2006 - Football schedule/results

2-8 Overall, 2-8 GPAC -Season Statistics

SEPTEMBER
Sept. 2	University of Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls, S.D.	L 49-7
Sept. 16	Hastings College	Seward, Neb.	W 19-14
Sept. 23	Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	L 30-24
Sept. 30	Dana College	Seward, Neb.	L 28-26
OCTOBER
Oct. 7	Midland Lutheran	Fremont, Neb.	W 21-16
Oct. 14	Northwestern	Seward, Neb.	L 42-27
Oct. 21	Morningside College	Sioux City, Iowa	L 24-0
Oct. 28	Doane College	Seward, Neb.	L 35-24
NOVEMBER
Nov. 4	Nebraska Wesleyan	Lincoln, Neb.	L 26-19
Nov. 11	Dakota Wesleyan	Seward, Neb.	L 21-7

All Home Games in BOLD

2006 - Football roster

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
1	Derrick Woods	RB	6-1	210	Fr.	Phoenix, Ariz.
2	Kole Ficken	QB	6-1	205	Fr.	Davenport, Neb.
3	Darin Macaluso	CB	6-0	175	Fr.	Santa Fe, Texas
4	Trevor Osten	FS	6-1	180	Sr.	Columbus, Neb.
5	Billy Graft	QB	6-1	180	Fr.	Baldwin, Mo.
6	Chad Wilshusen	WR	6-0	180	Fr.	Fremont, Neb.
7	Terrance Burton	QB	5-11	175	Fr.	Missouri City, Texas
8	Matt Crider	WR	6-1	200	So.	St. Charles, Mo.
10	Jeff Neujahr	RB	5-9	180	Jr.	Gothenburg, Neb.
11	Alex Bustos	CB	6-1	175	Fr.	Carlsbad, N.M.
12	Matt Egger	QB/P	6-3	190	Sr.	Galva, Iowa
13	Jim Landers	CB	5-10	165	So.	Tulsa, Okla.
14	Zack Smetter	QB	6-0	200	So.	Seward, Neb.
15	Kyle Schmidt	QB	6-2	200	Fr.	Riverton, Neb.
16	Brett Mertens	QB/FS	6-1	190	Jr.	Merino, Colo.
17	Micah Sirek	FS	6-2	175	Fr.	Lincoln, Neb.
18	Nathan Blankenship	LB	6-0	220	Sr.	Waverly, Neb.
19	Patrick Daberkow	SS	6-0	195	Sr.	Madison, Neb.
20	Kane Dunbar	RB	5-8	180	Fr.	Magnolia, Texas
21	Derek McKenzie	CB	5-10	195	So.	York, Neb.
22	JaMaine Lewis	RB	6-0	215	Jr.	St. Louis, Mo.
23	Curtis Miller	K	6-0	210	Fr.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
24	Jared Oswald	WR	6-2	210	Jr.	Madison, Neb.
25	Michael Saalfeld	K	6-2	165	So.	David City, Neb.
26	Jonathan Sims	FS	6-0	180	Fr.	Bellevue, Neb.
27	David Fowler	CB	5-10	180	Jr.	Houston, Texas
28	Alex Niederklein	SS	5-10	170	Fr.	Hastings, Neb.
29	Matt Meyer	CB	5-11	180	Sr.	Clarkson, Neb.
30	Brady Grove	RB	5-8	175	So.	Superior, Neb.
32	Clay Sanford	FB	5-10	240	Jr.	Houston, Texas
33	Blake Harris	WR	5-11	190	Fr.	St. Charles, Mo.
34	Warren Carmoney	CB	5-11	190	Fr.	Axtell, Neb.
36	Marcus Nathan	TE	6-1	215	Jr.	Golden, Colo.
38	Chad Harmon	LB	5-10	225	Jr.	Wichita, Kan.
39	Ian Michels	LB	6-0	220	Fr.	Anthem, Ariz.
40	Paul Foelber	FB	6-1	220	So.	Baltimore, Md.
41	Wade Houchin	RB	5-8	170	Fr.	Lincoln, Neb.
42	Will Pendarvis	RB	5-5	170	So.	Aurora, Colo.
43	Eric Kym	SS	5-11	200	So.	Tomball, Texas
44	Luke Staab	LB	6-0	195	Jr.	Ord, Neb.
45	Tim Meyers	OLB	6-3	195	Jr.	Hardy, Neb.
46	Joseph Benford	LB	6-0	220	Fr.	Bastrop, Texas
47	Frank Ohlinger	LB	6-0	195	So.	Wheat Ridge, Colo.
48	Nathan Hannemann	LB	5-11	210	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.
49	Derek DeVries	LB	5-10	190	Fr.	Santa Fe, Texas
50	James McCoy Jr.	LB	5-11	230	So.	Pasadena, Texas
51	Jonathan McDaniel	OL	6-0	250	So.	Cypress, Calif.
52	Daniel Crowe	LB	5-11	210	Fr.	Glendale, Ariz.
53	Jack Galusha	LB	6-0	210	Sr.	Fairmont, Neb.
54	Dalton Holtzen	LB	6-0	195	Fr.	Bruning, Neb.
55	Nicholas Yosten	SS	5-10	200	Fr.	Plainview, Neb.
56	Trent Laune	LB	5-11	230	Sr.	Ashland, Neb.
57	James Carlson	OL	6-2	235	So.	Gothenburg, Neb.
61	Matthew Sullivan	OL	6-2	230	Fr.	Santa Fe, Texas
63	Alwin Borgmann	NG	5-8	250	So.	Owensville, Mo.
64	Troy Wheeler	OL	5-10	250	Fr.	Arnold, Mo.
65	Andrew Sunderman	OL	6-0	290	So.	Norfolk, Neb.
66	Dustin Ehlers	OL	6-0	240	So.	Gothenburg, Neb.
67	Jordan Hinrichs	OL	6-2	255	So.	Geneva, Neb.
68	Justin Jurgens	OL	6-0	215	Fr.	Beatrice, Neb.
69	Robert Snyder	OL	6-6	275	Fr.	Prescott, Ariz.
70	Matthew Ridge	DE	6-1	235	Fr.	Glendale, Ariz.
71	Tom Schutte	OL	6-2	280	So.	Grand Island, Neb.
74	Dominick Hastings	OL	6-2	295	Fr.	Denver, Colo.
76	Ruy Larios	NG	5-11	270	So.	Houston, Texas
77	Jason Kuiper	OL	6-1	230	Sr.	Racine, Wis.
78	Kyle Fittje	OL	6-5	295	Sr.	Columbus, Neb.
79	Marc McPhillips	OL	6-3	305	Fr.	Lindsay, Neb.
80	Bryant Schweers	TE	6-3	225	Fr.	Greely, Colo.
81	Austin Thies	TE	5-11	200	So.	Rushville, Neb.
82	Ben Deutschman	DE	6-3	250	Sr.	North Platte, Neb.
83	James Refenes	TE	6-7	220	Fr.	Westland, Mich.
84	Jon Mueller	WR	6-1	170	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo.
85	Paul Riley	WR	6-1	175	Fr.	Houston, Texas
86	Barry Eitzmann	TE	6-2	210	So.	Byron, Neb.
87	Dayton Daberkow	WR	6-5	200	So.	Madison, Neb.
88	Brett Baller	DE	6-4	220	Fr.	Milligan, Neb.
89	Daniel Uden	WR	6-3	190	Fr.	Kenesaw, Neb.
90	Nicholas Meier	TE	6-5	220	Fr.	Collinsville, Ill.
91	Benjamin McGee	DE	5-11	210	Fr.	St. Joseph, Mo.
92	Kevin Mole	K	5-10	160	So.	Sylmar, Calif.
93	Ben Ahlman	P	6-3	175	So.	Arvada, Colo.
94	Matt Baller	NG	6-2	260	Jr.	Milligan, Neb.
95	Travis Taylor	NG	5-11	225	Fr.	Tomball, Texas
96	John McDonald	NG	6-2	230	So.	Omaha, Neb.
97	Kyle Rust	DE	6-3	235	Jr.	Geneva, Neb.
98	Kyle Kapels	DE	6-5	235	Fr.	Creston, Neb.
99	Brock Simonsen	DE	6-2	250	So.	Lyons, Neb.

