RIVER FOREST, ILL.- The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars hosted their homecoming game and stood toe to toe with Benedictine University (BENU) Eagles on their home turf. Despite an early first half standoff , the Cougars battled relentlessly but ultimately fell to the Eagles, 40-20.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Colton Bosch (Coopersville, Mich.) finished with 264 passing yards, three touchdown passes and two interceptions for the Cougars.
- Kevon Lawson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) led the receiving room with six catches and 94 yards, including a 53 yard touchdown.
- Wesley Jackson (Robinson, Ill.) contributed one touchdown for nine yards.
- Caleb Nellans (Winter Garden, Fla.) added to the scoreboard with one touchdown for eight yards.
- Joron Brown (St.Joseph, Mich.) led the Cougars on the ground with 68 rushing yards with 22 carries, including a long of 27 yar
- Kadin Stroer (Warrenton, Mo.) led the defensive effort with ten total tackles with five of them being solo.
FIRST QUARTER
The Cougars won the coin toss and decided to defer, saving their choice to receive the ball for the second half. The Cougars defense came out strong, shutting down the Eagles offense and forcing a turnover on downs. The Cougars opening drive got off to a shaky start with a fumble, but they managed to recover. Brown followed with a three yard rush before the drive ended with a deep pass that was intercepted by the Eagles. Already in Cougar territory, the Eagles capitalized on the opportunity with a 35 yard touchdown, taking an early 7-0 lead. Lawson ignited the next Cougar drive with a dominant 20 yard return. However, the offense struggled to find its rhythm and was forced to switch possessions. The Cougars defense continued to battle, putting pressure on the Eagles and forcing them to take a timeout. On third down,
Jordan Lacey came up clutch with a pass breakup on a ball intended for an Eagles receiver, forcing a punt. Under pressure from the Cougar special teams, the Eagles failed to handle the punt, resulting in a safety for the Cougars and cutting the deficit to 7-2. The first quarter ended with the Cougars at their own CUC47 after a five yard gain by Lawson, trailing 7-2.
SECOND QUARTER
The Cougars exploded into the second quarter with a clutched 53 yard touchdown pass to Lawson. After a blacked extra point attempt, the Cougars surged ahead, taking an 8-7 lead. Following a delay of game against the Eagles that forced another punt, the Cougars took over possession. Bosch looked to spark the offense with a deep pass to the right, but the Eagles intercepted the ball in Cougar territory. The Eagles wasted little time capitalizing on the turnover, marching down the field in six plays and scoring a 15 yard touchdown to reclaim the lead, 14-8. Brown opened the next Cougar possession with two rushes totaling four yards before Bosch connected with him for a 12 yard gain. The offense continued to build momentum as Brown powered up the middle for an impactful 27 yard run. Despite a 10 yard penalty against the Cougars, the drive still resulted in a first down. Lawson then made a crucial 18 yard catch to keep the offense moving. Bosch followed up by connecting with Jackson for a nine yard completion and another Cougar touchdown, tying the game at 14-14 after another missed extra point attempt. With 52 seconds remaining in the half, the Eagles delivered a pair of big plays before finishing the drive with an 18 yard touchdown, taking back a 21-14 lead. The Cougars fought to respond, with Bosch finding
Korey Randle (East Moline, Ill.) for an 18 yard gain as they attempted to move downfield before halftime. However, time expired before the Cougars could complete another pass. The teams headed into the break with the Cougars trailing 21-14.
THIRD QUARTER
The Cougars opened the second half but were unable to convert a first down, forcing a punt. The Eagles immediately struck with a massive 61 yard play, advancing to the CUC12 before
Brandon Shipp (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and
Kelvin Hayden (Frankfort, Ill.) helped bring the runner down. A few plays later, the Eagles appeared to score another touchdown, but a holding penalty wiped it away. The setback barely slowed them down, as they connected on a 14 yard touchdown reception on the very next play, extending their lead to 28-14. The Cougars struggled to find their offensive rhythm on the ensuing drive but kept the possession alive with a two yard completion on a fourth down attempt. The Eagles tightened their defensive play, forcing another Cougar punt. The Eagles took control once again, completing a 30 yard touchdown pass to stretch their advantage to 35-14.
Logan Camps (Phoenix, Ariz.) fueled the next Cougar possession with a 15 yard return, but the Eagles defense quickly shut down the drive and forced another punt. The Cougar defense responded with determination, forcing the Eagles to punt as well. As the third quarter came to an end, Bosch connected with
Manuel Mendoza (Ceres, Calif.) for a 15 yard completion, giving the Cougars a late push heading into the final quarter with a score of 35-14.
FOURTH QUARTER
The Cougars opened the fourth quarter with an incomplete deep pass intended for Lawson, but a pass interference penalty against the Eagles awarded them an automatic first down. After three unsuccessful attempts, Bosch found Randle for a timely 20 yard completion to move the chains. Deep in Eagles territory, Bosch connected with Nellans for an eight yard touchdown, bringing the Cougars closer at 35-20. Looking to capitalize on the momentum, the Cougars went for a two point conversion but Bosch was unable to connect with teammate. The Eagles returned the conversion attempt for two points, leading 37-20. The Cougars continued to fight but the Eagles added three points with a 20 yard field goal, pushing the score to 40-20. The Cougars continued to battle until the final whistle, but a turnover on downs gave the Eagles possession to close out the game. The Cougars fell to the Eagles by a final score of 40-20.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Cougars will continue Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play next Saturday, October 31st at Eureka, Ill. at 1 PM. Coverage can be found at
cucougars.com.
