SEWARD, Neb. – The month of October has included a bye week sandwiched in between two road games for the Concordia University, Nebraska Football team. At long last, the Bulldogs will host their first and only home game of the month when Mount Marty makes a visit to Seward on Saturday. As part of game day festivities, Concordia Athletics will celebrate the career of Coach Courtney Meyer, who will retire from coaching football, effective at the conclusion of the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT from Bulldog Stadium.
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad spoiled homecoming games in back-to-back road trips. Fresh off a bye last week, the Bulldogs blew out Doane, 45-10, in Crete as DJ McGarvie threw for four touchdowns and Mark Arp ran for two. The offense racked up 670 total yards. For the first time since 2015, Concordia is 5-2 seven games deep into a season. The Bulldogs have not been 6-2 at the conclusion of eight games since starting 6-2 in 2013.
Mount Marty continues to trend upward under John Michaletti, now in his fourth season leading a program that played its first ever season in 2021. The Lancers (4-3, 3-3 GPAC) have already set a new program standard for wins in a single season. Those wins have come against Culver-Stockton College (Mo.), Dakota Wesleyan, Waldorf and Briar Cliff. Mount Marty has had a bye week to prepare for Concordia.
GAME INFO
Concordia (5-2, 5-2 GPAC) vs. Mount Marty (4-3, 3-3 GPAC)
Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1 p.m.
Bulldog Stadium | Seward, Neb.
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Live Stats: PrestoStats
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 97 NAIA football programs in parentheses
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 38.1 (23rd)
Defensive PPG: 19.7 (T-24th)
Total Offense: 476.1 (14th)
Pass Offense: 258.7 (T-21st)
Rush Offense: 217.4 (11th)
Total Defense: 345.4 (47th)
Pass Defense: 242.0 (78th)
Rush Defense: 103.4 (19th)
Turnover +/-: +4
Mount Marty
Offensive PPG: 26.3 (51st)
Defensive PPG: 25.3 (T-45th)
Total Offense: 293.6 (70th)
Pass Offense: 132.7 (80th)
Rush Offense: 160.9 (40th)
Total Defense: 335.4 (42nd)
Pass Defense: 199.7 (T-49th)
Rush Defense: 135.7 (41st)
Turnover +/-: +1
2024 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (37-38, 8th season)
Passing: DJ McGarvie – 137/233 (.588), 1,629 yards, 19 td, 8 int, 137.6 effic.
Rushing: Mark Arp – 169 rushes, 856 yards, 5.1 avg, 10 td; 17 receptions for 118 yards
Receiving: Austin Jablonski – 56 receptions, 785 yards, 14.0 avg, 7 td
Defense: Grant Huss – 58 tackles, 4.5 tfl’s, 2 int, 2 pbu
Mount Marty
Head Coach: John Michaletti (10-29, 4th season)
Passing: Rugby Ryken – 87/161 (.540), 911 yards, 9 td, 8 int, 110.1 effic.
Rushing: Malachy Harts – 123 rushes, 534 yards, 4.3 avg, 6 td
Receiving: Rex Ryken – 11 receptions, 223 yards, 20.3 avg, 4 td
Defense: Joshua Pinkthorn – 45 tackles, 5.5 tfl’s, 1 fr, 1 pbu
2024 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (5-2, 5-2 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, W, 29-17
10/19 at Doane, W, 45-10
10/26 vs. Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
11/2 vs. Hastings, 1 p.m. (senior day)
11/16 at Midland, 1 p.m.
Mount Marty (4-3, 3-3 GPAC)
8/31 at Culver-Stockton, W, 42-14
9/7 at Dakota Wesleyan, W, 24-17
9/14 at (2) Northwestern, L, 3-38
9/21 vs. Waldorf, W, 56-7
9/28 vs. (12) Morningside, L, 6-45
10/5 at Briar Cliff, W, 36-21
10/11 vs. (5) Dordt, L, 17-35
10/26 at Concordia, 1 p.m.
11/2 vs. Midland, 1 p.m.
11/9 at Hastings, 2:30 p.m.
