MEQUON, WIS.- The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars returned from their bye week to take on the Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) Falcons in a highly anticipated matchup between two 3-0 teams. The Cougars battled until the final whistle but ultimately fell to the Falcons, 21-14.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Colton Bosch (Coopersville, Mich.) led the Cougars through the air, throwing for 262 yards and one touchdown.
- Joron Brown (St.Joseph, Mich.) led the ground attack with 86 rushing yards, including a five yard touchdown run.
- Kevon Lawson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) led the Cougars in receptions with seven catches for 40 yards.
- Kadin Stroer (Warrenton, Mo.) led the defense with five total tackles, two of which were solo stops.
- Wesley Jackson (Robinson, Ill.) hauled in four completions for 27 yards, including a 19 yard touchdown reception.
- Mikel Harris (St.Louis, Mo.) made a major impact defensively, recording an interception and recovering a fumble.
FIRST QUARTER
CUW won the coin toss and chose to receive first. The Falcons drive started at their own 35 yard line, but they were unable to get things going and ended the drive after three plays. The Cougars got things going with a first down catch by Lawson but were shut down on their next set of downs. The Falcons made their way into Cougar territory, but an intended pass was intercepted by Harris. With the help of Harris, the Cougars were unable to convert and were forced to punt. Dennis Vanderplow (Livonia, Mich.) punted the ball 22 yards, putting the Falcons in Cougar territory. After a big time rush by the Falcons, they found themselves in the end zone for the first touchdown of the game, taking a 7-0 lead. Keeping the momentum, the Falcons defense stuffed the Cougars offense for a loss of yards on their third down. Another short punt by Vanderplow, left the Falcons at the Cougars 30 yard line. The Falcons connected on a pass for another touchdown, increasing their lead by 14. The quarter ends with the Cougars in possession on their own 34 yard line, with the Falcons leading 14-0.
SECOND QUARTER
To open the quarter, Bosch found Manuel Mendoza (Ceres, California) for a 61 yard completion for the Cougars. Brown then carried the ball for a five yard rush up the middle for a Cougar touchdown, increasing their lead to 21-7. Another mistake by the Cougars offense on their drive, the Falcons received that ball again, but the Cougars defense recovered the ball and gave their offense another opportunity. Brown started the drive with three carries for a combined 13 yards. Bosch then found LJ Lane (Pompano Beach, Fla.) for an 18 yard completion, and a Falcons penalty put the Cougars 15 yards ahead before the end of the half. The half ended with the Cougars unable to score after a 17 play, 74 yard drive. The score stood at 21-7 heading into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
Both teams tried to get their offenses going, but their defenses held strong against each other. Neither team was able to score during the third quarter, and the game remained 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
The Cougars started the fourth quarter but were forced to punt after they were unable to convert a first down. On the Falcons drive, they attempted a pass, but the ball was intercepted by Kelvin Hayden (Frankfort, Ill.). However, a flag on the play resulted in the interception being reversed back in the Falcons possession. With the Falcons once again in possession, they called a rushing play but fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Cougar Harris. The Cougars were unable to get their offense going, resulting in another turnover to the Falcons. The Cougars defense came up big on the Falcons next drive and forced them to punt, giving the Cougars another opportunity before the game ended. Bosch started the drive by finding Brown for seven yards but was unable to complete a pass on the next play. He then found Jayden Taylor (Southfield, Mich.) for a first down but was sacked on the following play for a loss of eight yards. Over the next five plays, Bosch completed multiple passes for a total of 32 yards. With two minutes remaining, the Cougars were penalized for a false start but were able to maintain their momentum and complete a pass to Taylor. Brown rushed for a first down and Lane moved up the chains with a 17 yard reception. After another penalty for delay of game, Bosch threw two incomplete passes before finding Jackson up the middle for a 19 yard touchdown,cutting the Falcons lead to 21-14. On the Falcons next possession, the Cougars fought hard and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Aden Hatchett (Kennesaw, Ga.). The Cougars attempted to score before the game ended, but they ran out of time. The Falcons held on to take the game, 21-14.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Cougars will continue traveling to Aurora, Illinois to face off against the Spartans at Aurora University. The game will take place on Saturday, October tenth at 1:00 PM. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com.
