three seasons, the Concordia football program is set to play yet another competitive schedule in 2020. Now in head coach Joshua Schumacher's fourth season at the helm, the Cardinals have their sights set on a return to the NAIA FCS playoffs. Concordia finished the 2019 season as the 12th ranked team in the NAIA, reaching as high as 4th at one point in the season. The 2020 schedule features many of the same opponents as the 2019 season including five ranked opponents and a few new challengers.
Concordia will begin its 2020 campaign with a matchup against a top NAIA competitor in University of the Cumberlands on August 29th. The Patriots finished the 2019 season as the 7th ranked team in the NAIA after falling to Marian in the NAIA FCS quarterfinals. This will be the first meeting between the Cardinals and the Patriots and will take place at University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky.
Following the season opener, Concordia will have a bye week before hosting the Tigers from Olivet Nazarene on September 12th. This will be the fourth straight season where the Cardinals will clash with the Tigers in a MSFA crossover. Concordia has come away victorious in each of those last three meetings and in a 2014 matchup to have a 4-1 record against Olivet Nazarene. The Cardinal defense came in clutch late in the 2019 matchup to avoid the upset, 22-14.
On September 19th, the Cards will travel to St. Francis (IL) for their second bout in as many years. Concordia came out on top in 2019, with a 30-7 score, thanks to a balanced offense and stingy defensive effort. St. Francis (IL) holds the series record currently, but the Cardinals have won the two most recent meetings and will look to repeat.
Next on the docket for Concordia will be their second ranked opponent of the season in St. Xavier. The Cougars ended their 2019 season as the 8th ranked team in the NAIA after falling to the eventual champion, Morningside, in the quarterfinals. Concordia won the top-10 matchup last season, coming back from a 21 point deficit, 42-35.
For a second week in the row the Cardinals will face a ranked foe in rival Siena Heights. This year's matchup will take place in Adrian on October 3rd. The Cardinals have won the five most recent meetings against the Saints and now have a 5-3 lead in the series record. The 2019 rendition of the rivalry was closely contested as it took a last minute Clay Colston touchdown for the Cardinals to edge the Saints, 10-7.
Continuing their stretch of ranked matchups, the Cardinals will host 2019 NAIA FCS runner-up Marian on October 10th. Marian took the last two meetings with the Cards and owns the series record 8-1, but the Cardinals' lone win came the last time the Knights traveled to Ann Arbor in 2017. In 2019, Marian stifled the Cardinal offense and showcased a running game that put up close to 400 yards against Concordia. The Cardinals will be seeking revenge against 2nd ranked Marian in 2020.
For their fourth ranked opponent in a row, the Cardinals will take on the 11th ranked Cougars of St. Francis (IN). The past two matchups between the Cougars and Cardinals have both been decided by a touchdown or less, with each team winning at home. When in Fort Wayne last season, the Cougars snuck away with a 34-27 win thanks to a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the waning seconds of the game.
On October 24th Concordia will head down to Taylor University for a MSFA-Mideast fight with the Trojans. While Taylor owns the series record at 5-4, Concordia has won the past four meetings never allowing the Trojans more than 14 points each time. The 2019 game featured Cardinal running back Omar Sinclair (SO/Norcross, GA) rushing for 249 yards in a dominant performance.
After a bye on October 31st, the Cards will head back to Indiana for a game against Indiana Wesleyan on November 7th. This will be the third matchup between Concordia and the Wildcats, now in their second season in the MSFA-Mideast. Indiana Wesleyan ended the 2019 season receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll. Last season the Cardinals beat the Wildcats by a score of 28-17.
Another second year MSFA-Mideast member in Lawrence Tech will serve as Concordia's regular season finale on November 14th. In the lone matchup between the two sides, the Cardinals routed the Blue Devils, 56-7, generating 554 yards of total offense.
Coach Schumacher and the Cardinals pride themselves on playing a difficult schedule from start to finish. "We believe we have one of the best schedules in the NAIA and we're looking forward to the great competition week in and week out." With such a demanding schedule Schumacher states that the Cardinals will take things one game at a time. "We are focusing on being the best we can be for our first game against Cumberlands."
Click here for a printable schedule.