11/16 vs. Doane, 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. In last week’s official coaches’ poll (released on Oct. 14), the Bulldogs were situated as the second team in the “receiving votes” category. Another poll is scheduled to be released on Oct. 21.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 5th
Current Massey Ratings: 27th
Mount Marty
GPAC preseason: 9th
Current Massey Ratings: 47th
Last time out
The Bulldogs got the dominant win they sought in last week’s road trip to Doane. Concordia won by a 45-10 score (equaling the program’s largest margin of victory all-time versus Doane) while outgaining the Tigers, 670-344. The Quarterback DJ McGarvie completed 25-of-45 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns (two interceptions). He frequently targeted the likes of Austin Jablonski (13 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown) and Adam Van Cleave (eight catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns) while also finding Thomas Meadough for his first career touchdown reception as a Bulldog. In the running game, Mark Arp bruised his way to 160 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Carlos Collazo ran for 83 yards on 12 attempts. Defensively, Grant Huss totaled 12 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup, Daylon Henson posted 10 tackles (three for loss) and Devon Polley recorded three stops for loss and a sack. On special teams, Carson Fehlhafer blocked a field goal and kicker Peyton Atwood drilled a 26-yard field goal and was 6-for-6 on PATs. Doane (1-7, 1-6 GPAC) rushed for only 19 yards (24 attempts) and fell to 1-4 over the past five meetings with Concordia.
Best seven-game starts, GPAC era
The win at Doane boosted Concordia to a 5-2 record, the best for the program after seven games since the 2015 squad also opened up at 5-2 (4-2 GPAC). Only two Bulldog teams during the GPAC era (2000-present) have been better than 5-2 after seven games – the 2001 (7-0, 6-0 GPAC) and 2013 (6-1, 4-1 GPAC) editions. The ’01 GPAC championship team moved to 8-0 before finally suffering its first and only defeat of the regular season. The 2001 Concordia squad remains the only one in program history to qualify for the NAIA playoffs. The 2016 team (4-3 after seven games) wound up at 7-3 overall and was ranked 19th in the NAIA to close the campaign. The most recent 6-2 start came in 2013.
5-2 or better after seven games, GPAC era
2024 – 5-2 (5-2 GPAC)
2015 – 5-2 (4-2 GPAC)
2013 – 6-1 (4-1 GPAC)
2001 – 7-0 (6-0 GPAC)
2000 – 5-2 (3-2 GPAC)
Coach Courtney Meyer Day
As part of Saturday’s home festivities, it will be Coach Courtney Meyer Day on the Concordia University, Nebraska campus. Meyer announced to the team last week that he will retire from coaching, effective at the conclusion of the 2024 season. Meyer spent 19 seasons as the program’s head coach (1990-2008) as the longest tenured head coach in program history. He also served the Bulldogs as defensive coordinator from 1977 through 1984 and has been assistant on the staffs of head coaches Vance Winter and Patrick Daberkow since stepping out of the head job. Meyer is the winningest coach in program history with 70 career wins leading the Bulldogs. He also spent six years as the head coach at Concordia College of Mequon, Wis., and won 35 games with conference titles in 1988 and 1989. Meyer’s best season with the Bulldogs came in 2001 when the team went 10-2 overall, shared the GPAC title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA playoffs. In total, Meyer has spent 54 combined years as a football coach at the high school and collegiate levels. For more on Coach Courtney Meyer Day, check out the press release linked HERE.
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 eclipses 8,000 passing yards, 70 touchdown passes
DJ McGarvie made his 33rd career start in the win at Doane. The Lincoln North Star High School alum rose to the top of the program’s all-time passing charts in 2023 and continues to pad his records. As part of last week’s win, McGarvie eclipsed 8,000 career passing yards (currently at 8,286) and surpassed 70 career touchdown passes. He owns a career completion percentage of 57.2 (703-for-1,229) in 36 games. In addition to his 73 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 (19), second in passing yards (1,607), fifth in passer efficiency (137.3) and sixth in completion percentage (.583). McGarvie needs three more touchdown passes to break the program’s single season record of 21 by Von Thomas in 2014.
Concordia all-time passing yards leaders
1. DJ McGarvie – 8,286
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 – 73
2. Von Thomas – 49
2. Jarrod Pimentel – 49
4. Rod Giesselmann – 47
5. Kurt Earl – 37
All-American Jabo sets new standard for a single game
Lincoln Pius X High School alum Austin Jablonski is enjoying another ultra-productive season having pulled in 56 receptions for 785 yards and seven touchdowns through the season’s first seven games. His 213 receiving yards last week at Doane broke a program record for a single game that was previously shared by Cayden Beran and Clarence Woods with 193 apiece. In the homecoming game versus Dordt, 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 second in receptions (183), fourth in receiving yards (2,402) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (18). 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. In the win at No. 2 Northwestern, Concordia even used Jablonski as a goal line cornerback.
Concordia all-time reception leaders
1. Korrell Koehlmoos – 221
2. Austin Jablonski – 183
3. Ross Wurdeman – 168
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 – 2,402
5. Clarence Woods – 2,011
Offensive line shines in power run game
The veteran offensive line has helped pave the way for the likes of McGarvie, Jablonski and Arp to pile up impressive statistics. The same five players started up front for each of this season’s first six games: Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel at the tackles, Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp at the guard spots and Jackson Anderson at center. This past week at Doane, Brevin Damrow stepped in and made the start at center for Anderson (under the weather). The group has surrendered only three sacks all season and has held its opponents without a sack in 10 of the past 12 games dating back to last season. Concordia has outnumbered its foes in sacks, 20-3, for the season and has outrushed them, on average, 217.4 to 103.4. In the win at Doane, Schlepp nearly scored a touchdown but was stopped inches short of the goal line
Offense achieving at record setting pace
McGarvie and the offense have put up more than 40 points in four of this season’s first seven games with a high of 63 coming at Briar Cliff (a GPAC conference game record for the program). The 2024 team’s current averages of 38.1 points and 476.1 yards per game would both break school records. The current standards for a single season are 35.9 points (1951) and 412.0 yards (2023). The 670 total yards at Doane also represented a new program GPAC era record, eclipsing the 641 yards Concordia totaled in this season’s win at Dakota Wesleyan.
Henson emerges as ballhawk in secondary
Following the win over Northwestern, Daylon Henson moved to the top of the GPAC leaderboard in interceptions with four on the season (he remains No. 1 this week). He twice picked off Northwestern quarterbacks with the latter interception setting up a touchdown that sealed the upset. On his four picks, Henson has racked up 80 return yards and had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown at Briar Cliff. The junior from Pearland, Texas, has also totaled 41 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery this season.
Grindey moves up tackle charts
Now in his fourth and final season as a Bulldog, Michael Grindey keeps racking up tackles. With 48 stops in 2024, Grindey has run his career total to 246 tackles. During the GPAC era (2000-present), that number ranks tied for the fourth highest for the program (see list below). Grindey’s career high for tackles in a season is 92 (in 2022). He has twice been named a GPAC All-Conference award winner. The Chandler, Ariz., native began his college career at Creighton University, where he was a member of the club rugby team.
Most tackles by a Bulldog, GPAC era
1. Lane Napier – 535
2. Sean Stewart – 290
3. Michael Hedlund – 261
4. Ben Klein – 246
4. Michael Grindey – 246
Around the league
Five games took place last week within the league. In addition to Concordia’s 45-10 win at Doane, Midland defeated Hastings, 26-7, Northwestern won at Waldorf, 45-7, Dordt won at Dakota Wesleyan, 42-7, and Morningside pummeled intracity rival Briar Cliff, 63-6. Both Dordt (6-0, 6-0 GPAC) and Morningside (6-1, 6-0 GPAC) remain unbeaten in conference play. They are followed in the GPAC standings by Northwestern (5-1) and Concordia (5-2). There will be another five GPAC games this Saturday.
Series vs. Mount Marty
The first three games in series history have each ended in Concordia victories with scores of 38-7 in 2021 (Yankton), 47-24 in 2022 (Seward) and 45-21 in 2023 (Yankton). The ’23 season ended with the Bulldogs and Lancers getting together in Yankton. Concordia ran away with it as DJ McGarvie thew for two touchdowns and Devin Zeigler ran for 120 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs also added a defensive touchdown when DJ Dyhrkopp picked off a pass and returned it 40 yards to the end zone. Luke Penrod and Jaden Seier also both came away with an interception.
Scouting Mount Marty
By the time kickoff rolls around on Saturday, Mount Marty will have been idle for 14 straight days. Last time out, the Lancers were defeated at home by then fifth-ranked Dordt, 35-17, on Oct. 11. Mount Marty continues to make strides under Head Coach John Michaletti, who previously spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Kansas Wesleyan University. The Lancers returned First Team All-GPAC pass catcher Rex Ryken, who is averaging more than 20 yards per catch as a big play threat. Through seven games, Mount Marty has been adept at forcing turnovers, having intercepted six passes and recovered six fumbles (12 takeaways). On the flip side, Lancer quarterbacks have been picked off nine times. Led by leading tackler in linebacker Joshua Pickthorn, Mount Marty has been strong defensively while holding opponents to an average of 335.4 yards per game. The Lancers have managed that success while playing the league’s three teams currently ranked in the NAIA top 10. Mount Marty will be making its second ever visit to Seward.