No. 3 Sioux Falls too much for Bulldogs

2 SEP 2006

Junior Jeff Neujahr opened the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but that was the only points Concordia would score, as the University of Sioux Falls downed the Bulldogs, 49-7, Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

For the second consecutive season the Bulldogs (0-1, 0-1 GPAC) opened with a loss to the Cougars (1-0, 1-0 GPAC). Sioux Falls came into the game ranked No. 3 in the NAIA poll, and was tabbed to win the GPAC in the preseason coaches' poll.

Sioux Falls rolled up 480-yards of total offense, 123 coming from NAIA All-American receiver Dusty Hovorka. Hovorka had six catches on the afternoon, including a 64-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage after Neujhar's return that helped set up the Cougars first touchdown of the second half.

Trailing 23-0 at half, it looked as if momentum was about to switch, as Neujahr put the Bulldogs on the board with his return through the wedge on the right side and then out ran the Cougars defenders to the end zone. Michael Saalfeld added the PAT to pull Concordia within 16. But after a quiet first half, USF's Hovorka came up with the big catch, sparking the Cougars next touchdown.

"They (USF) are a good football team with tremendous speed," said Concordia Head Coach Courtney Meyer. "But the best days for Bulldog football are still to come."

Brett Mertens, in his first collegiate start at quarterback, was 6-of-13 for 65 yards and was sacked twice. Tight end Marcus Nathan and Neujahr each had a pair of receptions. Neujahr racked up 167 all-purpose yards, 128 in the return game.

JaMaine Lewis had the majority of the carries for the Bulldog attack, finishing with 42 yards on 17 carries. Most of Lewis' success came between the tackles. Freshman running back Derrick Woods had the biggest run on the day for Concordia, a 33-yard burst late in the game, and finished with 39 yards.

