SEWARD, Neb. – One week after welcoming ninth-ranked Dordt for homecoming, the Concordia University Football team stares down another date with an elite opponent. The Bulldogs will visit Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday for a matchup with Northwestern, a program that has appeared in back-to-back NAIA national championship games. The contest will mark the 47th all-time meeting between the two sides. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad will carry a 3-2 record into action.
Concordia has won three times this season in lopsided fashion but has yet to get over the hump against the GPAC programs with the most national clout. The Bulldogs dropped a 33-22 decision at the hands of No. 9 Dordt while struggling to contain the Defender rushing attack. Dordt held the ball for more than 40 minutes of game time and managed to hold Concordia without points on two separate red zone trips. Two big plays offensively weren’t enough as the Bulldogs slipped for the seventh straight time in the series with Dordt, a squad with aspirations of making the NAIA playoffs for a second straight year.
Head Coach Matt McCarty has guided Northwestern to at least nine wins in each of the past seven seasons. The Red Raiders may have unexpectedly lost their quarterback in the middle of the summer, but they have a stifling defense led by linebacker Parker Fryar to lean upon. Northwestern has won each of this season’s first four games by double-digit margins. It cruised to a 31-7 victory this past week at Doane. The Red Raiders boast the NAIA’s third-ranked defense in terms of both total defense and scoring defense.
GAME INFO
Concordia (3-2, 3-2 GPAC) at No. 2 Northwestern (4-0, 4-0 GPAC)
Saturday, Oct. 5 | 1:30 p.m.
De Valois Stadium | Orange City, Iowa
Webcast: GPAC Network
Live Stats: SideArm Sports
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentators: Parker Cyza and Ross Wurdeman
Tickets: HomeTown Ticketing (also sold on site)
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*2024 national rankings out of 95 NAIA football programs (65 teams have played at least one game in 2024)
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 38.6 (T-22nd)
Defensive PPG: 22.2 (35th)
Total Offense: 468.6 (12th)
Pass Offense: 250.6 (26th)
Rush Offense: 218.0 (10th)
Total Defense: 368.0 (56th)
Pass Defense: 239.8 (T-75th)
Rush Defense: 128.2 (36th)
Turnover +/-: +2
Northwestern
Offensive PPG: 31.8 (T-36th)
Defensive PPG: 6.0 (3rd)
Total Offense: 385.3 (39th)
Pass Offense: 270.3 (T-15th)
Rush Offense: 115.0 (T-66th)
Total Defense: 172.0 (3rd)
Pass Defense: 123.5 (9th)
Rush Defense: 48.5 (5th)
Turnover +/-: +7
2024 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (35-38, 8th season)
Passing: DJ McGarvie – 95/161 (.590), 1,071 yards, 13 td, 6 int, 134.1 effic.
Rushing: Mark Arp – 117 rushes, 611 yards, 5.2 avg, 6 td
Receiving: Austin Jablonski – 36 receptions, 466 yards, 12.9 avg, 5 td
Defense: Grant Huss – 39 tackles, 2.5 tfl’s, 2 int
Northwestern
Head Coach: Matt McCarty (78-11, 9th season)
Passing: Hayden Groos – 42/60 (.700), 666 yards, 7 td, 0 int, 201.7 effic.
Rushing: Konner McQuillan – 63 rushes, 265 yards, 4.2 avg, 5 td
Receiving: Austyn Gerard – 17 receptions, 379 yards, 22.3 avg, 3 td
Defense: Parker Fryar – 36 tackles, 5 tfl’s, 1 int, 1 ff
2024 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (3-2, 3-2 GPAC)
8/31 vs. Waldorf, W, 45-7
9/7 vs. (10) Morningside, L, 21-51
9/14 at Dakota Wesleyan, W, 42-7
9/21 at Briar Cliff, W, 63-13
9/28 vs. (9) Dordt, L, 22-33 (homecoming)
10/5 at (2) Northwestern, 1:30 p.m.
10/19 at Doane, 1 p.m.
10/26 vs. Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
11/2 vs. Hastings, 1 p.m. (senior day)
11/16 at Midland, 1 p.m.
Northwestern (4-0, 4-0 GPAC)
9/7 at Hastings, W, 41-7
9/14 vs. Mount Marty, W, 38-3
9/21 vs. Midland, W, 17-7
9/28 at Doane, W, 31-7
10/5 vs. Concordia, 1:30 p.m.
10/19 at Waldorf, 1 p.m.
10/26 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
11/2 at Morningside, 1 p.m.
11/9 at Dordt, 1 p.m.
11/16 vs. Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
In the rankings
Concordia landed at No. 5 in the 2024 GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. The Bulldogs did not generate any votes in the NAIA’s national poll this preseason. The program’s most recent NAIA top 25 appearance came in November 2017 when they checked in at No. 25. Meanwhile, Northwestern is currently ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, a spot it has held down since the preseason. The Red Raiders have been ranked in every NAIA coaches’ poll since August 2017 (91 consecutive top 25 rankings).
