SEWARD, Neb. – One team is looking to bounce back and another is hoping to ride the momentum it built last week when the football is kicked off on Saturday when the Concordia University football team faces its first road test of 2019. The Bulldogs will meet up with NCAA Division III Buena Vista University for a 6 p.m. CT start inside the Lamberti Recreation Center in Storm Lake, Iowa. The two sides also met at Bulldog Stadium in 2018.
Head coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad feels like it missed an opportunity last week in its 17-10 home loss to Doane. Concordia converted on only 1-of-5 red zone trips, had a costly turnover on a punt return and managed just 25 rushing yards. On a positive note, the passing game showed improvement with Jake Kemp at quarterback and the Bulldog defense smothered the Tiger offense for most of the evening. Now Concordia hopes things come together from game one to game two.
Meanwhile, Buena Vista thoroughly dominated its season opener, which resulted in a 51-7 victory over Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 5. The Beavers, a member of the American Rivers Conference, outgained the Pipers, 552-32. Perhaps this is the year BVU makes a leap forward with Grant Mollring now in his third season as head coach. Mollring employs a capable offense highlighted by junior receiver Eric Pacheco.
GAME INFO
Concordia (0-1) at Buena Vista (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 14 | 6 p.m.
Lamberti Recreation Center | Storm Lake, Iowa
Webcast: Stretch Internet
Live Stats: https://bvuathletics.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentators: Tyler Cavalli and Roger Fitzke
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*2019 national rank in parentheses (ranking for BVU is among NCAA D-III teams)
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 10.0 (82nd out of 87)
Defensive PPG: 17.0 (T-22nd)
Total Offense: 296.0 (59th)
Pass Offense: 271.0 (20th)
Rush Offense: 25.0 (85th)
Total Defense: 282.0 (22nd)
Pass Defense: 227.0 (55th)
Rush Defense: 55.0 (7th)
Turnover +/-: +1 (T-24th)
Buena Vista
Offensive PPG: 51.0 (T-16th out of 204)
Defensive PPG: 7.0 (T-22nd)
Total Offense: 552.0 (14th)
Pass Offense: 283.0 (55th)
Rush Offense: 269.0 (21st)
Total Defense: 32.0 (3rd)
Pass Defense: 33.0 (6th)
Rush Defense: -1.0 (4th)
Turnover +/-: +1 (T-53rd)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (9-12, 3rd season)
Passing: Jake Kemp – 24/35 (.686), 262 yards, 1 td, 0 int, 140.9 effic.
Rushing: Ryan Durdon – 15 rushes, 19 yards, 1.3 avg, 0 td; 3 catches, 13 yards
Receiving: Arthur Anderson – 9 catches, 100 yards, 11.1 avg, 0 td
Defense: Riley Bilstein – 13 tackles, 2.5 tfl’s, 1 sack
Buena Vista
Head Coach: Grant Mollring (5-16, 3rd season)
Passing: Reyes Lara III – 7/14 (.500), 161 yards, 2 td, 0 int, 193.7 effic.
Rushing: Stephen Grimm – 12 rushes, 81 yards, 6.8 avg, 2 td
Receiving: Eric Pacheco – 5 catches, 105 yards, 21.0 avg, 2 td
Defense: Tanner Frost – 4 tackles, 1.5 tfl’s, 1.5 sacks
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (0-1)
9/7 vs. Doane, L, 10-17
9/14 at Buena Vista, 6 p.m.
9/21 at Hastings, 1 p.m.
9/28 vs. Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
10/5 at Jamestown, 1 p.m.
10/12 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
10/19 vs. (11) Northwestern, 1 p.m.
10/26 at (24) Dordt, 1 p.m.
11/2 vs. Midland, 1 p.m.
11/9 at (1) Morningside, 1 p.m.
Buena Vista (1-0)
9/5 at Hamline, W, 51-7
9/14 vs. Concordia, 6 p.m.
9/21 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
9/28 at Simpson, 1 p.m.
10/5 vs. Wartburg, 1 p.m.
10/12 at Coe, 1 p.m.
10/19 vs. Central, 1 p.m.
10/26 at Loras, 1 p.m.
11/2 vs. Luther, 1 p.m.
11/9 at Dubuque, 1 p.m.
In the rankings
Concordia last cracked the NAIA top 25 national poll on Nov. 6, 2017 but then dropped out after falling in the 2017 finale. The Bulldogs did not receive any votes in the preseason national poll this preseason. They were picked eighth among the 10 GPAC football schools by both the coaches and media in the preseason. Massey Ratings currently lists Concordia as the 61st ranked team nationally in the NAIA.
Buena Vista is unranked at the NCAA Division III level, according to the D3football.com rankings. Currently, Massey Ratings has Buena Vista at No. 177 nationally out of 251 NCAA Division III squads. The Beavers were picked ninth in the America Rivers Conference preseason poll.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 8th (coaches); 8th (media)
NAIA coaches’ poll (Aug. 5): not ranked
Massey Ratings: 61st
Buena Vista
ARC preseason: 9th
D3footballcom poll (Aug. 8): not ranked
Massey Ratings: 177th
Linebackers as good as advertised
There are always unknowns at the beginning of a new season, but the Bulldogs knew what they had in a veteran linebacker crew led by junior Lane Napier, a 2018 NAIA Associated Press First Team All-American. Napier had been questionable to play at the beginning of last week, but was cleared the day before the Doane game. All Napier did was pick up where he left off as a junior when he led the NAIA with 142 tackles. Linebackers Riley Bilstein (13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack), Napier (12 tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles) and Derek Tachovsky (10 tackles, one tackle for loss) each recorded at least 10 tackles versus Doane. Napier forced two fumbles, both of which were recovered by Concordia.