Concordia has next weekend off before playing host to Hastings College on Sept. 16. The contest against the Broncos will played under the lights, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

Rare Monday night game goes to Bulldogs

16 SEP 2006

In an exciting finish Concordia converted a fake punt with just with just over five minutes left to set-up what proved to be the winning touchdown as the Bulldogs beat the Hastings College Broncos, 19-14, on Monday night at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb.

The rare Monday night action was necessary because of lightning and severe weather that caused the game being halted on Saturday night. The Bulldogs led 7-0 when the game was postponed with 5:31 left in the second quarter. That was where the action picked up on Monday, with Hastings facing a third and eight from their own 36.

This marks the second consecutive season that Concordia, now 1-1 overall (1-1 GPAC), has downed Hastings. The Broncos fall to 1-2 overall (1-2 GPAC) on the season.

On Saturday night Jeff Neujahr put the Bulldogs on the board with a 25-yard scamper down the left sideline with 3:49 left in the first quarter. That proved to be the only scoring before Mother Nature made herself known.

Hastings opened play on Monday night with a 20-yard run by QB Robert Andrews. Three plays later freshmen defensive back Kole Ficken picked off an Andrews pass on the Concordia six yard line and returned it 39 yards.

On the next play from scrimmage junior JaMaine Lewis broke through the line and outran defenders for a 55-yard touchdown with 3:12 left in the half. Lewis finished the night with 132 yards on 17 carries for a robust average of 7.8 yards per carry.

Michael Saalfeld's PAT kick was blocked, making the score 13-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. But Hastings came roaring back, scoring 14 unanswered points to take the lead, 14-13, with 14:55 on the clock in the fourth quarter.

After three straight incomplete passes by Mertens the Bulldogs were faced with a fourth and ten from their own 41 yard line. Lined up in punt formation the snap went to Mertens who was able to avoid the rush by the Broncos to connect with Jim Landers. The ball bounced of Landers pads and he was able to haul it in for a gain of 37 yards.

Two plays later on Neujahr took a reverse around the left side for 18 yards and the winning touchdown. The Bulldogs opted to go for two, and Mertens came up short on an option play making the score 19-14.

The Bulldog defense held, forcing a three and out by the Broncos, taking over at their own 30 after the Hastings punt. It looked like Concordia was in control after picking up a first down via a pass interference penalty on Hastings.

However, with 50 second remaining the Bulldogs had trouble with the QB-center exchange, and Hastings came up with the fumble, giving them one last chance.

Concordia's defense held on downs, as Dominique Weatherspoon broke up an Andrews pass on third and nine, and then Jim Landers batted away another pass on fourth down.

The Bulldogs didn't even need to take a snap after taking over on downs with 17 seconds remaining, as with the new timing rules the game clock starts on the ready for play on a change of possession.

According to Concordia Head Coach Courtney Meyer the Bulldogs did exactly what their theme for the year is, "Rise Up."

"We came up with some big plays when we had to tonight," Meyer said. "I am very proud of our guys and excited about our potential."

Defensively, Weatherspoon had a team-high 15 stops, including eight solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, one pass break up and a sack. That puts him over 100 career tackles, with 103.  

Jack Galusha who also was in double figures in tackles, with 10. Freshman corner back Alex Bustos had four pass break ups and three tackles on the night

Offensively, Mertens complete 7-of-12 passes for 81 yards, including the 37-yard pitch and catch on the fake punt. Neujahr made the most of his carries, getting 46 yards on the ground, including two touchdowns.

Concordia travels to Sioux City, Iowa, next Saturday to take on Briar Cliff University in a 1:00 p.m. contest.

Early lead evaporates against Briar Cliff

23 SEP 2006

Concordia built a 24-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on a punt and interception return, before Briar Cliff battled back, scoring 30 unanswered points en route to a 30-24 victory over the Bulldogs. The game was played in rainy conditions at Memorial Field in Sioux City, Iowa at Memorial Field.

This marks the second year in a row that Briar Cliff (2-2, 2-2 GPAC) has won a close contest with the Bulldogs. Concordia, now 1-2 overall (1-2 GPAC), struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the second half, gaining only 16 total yards, and one first down in the second half.

Early on it was all Bulldogs, as they opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal by Michael Saalfeld on the opening drive. The field goal was set up JaMaine Lewis, who returned the opening kickoff 53 yards.

Freshman Alex Bustos scored the first touchdown of the day for Concordia, picking off a Briar Cliff pass and returning it 63 yards to paydirt. Saalfeld added the PAT to make it 10-0.

The Bulldogs extended their lead thanks to a special teams play. Jeff Neujahr returned a Charger punt 45 yards for a touchdown with 13:26 remaining in the second quarter. Neujahr now has returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown this season.

Concordia added another touchdown on a nine play, 39-yard drive that was capped by junior quarterback Brett Mertens' first career touchdown pass, a 10-yard toss to sophomore Matt Crider.

Briar Cliff started their comeback on the ensuing kickoff, as Corey DeRocher returning the kick 93 yards to put the Chargers on the board. Briar Cliff added another touchdown just before the half to cut the Bulldog lead to 24-14.

After half the Chargers picked up where they left off, netting a field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter. Briar Cliff tied the game with 13:15 left in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run by Adam Robards.

The Chargers took the lead for good as Luke Roder hauled in a nine-yard pass. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Chargers for excessive celebration the PAT ended up being more like a 35-yard field goal, that ended up hitting the upright and was no good. It was the second kick that hit the upright, as Briar Cliff missed a field goal with 7:25 on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Concordia had one last chance to after the Chargers touchdown, but were unable to convert on four straight passes. Briar Cliff then took a knee to run out the clock, preserving the win.

Concordia had nearly doubled the Briar Cliff offensive out put in the first half, netting 120 yards compared to just 75 for the Chargers through two quarters of play. But it was all Briar Cliff in the second half, as the rolled up 281 yards of total offense for the game.

Briar Cliff was paced on the ground by fullback Robards who finished with 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At half, Robards had only one yard rushing. A switch at the QB position also paid off for the Chargers. J.D. Lindsay started the game but after surrendering two interceptions made the change to sophomore Kyle Gerdes. Gerdes finished the day with 160 yards, going 11-for-20 with a touchdown.

Offensively the Bulldogs had problems handling the ball in the wet conditions all day, fumbling four times, losing only one. Lewis finished the day with 83 yards on the ground to go along with 105 return yards and eight yards receiving. Neujahr was the leading receiver for the Bulldogs, hauling in four passes for 52 yards. Mertens completed 8-of-18 passes, was intercepted once and sacked five times.

On the defensive side of things Dominique Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs in tackles for the third straight game, finishing with 9.5 tackles and two pass break ups. Patrick Daberkow added an interception along with 4.5 tackles. Concordia was thin along the defensive line with two primary starters sidelined due to injury.

The Bulldogs are back at home next Saturday (Sept. 30) as they take on Dana College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. as it is homecoming for Concordia.

Dana spoils homecoming for Bulldogs

30 SEP 2006

Four different players had rushing touchdowns for Concordia University, Nebraska but the Bulldogs came up short as the Dana College Vikings defeated Concordia, 28-26, Saturday afternoon in a nail biter on homecoming at Bulldogs Stadium in Seward, Neb.

Concordia (1-3, 1-3 GPAC) actually out-gained Dana (2-3, 2-3 GPAC) in total yardage 326-290, but couldn't make up for 14 penalties for 102 yards on the day.

Facing fourth down on the opening possession the Bulldogs were forced to punt. Dana blocked the ensuing punt, taking over on the Concordia 15 yard line. During the play senior punter Matt Egger suffered a broken leg, forcing a stoppage of play until the athletic training staff could cart him off the field.

When play resumed it took Dana just three plays to find the end zone, as Matt Neesen took a direct snap and went in from four yards out.

Late in the first quarter the Bulldogs were backed up inside their own 15-yard line, again faced with punting situation. After booming his first punt 44-yards, back-up punter Matt Crider went low to field a bad snap and his knee touched the ground in the end zone, resulting in a safety, making the score 9-0`

Dana added a 41-yard field goal by Rick Lebeda before the Bulldogs would get on the board.

The first points of the day for Concordia came in the second quarter, as JaMaine Lewis broke free up the middle and then bounced to the outside, out-running the Dana defenders, for a 67-yard touchdown.

Three minutes later the Vikings answered, scoring on a 22-yard pass from Marcus Sladek to Javon Bell. The PAT was blocked by the Bulldogs' Dominique Weatherspoon.

The Bulldogs benefited from a bad snap and good pressure as the Vikings' punter Mitch Bowhay had to tuck the ball and run on fourth down, coming up short of the sticks, giving Concordia the ball on the Dana 23 yard line.

Four plays later Will Pendarvis took a reverse around the left side for 15 yards and a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the half to pull the Bulldogs within five, 18-13. A pass by Brett Mertens fell incomplete on the Concordia two-point attempt.

In the second half the Bulldogs outscored the Vikings 13-10, holding them without any points in the fourth quarter but fell short in the bid for a come from behind win.

Concordia's second half points came on long runs by Mertens and Jeff Neujahr. Mertens capped nine play, 71-yard drive with a 29-yard keeper with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter to pull the Bulldogs to within 28-20.

Neujahr's took ran to the outside, found the corner and then turned on the speed, racing in from 26 yards out to cap a five play, 45-yard scoring drive at the 10:17 mark in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs tried to tie the game on the two-point PAT attempt, but pressure forced Mertens from the pocket and he came up short trying to scamper into the endzone.

With 3:20 remaining Weatherspoon got a piece for the Vikings punt helping the Bulldogs to good field possession at the Dana 39 yard line.

Concordia was down to the 24 yard line of the Vikings, but had the play brought back by a holding penalty. On the next play the Bulldogs had another miscue, a false start. On 3^rd-and-16 Mertens was sacked for a nine yard loss, taking them out of field goal range.

The Bulldogs had one more possession after forcing a Dana punt, but two penalties and three incomplete passes brought up a fourth and long, which was intercepted by Dana, sealing the Vikings win.

Offensively, Mertens connected on 13-of-24 passes for 163 yards and a pair of interceptions for the Bulldogs and was sacked four times. He also added a 31 yards and a touchdown via the ground.

Neujahr hauled in three passes for 32 yards, while Lewis finished with three catches for 28 yards. Freshman Daniel Uden had one catch for 38 yards.

Lewis led the Concordia rushing attack with six carries for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Senior linebacker Jack Galush led the Bullldog defense with six tackles including two tackles for a loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries. Weatherspoon had 5.5 tackles to go along with his two blocked kicks.

Concordia travels to Fremont, Neb., next weekend to take on Midland Lutheran College at 1:00 p.m. Midland (1-4) is coming off a 50-3 loss to the University of Sioux Falls.

Offense rolls as Bulldogs win at Midland

7 OCT 2006

The Concordia University, Nebraska offense accumulated 409 total yards and got a pair of touchdown runs by Jeff Neujahr as the Bulldogs beat Midland Lutheran College, 21-16, Saturday afternoon in Fremont, Neb.

Concordia improves to 2-3 (2-3 GPAC) while the Warriors fall to 1-5 (1-5 GPAC).

The Bulldogs dominated the first quarter, jumping out to a lead of 13-0, thanks in part to big plays by both the offense and the defense

Midland and Concordia traded turnovers early. On the Bulldogs first offensive play junior running back JaMaine Lewis' fumble was recovered by Midland at the Concordia 20 yard line. On the very next play Alex Bustos, freshman cornerback for the Bulldogs, picked off a Midland pass at the one yard line, returning it to the two.

Lewis gave the Bulldogs some breathing room, rambling for 23 yards on the ensuing play. Four plays later Neujahr busted loose on for a 52-yard touchdown run to cap the five play, 92-yard drive. Michael Saalfeld's PAT attempt was blocked after a false start penalty.

Junior quarterback Brett Mertens connected with Lewis for 64 yards and a touchdown on a seam route with five seconds remaining in the first quarter. Saalfeld's point after made it 13-0 Concordia.

The Concordia defense came up with another turnover as linebacker David Crowe intercepted Midland QB Casey Nuss on the Warriors 26 less than a minute into the second quarter.

The Bulldogs took a 13-3 lead into the locker room at halftime as Midland was able to get on the board with 2:12 left in the second quarter via a 39-yard field goal by Zac Gradoville.

Midland pulled within three, 13-10, on a 26-yard touchdown run by Edmund Ybarra three minutes into the second half.

Midway through the third quarter the Bulldogs had a chance to score, but Saalfeld's field goal attempt from 22 yards out was blocked.

The Warriors took advantage of a short field after the Bulldogs were forced to punt out of their own endzone. Midland took the lead on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown carry by Dustin Lindstrom. The PAT was blocked, giving the Warriors a 16-13 lead.

In the fourth quarter the Bulldog defense came up with a pair of key stops. Concordia stopped the Warriors at their own 16, forcing a field goal attempt by Gradoville, a 31-yard try that came up short.

After a punt by the Bulldogs the defense again came up big, forcing a three and out by the Warriors at their own 20. On the punt the snap sailed over the head of the punter and out of the endzone, resulting in a safety, pulling the Bulldogs within one at 16-15.

On the ensuing possession Neujahr scored his second TD of the day, going in from 14 yards out to cap a five play, 54-yard drive, and give the Bulldogs a 21-16 lead with 1:33 left in the game. Mertens and Neujahr accounted for all of the yards on the drive. The two-point attempt came up short.

Senior linebacker Jack Galusha put the exclamation point on a solid day for the Bulldog defense, forcing and recovering a Midland fumble to seal the win for Concordia. Galusha (7.5 tackles, 4.0 TFL and one sack) led the Bulldog defense which limited the Warriors to just 218 total yards, on 68 plays.

Meanwhile the Concordia offense rolled up 409 yards on just 54 plays, 237 coming via the ground, 172 through the air.

The Bulldogs were led offensively by Neujahr and Mertens. Neujahr finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries while Mertens added 46 yards on 10 carries and was 10-of-16 passing for 172 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Lewis caught two balls for 67 yards with Neujahr hauled in two catches for 54 yards. Neujahr finished the day with 175 yards of total offense.

Concordia hosts Northwestern College, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Turnovers plague Bulldogs in loss

14 OCT 2006

Northwestern College linebacker Austin Janssen blocked a punt and scored on a 96-yard interception as the Red Raiders beat Concordia University, Nebraska, 42-27, Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

Northwestern, ranked No. 8 in the NAIA, are now 5-1 in league play and 6-1 overall. Concordia is now 2-4 (2-4 GPAC) on the season.

The Bulldogs were only out-gained by 14 yard on the day (268-254) but were hampered by penalties all afternoon. Concordia finished the game with nine flags for 50 yards.

It didn't take long for Northwestern to put the first points of the game on the board as the took the opening kickoff and marched 62 yards on five plays in just 2:21 to take the early lead.

The Bulldogs tied the game with 1:25 left in the first quarter on a 16-yard pass from Brett Mertens to fullback Clay Sanford. Michael Saalfeld added the extra point. The TD toss by Mertens capped a 10 play, 63-yard drive that was set up when Bulldog linebacker Trent Laune recovered a fumble by Red Raider QB Craig Hector.

It looked as if Concordia was going to get the ball back after the Bulldog defense forced a three and out for the Red Raiders, including a sack by senior linebacker Jack Galusha.

Facing a 4th-and-6, Northwestern punted the ball away, but Concordia was flagged for running into the kicker, a five-yard infraction, forcing a replay of the down. On the second punt Concordia was again flagged for running into the kicker, this time resulting in a first down.
The Red Raiders went on to score three plays later as wide receiver Zach Stuckey hooked up with wide receiver Tyler Reichle from 34-yards out on a reverse pass. It was the second TD catch of the day fro Reichle. The PAT was good, giving Northwestern a 14-7 lead.

On the ensuing possession the Northwestern special teams came up with a big play, blocking the punt of Ben Alhman for the Bulldogs. Austin Janssen came up with the block and returned it 20 yards to the one yard line. Keith Siestra went into the end zone on the next play adding to the Red Raider lead.

Sophomore Michael Saalfeld drilled a 43-yard field goal with 6:26 left in the half to pull the Bulldogs within two scores, 21-10.

Northwestern tacked on another TD with 24 seconds left in the half as Stuckey was on the receiving end of touchdown, hauling in a Craig Hector pass from 13 yards out for the score, making it 28-10 at intermission.

In the third quarter the Red Raiders picked off Bulldog QB Mertens twice. On the second play of the third quarter, Mertens pass was tipped and Kadrian Hardersen plucked it out of mid-air and rambled down the sideline, returning it all the way to the one yard line.
Northwestern's Reichle added his third TD of the day, this one via a three-yard run to make it 35-10.

With the Bulldogs driving deep in Red Raider territory late in the third quarter Northwestern linebacker Janssen came up with his second big play of the day, picking off Mertens and returning it 96-yards for a touchdown. That proved to be the last score of the day for the Red Raiders as the Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered points to finish the game.

Sophomore Zach Smetter took over the Bulldog offense on the final series of the third quarter and engineered a four-play, 64 yard scoring drive capped off by a 54-yard touchdown reception by freshman Daniel Uden. The completion was the first of the day, and career, for Smetter.

Saalfeld added another field goal at the 11:29 mark in the fourth quarter before Derrick Woods wrapped up the scoring for the day on a one-yard run with 1:38 left in the game.

The Woods touchdown was set-up by a 53-yard completion from Smetter to Jeff Neujahr. Neujahr fumbled the ball on the five yard line but it was recovered by the Matt Crider for the Bulldogs.
Smetter was 4-of-8 through the air for 121 yards and a TD. Mertens had 10 completions for the second consecutive week, going 10-of-16 with two interceptions for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Neujahr had a game high four catches for 80 yards.

The ground game was unable to get rolling for Concordia as the Bulldogs could muster only 34 yards for the day.

Defensively, senior defensive lineman Ben Deutschman recovered a fumble and had an interception on the afternoon. Senior Dominique Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs in tackles with 6.5 to go along with tow pass break ups. Jack Galusha added 5.5 tackles, including a pair of sacks on the day.

Concordia faces another ranked opponent next week as they travel to Sioux City, Iowa to take on No. 12 Morningside College. Kick off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Another ranked team defeats Bulldogs

21 OCT 2006

The 15^th-ranked Morningside College football team shut down the running game of Concordia University, Nebraska to beat the Bulldogs, 24-0, Saturday afternoon in Sioux City, Iowa.

On a cold day, the Mustings improve to 5-2 (5-2 GPAC) while the Bulldogs (2-5, 2-5 GPAC) lose to ranked foe for the third time this season.

At halftime it was a two-possession game, with the Bulldogs trailing just 10-0. Morningside only had 35 more yards than Concordia at intermission (141-106), despite the Bulldogs turning the ball over four times in the first half.

After a three and out by the Bulldogs to start the game the Mustangs made the most of their first possession. Morningside methodically drove 70 yards on 16 plays, taking 8:04 off the clock in the process. Cody Jaminet hauled in a 14-yard pass from Mustang QB Tim Richard with 4:51 left in the first for a 7-0 lead.

Morningside added a field goal midway through the second quarter before the Bulldogs mounted their deepest drive of the afternoon.

Concordia took over at their 39 yard line after a fumble recovery by Brady Grove. The Bulldog drove down to the Mustangs 17 yard line before Brett Merterns' pass was picked off at the one by Ryan Oetken.

In the second half the Mustangs put the clamps on the Bulldog offense, allowing just 41 yards of total offense, zero on the ground. The Mustangs on the other hand racked up 229 yards after intermission en route to 370 yards total.

Sophomore Zack Smetter took over the Concordia offense in the second half and finished the day 4-of-9 for 33 yards through the air. Mertens added 70 yards passing, going 3-of-12 with four interceptions.

Sophomore Matt Crider was the favorite target of the Bulldog QB's, hauling in four balls for 84 yards.

Jeff Neujahr was the leading rusher for Concordia, finishing with 49 yards on eight carries.