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 5th
Current Massey Ratings: 32nd
Northwestern
GPAC preseason: 1st
Current Massey Ratings: 4th
Last time out
Despite hanging within two scores for most of the afternoon, the Bulldogs felt frustration in the end in falling on homecoming, 33-22, at the hands of No. 9 Dordt. The visitors from Sioux Center, Iowa, racked up 302 rushing yards and held the ball for 40:39 in time of possession. Concordia got its first two touchdowns on big plays as quarterback DJ McGarvie ran 48 yards for a touchdown and later fired a 74-yard scoring strike to receiver Austin Jablonski. McGarvie added a second passing touchdown on a 14-yard toss to tight end Daylan Russell in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Grant Huss picked off a pass and Daylon Henson forced a fumble that was recovered by Nick Leader. In addition to struggling against the run, the Bulldogs had two empty red zone trips and surrendered 10 points off turnovers. A botched Dordt punt snap on a fourth down play that resulted in a first down also turned out to be a back breaker. The Defenders extended their series win streak over Concordia to seven games.
Versus the top 25
The Bulldogs remain in search of a signature win over a top 25 opponent. The program’s most recent triumph over a ranked foe came on homecoming 2017 when Concordia defeated then seventh-ranked Doane, 29-18. Since then, all but one of the Bulldogs’ ranked losses (16) have come against the likes of GPAC powers Dordt, Morningside and Northwestern. The other came at the hands of No. 14 Midland in 2022. Concordia did manage to defeat a 22nd-ranked Midland squad, 20-14, on Oct. 22, 2016. That ’16 campaign, the Bulldogs also earned wins over both Dordt and Northwestern. Prior to last week’s loss to No. 9 Dordt, Concordia had won three straight homecoming games against NAIA ranked opponents.
Top 10 offense?
Though last week’s loss stung, Concordia remains a team capable of racking up wins this season behind the best offense in program history from a statistical standpoint. The Bulldogs are pushing for a top 10 offense nationally as they currently average 468.6 total yards per game (12th most in the NAIA). In its three wins this season, Concordia has posted total yardage figures of 565, 641 and 490, respectively. The 63 points scored at Briar Cliff represented a school record for a GPAC conference game. The team’s current averages for total yards (468.6) and points per game (38.6) far exceed the school records for a single season of 412.0 yards (2023) and 35.9 points (1951). The Bulldog offense will face its biggest challenge yet against a Northwestern defense that ranks No. 3 in the NAIA.
Coach Daberkow + staff
Patrick Daberkow’s history at Concordia dates back to his first season as a Bulldog football player in 2003. This is Daberkow’s 17th season as part of the program’s staff – eighth as head coach. He served as defensive coordinator for seven years before being named as head coach in December 2016. Daberkow assumed offensive play calling duties in 2022 before turning that role over to Greg Nelson, former Lincoln Lutheran head coach, in 2023. Meanwhile, his full-time staff includes Defensive Coordinator Corby Osten, Special Teams Coordinator Trent Laune and Assistant Coach Grady Koch (who specializes in coaching the offensive line, among other duties). Former Nebraska Wesleyan assistant Kevin Crume is in his second season at Concordia. Former Head Coach Courtney Meyer again works with the specialists and has spent more than 50 years coaching football.
McGarvie pads school record totals
DJ McGarvie made his 31st career start on homecoming. The Lincoln North Star High School alum rose to the top of the program’s all-time passing charts in 2023. As part of the Morningside game on Sept. 7, McGarvie eclipsed 7,000 career passing yards (currently at 7,750). In the win at DWU, McGarvie threw his 60th career touchdown pass. He owns a career completion percentage of 57.2 (664-for-1,160) in 34 games. In addition to his 67 career touchdown passes, McGarvie has run for nine scores. While leading the GPAC in passing yards per game (264.2) in 2023, McGarvie became the first Bulldog quarterback in the GPAC era (2000-present) to be named either first or second team all-conference. By season, McGarvie has turned in touchdown-to-interception ratios of 19-7 in 2021, 18-6 in 2022 and 17-10 in 2023. Among GPAC quarterbacks in 2024, McGarvie ranks second in touchdown passes (13), second in passing yards (1,071), fourth in completion percentage (.590) and fourth in passer efficiency (134.1).
Concordia all-time passing yards leaders
1. DJ McGarvie – 7,750
2. Jarrod Pimentel – 6,435
3. Von Thomas – 5,662
4. Rod Giesselmann – 5,519
5. Kurt Earl – 4,158
Concordia all-time passing touchdowns leaders
1. DJ McGarvie – 67
2. Von Thomas – 49
2. Jarrod Pimentel – 49
4. Rod Giesselmann – 47
5. Kurt Earl – 37
All-American Jabo reaches career milestone
Lincoln Pius X High School alum Austin Jablonski is enjoying another ultra-productive season having pulled in 36 receptions for 466 yards and five touchdowns through the season’s first five games. This past Saturday, Jablonski became the fourth player in program history to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards. On the program’s all-time lists, the returning NAIA First Team All-American currently ranks third in receptions (163), fourth in receiving yards (2,083) and tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns (16). Former teammate Korrell Koehlmoos remains the program all-time leader in receptions (221) and receiving yards (2,894). Jablonski’s 1,134 receiving yards in 2023 broke the school record for a single season. As a Bulldog, Jablonski has also passed for four touchdowns and has run for five scores.
