WAUWATOSA, WIS. -- The Concordia University Chicago Cougars took to the road to take on the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors. The Cougars faced a disappointing 28-21 loss despite showing promise late in the game to build their comeback.
INSIDE THE BOX
-
Jakob Redmond (Bishop, Calif.) worked for the Cougars with eight completed passes on 24 total attempts for a total of 117 yards.
-
Joron Brown (St. Joseph, Mich.) led the ground for the Cougars with a net of 79 yards off 19 total attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per rush while grabbing two touchdowns on the day.
-
Jayce Levy (Davenport, Iowa) grabbed 54 yards off three receptions.
-
Marvin Rushing (Detroit, Mich.) picked up the lone interception of the day.
-
Ryan Ayers (Memphis, Mich.) had one blocked punt and recovery.
FIRST QUARTER
The Cougars won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, forcing WLC to receive to start the game. The Warriors took advantage of this opportunity and marched down the field to score on the first possession of the game. The Cougars, despite picking up a first down off two passes from Redmond and a 3-yard rush from Jordan Garcia (West Chicago, Ill.), were unable to convert and forced Troy Pratley (St. Joseph, Mich.) to punt. The Warriors were able to once again convert on their next offensive possession and jump out to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
The Cougars called a timeout early in the second quarter and it allowed the team to regroup. Following the timeout, the Cougars worked their way down the field and a 36-yard pass from Redmond to Jones would put the ball on the 1-yard line with a fresh set of downs. An easy rush up the middle from Brown would allow the Cougars to pick up their first touchdown of the day and cut the Warrior lead in half.
Tough defense from the Cougars would lock things up for the Warriors and hold them to a scoreless quarter, the only scoreless Warrior quarter of the day. The back-and-forth game between the two would keep the score the same as the teams headed into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
The Cougars started the second half with possession but found themselves unable to move down the field, handing the ball back over to the Warriors at the 40-yard line. The Warriors took advantage of their offensive possession and extended their lead 21-7. The Cougars answered right back by rushing down the field. Three consecutive rushes from Brown set up Redmond to make a 19-yard rush to the 6-yard line. Redmond, keeping the ball again, found an easy entrance into the endzone to cut the Warrior lead down to seven.
With the Cougars already riding momentum from Redmond's touchdown, an interception from Rushing at the CUC 41-yard line paired with a 22-yard return would give the Cougars the ball back and momentum at an all-time high. Despite this momentum shift, the Cougars were unable to convert and the Warriors would retain possession for the remainder of the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
A failed 42-yard field goal attempt from the Warriors would give the Cougars the ball back. With the Warriors hungry for revenge, a blocked punt attempt would give them the ball back at the CUC 22-yard line. With a short distance to go following their monumental punt block, the Warriors would extend their lead 28-14.
Needing to start their climb back into the game, the Cougars marched their way back down the field. Burning a timeout with seven minutes to play, the Cougars found an opportunity with a pass to Gabe Dace (Sullivan, Mo.) that would be called for pass interference and give the Cougars a first-and-goal opportunity at the 3-yard line. Handing the ball off to Brown, the Cougars would pick up their third and final touchdown of the game and bring the score within one possession.
Once again riding the momentum, the Cougar defense locked up and forced the Warriors into a tough decision to punt or attempt to go for the fourth-and-goal. With the Warriors opting to punt, great positioning from Ayers would give him the opportunity to get a hand on the punt and recover the ball at the 15-yard line.
Unable to convert on the possession, the Cougars would fall to the Warriors 28-21. They'll be back on the road for their final game of the season on Saturday, November 11th at Rockford University. Kickoff is slated for noon while coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