Defensively Dominique Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs with 9.5 tackles, two for a loss. Fellow seniors Trent Laune and Jack Galusha added 5.0 and 5.5 tackles respectively.

The only sack of the day came from freshman Joseph Benford who finished with three total tackles. Alex Bustos grabbed his team leading third interception of the year.

Concordia hosts Doane College on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. contest.

Doane comes from behind to defeat Bulldogs

28 OCT 2006

The Doane College Tigers scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Concordia University, Nebraska Bulldogs, 35-24, Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

Concordia (2-6, 2-6 GPAC) started the game off with a bang as Jeff Neujahr returned the opening kickoff 81 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

The Bulldogs owned the first quarter, forcing a pair of Tiger (1-7, 1-7 GPAC) punts and a turnover, en route to a 24-0 lead. But it was all tigers after that, as they rolled up 384 total yards compared to just 176 for Concordia.

On their first possession Concordia had great field position, taking over at the Doane 33 thanks to a short punt and a penalty on the Tigers for kick catching interference. JaMaine Lewis scored on a 20-yard run three plays later.

Michael Saalfeld tacked on a 40-yard field goal with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead.

On the next Tigers possession Bulldog free safety Micah Sirek intercepted a JR Artozqui pass, returning to the Doane 20. Concordia took over at the 35 after a block in the back penalty during the return.

Brett Mertens hooked up with Neujahr for a 30-yard gain setting up a first and goal at the six. Lewis picked up his second rushing TD of the day on the next play, going in from six yards out, making it 24-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. From that point on it was all Doane.

On the ensuing possession the Tigers marched 91 yard on 12 plays, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Cody Edward. The PAT failed, making it 24-6.

Doane used the big play on their next possession, scoring on a 72-yard pass play from Artozqui to Alex Renshaw with 10:56 left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs were able to keep the Tigers off the board, forcing a 36-yard field goal attempt that was wide left with 54 seconds left in the half.

Four plays into the third quarter the big play Tigers struck again, this time a 64-yard touchdown pass from Artozqui to Renshaw, pulling Doane within three, 24-21.

Positive yards on offense were few and far between for the Bulldogs in the second half, finishing with just 56 yard in the third and fourth quarters.

With 1:03 left in the third quarter Cody Edward scored his second TD of the day on a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown to give the Tigers their first lead of the day, 28-24.

The Tigers added another touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to seal the win. Running back Justin Nelson did the majority of the work for Doane in the eight play, 44-yard drive. Nelson carried the ball six times for 29 yards, including a three yard TD run, on the drive.

Offensively for the Bulldogs Lewis finished with 68 yards and a pair of TDs on 12 carries. He also added 33 yard receiving. Mertens had 111 yards through the air connecting on eight of his 15 attempts.

Linebacker Jack Galusha led the Concordia defense with eight tackles, two QB hurries, two forced fumbles and a sack. Defensive lineman Ben Deutschman had 6.5 tackles and broke up a pass.

The Bulldogs have two games remaining in the regular season one on the road and one at home. This weekend Concordia travels down the interstate to Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves in a 2:00 p.m. contest.

Concordia closes out the season at home against Dakota Wesleyan on Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.

Turnover filled game goes to the Wolves

4 NOV 2006

The Concordia football team had their chances for a come back but turnovers hampered the Bulldogs as Nebraska Wesleyan claimed a 26-19 victory Saturday afternoon at Abel Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska Wesleyan (6-3, 6-3 GPAC) bounced back after a 51-0 thumping by the University of Sioux Falls last week. With the loss the Bulldogs (2-7, 2-7 GPAC) have now dropped their last four contests.

Concordia took the opening kickoff and marched all the way down to the Prairie Wolves three yard line thanks to a pair of big runs by Brett Mertens and JaMaine Lewis. Mertens rambled for 34 yards while Lewis broke off a 42-yard run. The Bulldogs had to settle for 37-yard field goal by Michaal Saalfeld after a pair of false start penalties and a fumble stalled the drive.
The offensive struggles continued for the Bulldogs the rest of the half as they had five additional possessions netting just 10 total yards. In fact, three of the drives ended with negative yardage.

Nebraska Wesleyan put a pair of touchdowns on the board in the second quarter en route to a 13-3 halftime lead. Will Pendarvis came off the edge to block the PAT on the second TD.

After the break the Prairie Wolves took the kickoff and went 82 yards in seven plays in just over two minutes for another touchdown, stretching their lead to 19-3 as the PAT attempt failed.
On the next possession the Bulldogs started their comeback bid, driving 73 yards in 10 plays. Lewis capped the drive with an 11-yard TD run. Mertens converted the two-point conversion on the ground.

Things continued to go the Bulldogs way as on the next play after the kickoff Alex Bustos intercepted NWU's Zac Rabe and returned it to the Prairie Wolves 29 yard line.
Four plays later Mertens hooked up with Jeff Neujahr from 13 yards out pull the Bulldogs within two, 19-17. Lewis tied the game with another two-point conversion.

Nebraska Wesleyan came up with a big play on special teams, blocking a Matt Crider punt, taking over on the Bulldog 35 yard line. Rabe tossed his third touchdown pass of the afternoon less than a minute later, connecting with Zac Heisey from 17 yards out, the PAT was good, making it 26-19.