Concordia all-time reception leaders
1. Korrell Koehlmoos – 221
2. Ross Wurdeman – 168
3. Austin Jablonski – 163
3. Jared Garcia – 161
5. Eric Pralle – 147
Concordia all-time receiving yards leaders
1. Korrell Koehlmoos – 2,894
2. Jared Garcia – 2,495
3. Ross Wurdeman – 2,458
4. Austin Jablonski – 2,083
5. Clarence Woods – 2,011
Arp excels behind veteran offensive line
The running game has been a major strength for the Bulldogs, who boast the NAIA’s second leading rusher in Mark Arp. The senior from McCook, Neb., has carried the ball 117 times for 611 yards and six touchdowns. Arp was able to grind out 87 yards on 25 carries last week against a strong Dordt defense. Arp ran wild for a career high 210 yards at Dakota Wesleyan and followed it up with 167 yards at Briar Cliff. No. 2 back Carlos Collazo has also been successful in rushing for 285 yards and four touchdowns on 37 attempts. The rushing attack has been spurred by a veteran offensive line that starts a senior at all five spots: Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel at the tackles, Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp at the guard spots and Jackson Anderson at center. Concordia has not allowed a sack in nine of its past 10 games dating back to the 2023 season.
Defensive line wreaks havoc
The coaching staff has high expectations for the defensive line unit each time out. The group is senior-laden with players such as Devon Polley, Kyle Sterup and Stephen Hughes serving as anchors. As a junior Carson Fehlhafer is playing at a high level. He posted two sacks and forced a fumble in the win at Briar Cliff. On the season, Sterup paces the team with 6.5 tackles for loss while Polley has added six stops in the backfield (and three sacks). Daberkow has lauded Fehlhafer as one of the strongest players physically on the team.
Career Stats
--Fehlhafer: 62 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks (22 games)
--Polley: 127 tackles, 43.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks (31 games)
--Sterup: 170 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks (32 games)
Henson emerges at safety
A junior out of Pearland, Texas, Daylon Henson has emerged as a playmaker in the secondary. In the clash with Dordt, Henson made 11 tackles, including two for loss, to go with a forced fumble (recovered by teammate Nick Leader). The previous week at Briar Cliff, Henson returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and recovered a fumble. The fumble recovery also would have resulted in a touchdown had it not been for the whistle being blown (the play was initially ruled an incomplete pass before being overturned after a coach’s challenge). On the season, Henson has totaled 26 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Around the league
The usual suspects are sitting at the top of the league standings. Morningside and Northwestern are both 4-0 in conference play while Dordt has moved to 3-0. Last week’s scoreboard included wins for Northwestern (31-7 over Doane), Hastings (43-10 over Waldorf), Midland (21-10 over Dakota Wesleyan), Dordt (33-22 over Concordia) and Morningside (45-6 over Mount Marty). Dakota Wesleyan and Waldorf continue to seek their first GPAC wins of the season.
Series vs. Northwestern
Northwestern has had the upper hand, winning 32 of the first 46 meetings with Concordia in a series that began in 1960 (the first year of football at Northwestern). The Bulldogs’ most recent win over Northwestern occurred inside Bulldog Stadium in 2016 when they held off the Red Raiders, 9-7, in a defensive battle. Last season’s meeting in Seward opened the 2023 campaign and turned into a shootout on a stiflingly hot day. Konner McQuillan rushed for 252 yards and two touchdowns as Northwestern left town with a 48-35 win. Concordia had gotten within 41-35 in the middle of the fourth quarter when DJ McGarvie hit Luke Lang for a seven-yard touchdown connection. The two sides both went over 500 total yards while combining for 1,143 yards of offense. McGarvie threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns.
Scouting Northwestern
Under Head Coach Matt McCarty, Northwestern has reached at least the NAIA national semifinal round in four straight seasons with national championship game appearances coming in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Naturally, the Red Raiders’ expectations are high this fall, despite the loss of NAIA National Player of the Year Jalyn Gramstad, now a walk-on with the Cornhuskers. The Red Raiders did get a major offseason pickup when linebacker Parker Fryar returned to the team after he had spent a year at the University of South Dakota. Fryar was recently named the NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week. He headlines a defense that is allowing a meager 172.0 yards per game through four outings. Northwestern cleaned up in the month of September with wins over Hastings, 41-7, Mount Marty, 38-3, Midland, 17-7, and Doane, 31-7. In Gramstad’s absence, the Red Raiders have turned to Colby Duncan and Hayden Groos, who have combined for a 9-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. At running back, Konner McQuillan is a returning All-American with 3,868 rushing yards and 69 total touchdowns in his career. Northwestern was picked first in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll.