Concordia host its final regular-season home game of 2011 on Saturday when they square off against No.25-ranked Bethel at 1 p.m.
For the second straight home game, Concordia will play in the MIAC marque match-up game. Saturday’s game will have huge implications on the top 3 in the conference and a potential spot in the NCAA playoffs. The Cobbers can finish in second place with wins in their final two games. Both teams factor in the latest AVCA Division III national Poll. The Royals are currently ranked 25th while the
Cobbers are in the “also receiving votes category.”
Fans can follow the action on the web by going to the live broadcasts link at the bottom of the athletic website: Concordia vs Bethel Live Audio/Stats
Cobber Football Gameday Links
- Complete Cobber Gameday Preview (pdf)
- Concordia Football Page
- Bethel Football Page
- Concordia vs. Bethel 2010 Game Recap
- Last Week – Cobber Game Recap vs. Hamline
- Last Week – Bethel Game Recap vs. St. Thomas
- Cobber 2011 Season Stats
- Bethel 2011 Season Stats
- Cobber NCAA Stats Team/Individual Rankings
- Bethel NCAA Stats Team/Individual Rankings
- MIAC Standings and Stats
- MIAC Week 9 Preview
Cobber Head Coach Terry Horan Video Preview
Cobber Football Gameday Preview
#25 Bethel University (5-2/3-2 MIAC)
at
Concordia College (6-2/4-2 MIAC)
October 29, 2011
Jake Christiansen Stadium
Moorhead, Minn.
GAME TIME: 1 p.m.
RADIO: Live on 1660 AM in the F-M area with Larry Knutson doing the play-by-play and Chris Ohm adding the color commentary. Also live on the internet via the Concordia website at www.gocobbers.com.
SERIES: Concordia leads 22-11-0
SERIES STARTED: 1978
SERIES SYNOPSIS: Bethel has won four of the last five in the series. The only win for the Cobbers in that stretch came in 2008 – the last time the teams hooked up in Moorhead. Before those five games, Concordia had claimed three of the previous four. The Royals hold a 6-4 advantage in the last 10 games in the series. The previous 10 games have all been high-scoring affairs with at least 28 points being put on the board. The teams are combining to score an average of 51.2 points per game in the streak. The most points scored in a game came in 2007 when Bethel won 48-45 in triple overtime in one of the most exciting games ever played at “The Jake”…Concordia is 8-2 against BU in the last 10 games played in Moorhead but the teams have split the last four games played at “The Jake”…Cobber head coach Terry Horan is 4-6 vs. Bethel.
LAST YEAR:Last year Concordia was outscored 24-6 in the second half and lost 36-20 to Bethel in Arden Hills. The game was tied at halftime and was only an eight-point affair at the end of the third quarter before the Royals score a pair of fourth-quarter TD’s and pulled away to win by 16. Perhaps the biggest play of the game came with 5:00 gone in the fourth quarter, Concordia was on the Bethel 4-yard line and looked like they were going to cut the lead to one score when the Cobbers fumbled and a Royal defensive player scooped up the ball and rambled 92 yards before being tackled on the CC 5-yard line . Bethel then scored three plays later to put the game out of reach at 36-14 with 9:12 to play. The statistics were virtually even for the two teams. BU held a 388-384 edge in total offensive yards. CC almost doubled up the Royals in passing yardage (272-151) while Bethel returned the favor on the ground (237-112). The “thorn in the side” for Concordia on Saturday came in the turnover department. The Cobbers coughed the ball up four times against the Royals and were unable to come up with a turnover on defense. QB Michael Dunham led the CC attack while RB Logan Flannery was the key for BU. Dunham was 27-for-47 for 272 yards. Flannery scored four TD’s (3 rush/1 rec.) and had 89 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Gameday Kickoff
(What you need to know about Saturday’s Concordia/Bethel match-up)
- Match-Up of the Day: The CC Run Game vs. The BU Run Game
This is the first key match-up of the season that won’t directly square off against one another. It will basically be a game of football “horse” as the two top rushing teams in the conference try to outdo each other. The Royals lead the MIAC with a “ground and pound” attack that averages 264.422-11-0 yards per game. The Cobbers’ “smash and dash” attack averages 228.8 yards per game. The teams are also 1 and 2 in time of possession. CC leads the MIAC, holding onto the ball at an average of 32:26 per game while BU is second at 31:36. It will be a battle of offensive and defensive lines as well as both defenses are in the top 3 of the of the league at stopping the rush.
Cobber Notes
- The Cobbers 2-2 at home this year but are undefeated in the month of October (3-0)
- Concordia is 6-0 this season when they lead at halftime and 5-0 when they lead after the first quarter. The Cobbers are 0-2 when trailing at halftime.
- The Cobbers lead the MIAC in turnover margin. Concordia is +9 on the year. The CC defense has forced a league-leading 19 turnovers. That is four more than they had in all of last year and ties for the most since 2005. CC is 5-0 this season when their opponent has more turnovers.
- Concordia also leads the MIAC in first downs (171), sacks (34) and 4th-down conversions (77.8).
- Concordia fullback Brett Baune is still fifth in the MIAC in rushing (81.5 ypg). He also leads the league lead in overall touchdowns with 16. He has scored at least one TD in all seven games.
- Baune needs four more TD’s to break the single-season touchdown record of 19 set by Adam Swingdorf in 2007.
-CC quarterback Michael Dunham needs 166 yards to break the school record for career passing yards set by Ethan Pole from 1995-98.
- Three Cobbers lead the MIAC in stat categories. Bryce Hentges leads in interceptions with four and defensive linemen Paul Streich and Robin Wisner are first in overall sacks (4).
Royal Notes
- Bethel enters Saturday’s game having lost two of their last four games. After starting the season at 3-0, the Royals are now 5-2 and coming off a loss at home against No.3-ranked St. Thomas. Despite their recent .500 stretch, BU is still ranked 25th in the latest AVCA national coaches poll and 20th in the D3football.com national poll.
- Bethel is the second highest scoring team in the conference. The Royals are averaging 36.1 points per game in their first seven games. They have scored at least 40 points in four games including a 41-point nugget at St. John’s.
- BU also leads the MIAC in pass efficiency (150.2), 3rd-down conversion (51.6), opponent’s first downs (93), sacks against (5), opponent’s 4th-down conversions (25.0) and Red Zone offense (90.0).
- Bethel senior QB Josh Aakre leads the MIAC in pass efficiency. He has a rating of 158.6. He is also sixth in total offense and fifth in total TD’s
- Returning All-MIAC linebacker Billy Morgan is second in the MIAC in tackles per game. He is averaging 10.6 tackles per game and has at least 10 tackles in five of the team’s seven games.
- Bethel senior Kelson Carr leads the MIAC in kick return average. He is averaging 26.0 yards per return and has a season-long return of 65 yards.