There may not be a more experienced linebacker core in the country than the one that resides in Seward (see career totals below). All four starters have at least 20 games of college football experience. Together they have combined for 568 tackles, 59.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and 13 pass breakups. The only thing Napier hasn’t done in his career is pick off a pass.
Career totals
Riley Bilstein – 70 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups (21 games)
Lane Napier – 251 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups (21 games)
Derek Tachovsky – 128 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 4 pass breakups (23 games)
Zac Walter – 119 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 interceptions (21 games)
Running game on the mend
It seems likely that Concordia will try to get the running game going this week. Against Doane, Ryan Durdon was stuffed (19 rushing yards on 15 carries). A more experienced offensive line is expected to make the run game significantly better after the Bulldogs averaged only 2.6 yards per carry in 2018. Buena Vista shut down Hamline’s running game last week (-1 yards on the ground), but surrendered averages of 229.2 rushing yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry last season. Concordia will get a look this week at just how much the Beaver run defense has improved. Up front, the projected starters for the Bulldogs are Michael Brewer at left tackle, Keegan Hornung at left guard, Johnny Robinson at center, Evrett Shaw at right guard and Cole Baumgartner at right tackle.
Concordia all-time leading rushers
1. Cleve Wester (1982-85) – 3,731
2. Bryce Collins (2013-16) – 3,547
3. Gary Seevers (1953-56) – 3,257
4. Alex Alvarez (1999-03) – 2,959
5. JaMaine Lewis (2004-07) – 2,731
6. Ryan Durdon (2016-- ) – 2,087
7. Phillip Elder (2002-05) – 2,027
8. Jeff Towns (1978-79) – 1,930
9. Don Baker (1971-75) – 1,799
Anderson/Koehlmoos shine
The passing game was explosive at times last week with Jake Kemp often finding receivers Art Anderson and Korrell Koehlmoos. Both nearly broke 100 yards receiving. Anderson caught nine passes for 100 yards while Koehlmoos reeled in seven balls for 97 yards and a touchdown. A season ago, Anderson caught 40 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns while Koehlmoos caught 29 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver group lost its top producer from last year in Vincent Beasley (46 catches, 559 yards, three touchdowns), but is improved overall. Kemp and backup quarterback Wyatt Ehlers found six different receivers last week.
Kemp gets the nod
Jake Kemp won the battle and emerged from a group of nine quarterbacks on the 2019 roster. Kemp was especially impressive in the first half versus Doane when he completed 14-of-17 passes and fired a touchdown toss to Koehlmoos. Also from the same Decatur High School that Durdon graduated from, Kemp appeared to be finding a groove in the middle of last season before he suffered a hand injury that kept him out for virtually the entire second half of the season. Now having played in six career games, Kemp has completed 88 of 143 passes (.615) for 913 yards to go with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6-to-2. Kemp has come a long way since he faced Buena Vista last year. His numbers in that game were 9-for-18 passing for 58 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
D-line surge
The entire front seven proved disruptive versus Doane. Senior defensive end Aaron Rudloff broke through for a pair of sacks and junior Payton Stevens also notched a sack. The defensive line has also gotten a boost from Kaleb Geiger, a former four-year member of the Concordia baseball program. In his college football debut last week, Geiger made three tackles and was credited with two quarterback hurries. The front seven as a whole registered 10 tackles for loss in the season opener. At nose guard, sophomore Gerald Morris has moved into a starting role. Chase Hammons and Gary Nieuwkoop also see regular reps on the defensive front.
Series vs. Buena Vista
The only meeting between these two programs occurred last season at Bulldog Stadium. As mentioned, Concordia rode Ryan Durdon and his 250 rushing yards and two touchdowns to a 27-20 victory. On the flip side, the Beavers rushed for only 21 yards. Buena Vista did manage to hurt Concordia through the air with 283 passing yards. The ground success the Bulldogs enjoyed last season allowed them to control the clock with possession time of more than 39 minutes.
Scouting Buena Vista
Previously the offensive coordinator at Hastings, Mollring is attempting to resuscitate a program that last produced a winning season in 2008 (7-3). While picked to finish ninth in the American Rivers Conference, Buena Vista began this season with an encouraging 51-7 blowout of Hamline. Concordia will again have to deal with receiver Eric Pacheco. In last year’s meeting, Pacheco went off for 197 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches. He also returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown in almost single-handedly keeping the Beavers right with the Bulldogs. Pacheco racked up 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win. Both Reyes Lara III and Dylan Laughlin got snaps at quarterback with positive results versus Hamline. The bigger question may be on defense. Buena Vista surrendered an average of 465.4 yards per game in 2018.