PLYMOUTH, WIS. — After two weeks straight of fighting off opponents at home, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) football team headed off campus for some conference action. This northern trip was hosted by Lakeland University, as both teams had a lot to gain in the conference standings going into this game. The Muskies would pick up the win over the Cougars with a tight final score of 17-9.
Inside the Box Score:
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Jakob Redmond (Bishop, Calif.) was in the driver's seat for the Cougars, as he threw 6-for-19 for a total of 39 passing yards. He also led the team in rushing yards with a net total of 83
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Joron Brown (St. Joseph, Mich.) and Jayce Levy (Davenport, IA) were right behind Redmond in the rushing yards category, as these two tallied up 72 and 69 rushing yards, respectively
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Brown led the team in receptions with a total of 31 yards on two receptions. Henry Jones IV (Atlanta, Ga.) slid in four receptions of his own for 28 yards
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On the defensive end, Brandon Arredondo (Dalton, Ga.) and Justin Pierce (Irving, Texas) led the way with seven tackles apiece
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Ryan Auer (Newark, Ohio) picked up a season-high longest field goals at 35 yards for the Cougars
First Half
Kicking off the game, CUC was ready to battle in this game to steal a win from Lakeland. They would successfully stop Lakeland's first drive and get them to turn the ball over at the CUC 30 yard line. From there, the Cougars began their first offensive output of the day, but were quickly intercepted to turn the tide towards the Muskies.
Putting the ball back in Lakeland's hands, they would make quick work on the next drive. Focusing on their rushing game, the Muskies were able to move down field and score the first touchdown of the game 6-0.
The Cougars would get the ball back as the end of the first quarter approached. Redmond would have three double digit rushes on this drive, bringing the Cougars from their 20 yard line to the Muskies seven yard line. Starting the second quarter, CUC was unable to convert at fourth and goal and had to give the ball back to Lakeland.
The Muskies would make an offensive output all the way down to the Cougars 31st yard line, but could not make the extra jump for a touchdown. Travon Thomas (Wauchula, Fla.) helped to drive the Muskies back with a loss of two yards from the defensive lineman. With Lakeland still leading 6-0, CUC was ready to make a statement. On the first drive, Levy had a huge 69-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game back up at 6-6.
The next possessions for both teams were met with little to no gain, as the competitors traded off on yardage. Pierce would help to hold the Muskies back and hold the defensive up the entire game. With the ball in the Cougars hands, a pass was completed to Jones for 14 yards, driving them closer to the endzone. Troy Pratley (St. Joseph, Mich.) would find his window for a 10 yard rush that brought the Cougars to a first down. However, they could not finish the drive, running into halftime with a score of 6-6.
Second Half
CUC would begin the second half on the offensive end, but could not connect for a positive output. However, they would not let Lakeland run away with it. Louis Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.) snagged an interception and would return the ball for 14 yards. This got the Cougars set up perfectly for their next drive on the Cougars 20 yard line.
After a CUC fumble, Lakeland was able to convert this mistake into a touchdown and drive their lead to 13-6. On the next drive, the Cougars would have a fumble that led to a Muskie safety, making the score 15-6.
Trying to build on their momentum, the Muskies would get the ball back yet again, but could not tack on to their lead. The Cougars would need to move quickly on offense to give themselves a chance at the win. A pass completed to Brown would move for 23 yards and up to the Cougar 44 yard line. Redmond would make some moves of his own, rushing for 13 yards and running the game right into the fourth quarter.
Trying to chip away at Lakeland's score, Auer would go for a 35-yard field goal attempt and help bring the Cougars even closer 15-9. The Cougars would start to get aggressive on defense to shift the tide, this came from a Marvin Rushing (Detroit, Mich.) interception that dropped the ball back in CUC's hands. However, the next two opportunities would be met with little to no gain from both teams.
The Lakeland offense was kept in check, as Demari Grant (Chicago, Ill.) and Arrendondo helped to hold them back from the endzone. However, with the Cougars on offense, they would have another fumble that led to a Muskies safety, taking the score to 17-9. With the ball still with the Muskies on offense, this would end the game for the Cougars, as they fell 17-9.
The Cougars will be back at home next week, as they play host to Eureka University for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. Coverage for all of our sports can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
