(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia football continued their homestand with a contest against Taylor on Saturday afternoon. The #5-ranked Cardinals entered 4-0 overall while the Trojans came in 1-4. CUAA found themselves in a tough battle in the game, but Concordia forced 3 fumbles and outlasted Taylor to earn a 28-21 victory.
Gavin Brooks threw for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Keirell Jackson rushed for 152 yards on 20 carries while Keviantae Brown added a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Parker Graham had 100 receiving yards and a touchdown while also adding a rushing touchdown. Seeger DeGayner hauled in 71 receiving yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Hunter Maynard led the defense with 15 total tackles and a forced fumble. Aaron Rahn added 11 tackles. Gabe Whitmore came in third with 10 tackles.
Concordia kicked off to Taylor to open the game. After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Cardinals converted on their first play from scrimmage when Gavin Brooks threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Seeger DeGayner.
Taylor countered with a touchdown drive on their next series to tie the game 7-7. Both teams traded defensive stops for the remainder of the first quarter.
The second quarter continued to feature defensive play with Marvitis Dupree forcing a fumble that was recovered by Hunter Maynard. Concordia was able to capitalize with an 11-play, 73-yard drive to take the lead. Keirell Jackson made many steady runs to move the team downfield and Keviontae Brown capped off the drive with a 10-yard rushing touchdown.
The Cardinal defense caused another turnover when Hunter Maynard forced a fumble which was recovered by Casey Rauch. However, Taylor's defense held strong with an interception in the endzone to prevent a Concordia score just before halftime. CUAA header to the locker room up 14-7.
Concordia received the ball to begin the 3rd quarter and the team scored on their opening drive. Parker Graham took a direct snap, faked a handoff, and rushed up the middle for a 4-yard rushing touchdown.
The Cardinal defense made another impact as Marvitis Dupree forced a fumble which was recovered by Andrew Foerster and returned for 11 yards. However, Taylor was able to force a missed field goal and score on their next possession to trim the Concordia lead to 21-14.
After a short kickoff, the Cardinals moved quickly upfield and converted again when Gavin Brooks threw a jump ball to Parker Graham in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown. Taylor countered again with a touchdown just inside the 4th quarter to make it a 28-21 game.
Both defenses clamped down for the rest of the 4th quarter. Gabe Whitmore made a critical tackle with Taylor facing 4th-and-1 in the final minutes, forcing a turnover on downs. Concordia was able to run out the clock and secured the 28-21 victory as time expired.
Concordia will head on the road next Saturday, October 23 when they travel to Marian for a significant MSFA Mideast Division clash. Kickoff is set for 1:05pm.