SEWARD, Neb. – Tenth-ranked Morningside played like a team on a mission a week after falling in heartbreaking fashion while up against No. 19 Benedictine College (Kan.). On a perfect Saturday (Sept. 7) inside Bulldog Stadium, the Mustangs crashed the party and dealt the Concordia University Football team a 51-21 defeat. A first-possession scoring drive and an early pick-six put the Bulldogs in a 14-0 hole they never recovered from.
One week after mounting a 45-0 halftime lead over Waldorf, Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad experienced the other side of a decisive GPAC clash.
“It’s hard to digest,” Daberkow said. “You can’t shoot yourself in the foot against a good team like that. We didn’t play well enough to win. That’s what happens when you don’t against a good team. There’s a lot to think about and a lot to watch (on film). We’ll watch it and we’ll get better from it.”
With a veteran roster featuring a slew of returning All-GPAC players, Concordia believed this meeting with Morningside would be different. However, the Mustangs flexed their muscles on the road while showcasing their array of offensive weapons. Iowa Wesleyan transfer quarterback Zack Chevalier especially favored throwing to Drew Sellon, who snared a school record 18 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Chevalier picked the Bulldogs apart for 481 yards while completing 44-of-57 passes. A back breaker came on Morningside’s second touchdown drive when it converted a third and 22, setting up a nine-yard touchdown toss from Chevalier to Sellon.
In the third quarter, Concordia began to establish a degree of offensive success it had hoped to showcase from the opening kick. Quarterback DJ McGarvie helped engineer a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown strike to Austin Jablonski on a fourth-and-goal play. Later in the third, running back Carlos Collazo carried Mustang defenders into the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run. The battering ram of a carry by Collazo polished off a nine-play, 72-yard drive.
The Bulldog defense did manage to force five second-half Morningside punts, but the outcome had largely been decided. The Mustangs added an exclamation point with a second pick-six. Landry Phipps corralled a deflected pass and tip-toed down the left sideline for a 27-yard interception return in the final quarter. Concordia had four-straight offensive possessions with the score stuck at 44-21.
There were a whopping 159 plays from scrimmage as both teams leaned on the pass. The Bulldog defense was forced to defend sideline to sideline against a Morningside attack that spreads the field and sprays passes horizontally to the boundaries. There were four Concordia players with double-digit tackle totals: Michael Grindey (13), Will Potratz (13), Grant Huss (10) and Nick Leader (10). Grindey also made 2.5 tackles for loss and came up with a sack. Defensive back Daylan Henson intercepted a pass and broke up another. While Morningside racked up the passing yardage, it ran for only 48 yards on 24 attempts.
It was an inefficient day for the Bulldog passing game. McGarvie went 18-for-44 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He was picked off three times (twice by Phipps). McGarvie has surpassed 7,000 career passing yards. Jablonski was Concordia’s leading receiver with nine grabs for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Adam Van Cleave registered four receptions for 43 yards. In the running game, Mark Arp carried 20 times for 78 yards and Collazo rushed 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown. The offense’s streak of six-straight games without allowing a sack ended as the Mustangs notched two sacks.
It was an active night for freshman punter Braxtyn Koch, who booted the ball nine times for an average of 38.0 yards per attempt. He had a long of 55. His work was a bright spot on an evening that saw the Bulldogs come up short of their expectations.
Said Daberkow, “It’s okay to sit in this a little bit and think about where we were so off. I told one of our linebackers that we’re going to find out a lot about our locker room after this. Regardless of the circumstances, we’re going to act a certain way. This will test that. I have all the confidence in the world that our guys will handle it with poise and get better from it.”
Morningside (1-1, 1-0 GPAC) had actually dropped four of its last five games (dating back to the end of 2023) coming into the evening. In the Mustangs’ pass-oriented offense, four different receivers caught at least seven passes on Saturday. Chevalier has already eclipsed 1,000 passing yards for the season in just two games.
The Bulldogs will hit the road for the first time in 2024 as they set their sights on next Saturday (Sept. 14)’s trek to Mitchell, S.D., for a clash with Dakota Wesleyan (0-2, 0-1 GPAC). In game No. 2 of the season, the Tigers were tripped up at home by Mount Marty, 24-17. Concordia will attempt to avenge last season’s 16-12 home defeat at the hands of DWU. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 13-11.