Sept. 19, 2015 - Following a 51-50 win over Beloit College two weeks ago, the Concordia-Chicago Cougars looked to make it 2-0 this afternoon as they traveled to southwest Michigan to take on the Hornets of Kalamazoo College. At the outset, it appeared as if fans would be treated to another rollicking, high-scoring affair. However, the Hornets took control of the game, and the result was a lopsided 61-15 win in favor of Kalamazoo (2-1).

The Cougars received the opening kickoff but were pinned deep in their zone on each of the first two possessions and were forced to punt. The Hornets took possession in CUC territory and marched to their first score, courtesy of an 18-yard pass by Alex White to Shon Powell. But the Cougars roared back in lightning fashion following the kickoff. On a third-and-15, Rob Granquist (Powers, MI/North Central) hooked up with Rashad Lofton (Detroit, MI/Romulus), and the speedy Lofton raced 80 yards to the house. The extra point by Zach Slusher (Park City, UT/H.S.) tied the game 7-7 with just 6:29 elapsed in the opening quarter.

Unfazed, the Hornets answered back as White drove the hosts 66 yards in six plays, hitting Colin Feilla for 39 yards and the go-ahead score. Before the first quarter was over, Kalamazoo was on the board again, capitalizing on a short field and scoring on Powell's five-yard run. 

Kalamazoo made it a 24-0 run with a touchdown and a field goal early in the second quarter before CUC scored again in electrifying fashion. This time, it was Granquist throwing to another one of the Cougars' speedsters, Leroy Bridges (Chicago, IL/Perspectives Math & Science Academy) for a 91-yard aerial score. The Cougars went for the two-point conversion and got it, courtesy of Granquist to Ryan Allison (Parkland, FL/Stoneman Douglas). However, Kalamazoo scored the final touchdown of the half, and the score after 30 minutes was Hornets 38, Cougars 15.

The Cougars were unable to close the gap after halftime as the Hornets tallied 14 points in the third quarter and nine more in the fourth. The fourth quarter saw both head coaches give some playing time to many of their younger players.

The Hornets finished the day with a total of 637 yards, 366 coming from the arm of White who was 24-37 with six TD passes. Powell finished with 116 yards rushing on 16 carries.

Cougar quarterbacks Granquist, Acusio Bivona (Los Angeles, CA/Hamilton) and William Wassmann (Bensenville, IL/Fenton) combinedfor 248 yards on 19-42. Freshman Gideon Coble (Bellwood, IL/West Aurora) made five catches, covering 37 yards.

Defensively,  linebackers Anthony Mazza (Ventnor, NJ/Atlantic City) and A.J. Seidler (West Chicago, IL/H.S.) were each credited with nine tackles.

The Cougars will return home next Saturday and begin a stretch of five of their next six games at home. Next week's opponent will be Maranatha Baptist University, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m.