The fourth quarter featured a total of six turnovers, four by the Bulldogs and two by Nebraska Wesleyan. On two occasions the Bulldogs came up with turnovers, only to see the Prairie Wolves counter with interceptions on the very next play.

Concordia finished with 191 yards of total offense as Mertens was 8 of 20 for 68 yards, one TD and five interceptions. He also added 34 yards rushing. Lewis carried the ball 14 times for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Junior Jeff Neujahr had a game-high three catches for 33 yards for the Bulldogs while senior linebacker Nathan Blankenship had nine tackles and a sack.

Also, freshman cornerback Alex Bustos had a pair of interceptions and two pass break ups. Bustos now has a team leading five INTs on the season.

For Nebraska Wesleyan, QB Rabe, was 12 of 29 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target on the afternoon was Justin Florian who had three catches for 100 yards.

Concordia wraps up the season this Saturday as they host Dakota Wesleyan in a 1:00 p.m. contest at Bulldog Stadium.

Bulldogs rack up yards, not points in loss

11 NOV 2006

The Bulldogs couldn't overcome a blocked punt and four turnovers as Dakota Wesleyan University defeated Concordia 21-7 in the final game of the season on Saturday at Bulldog Stadium.

Concordia (2-8, 2-8 overall) actually out-gained the Tigers (4-6, 4-6 GPAC) in total yards, 352-221. Unfortunately most of the game was played between the 20s for the Bulldogs.

Dakota Wesleyan had the short field on their first possession after blocking a Concordia punt, taking over at the Bulldogs 16 yard line. Four plays later the Tigers found paydirt as Jon Doom hooked up with Will Walker from a yard out for the early lead, 7-0.

That proved to be the only points that either team would score in the first half. The Bulldogs weren't without their chances, driving deep into Dakota Wesleyan territory on three occasions, getting to the 17, the 19 and the 24 before attempting field goals.

Sophomore kicker Michael Saalfeld had one field goal blocked, and the other two were off target as the Bulldogs were held scoreless through the first half.

Concordia tied the game four minutes into the second half as junior running back JaMaine Lewis broke loose down the sideline for a 95-yard touchdown run. Freshman Curtis Miller added the PAT.

Dakota Wesleyan went to their back-up quarterback two series into the third quarter and the move proved beneficial. Tanner Tucker guided the Tigers to a touchdown on a six play 53-yard drive with a minute left in the third quarter.

Another special teams play set-up the final score of the day for DWU as Tyron Arrington returned Ben Ahlman's punt 57 yards to the Concordia 26 yard line. Three plays later Tucker tossed his second TD pass of the day, this time hooking up with wideout Bubba Slaba from 21 yards out.

Offensively for Concordia it was Lewis who led the way, finishing with 135 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.

Sophomore receiver Matt Crider hauled in five balls from 102 yards, including a 51-yard bomb from freshman QB Kyle Schmidt. Schmidt was 4-of-12 for 73 yards in limited time. Brett Mertens finished with 121 yards on 13-of-19 passing and an interception.

Senior Nathan Blankenship made the most of his last home game, finishing with seven tackles including sack. Fellow seniors Jack Galusha, Dominique Weatherspoon and Ben Deutschman finished with 5.5 and 4.5 tackles respectively. Kole Ficken had two picks on the day and totaled 68 yards in returns.

Lewis, Neujahr highlight All-GPAC selections for Bulldogs

The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has released the 2006 all-conference football selections. Seven different Bulldogs have been honored: two first-team, two second-team and three honorable mention.

Running back JaMaine Lewis (St. Louis, Mo.) and return specialist Jeff Neujahr (Gothenburg, Neb.) each garnered first-team accolades while defensive back Dominique Weatherspoon (Pineland, Texas) and linebacker Jack Galusha (Fairmont, Neb.) were named second-teamers.

Lewis, a junior, handled the majority of the work on the ground for the Bulldogs. An honorable mention selection last year, he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, finishing with 726 yards on 130 carries and six TDs. In addition he hauled in 20 passes for another 193 yards.

Neujahr, also a junior, wore many hats for Concordia this season, serving as a wide receiver, running back and return specialist. His explosive ability on kick returns earned him recognition in the conference. He returned three kicks for touchdowns (2 kickoffs, 1 punt), tops in the GPAC. His average of 31.4 yards on kickoffs, led the GPAC and ranked third in the nation.

Earning second team honors, Weatherspoon, a senior, led the Bulldogs with 67.5 tackles on the year, seven of them for a loss. That was good enough for fourth best in the GPAC. He also broke up eight passes and a sack. Some of his most impressive work came on special team where he blocked a pair of kicks.

Another senior, Galusha, had 57.5 tackles, five sacks, six quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles along with eight tackles for a loss. His five sacks were tied for the fourth best in the conference.

Three different Bulldogs earned honorable mention status: freshman Alex Bustos (Carlsbad, N.M.), seniors Ben Deutschman (North Platte, Neb.) and Nathan Blankenship (Waverly, Neb.).