 | 17 |
 | 10 |
The Concordia University, Nebraska football team came close but fell just short of earning one last home victory for retiring head coach Courtney Meyer.
Facing the Dana College Vikings Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb., the team struggled to put points on the board in the second half for a 17-10 loss.
Meyer, in his 19th year as head coach, announced Oct. 21 that this season would be his last. Meyer's Bulldogs are 1-8 with one game remaining in 2008.
A 20-yard field goal by Dana kicker Zach Lesiak provided the lone score in the first quarter as the Vikings went up 3-0.
A Dana punt that sailed out of bounds at the Bulldog 3-yard line gave the offense little room to work with near the end of the first quarter. Freshman running back Hakeem Christian-Stark carried the ball three plays in a row to get to the 20.
On the fourth play of the drive, freshman running back Darius Smith heaved up a 47-yard halfback pass to receiver Derrick Woods. From there, quarterback TJ Shirey scrambled through the defense for short gains before capping off the 97-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run.
A 35-yard field goal by Curtis Miller put the Bulldogs up 10-3 at the half.
The Vikings tied the game late in the third quarter on a 21-yard leaping grab by receiver Mark Schlueter from quarterback Marcus Sladek. Early in the fourth, a 56-yard pass to receiver Brad Metzler set up a 1-yard Sladek sneak into the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning score.
The Concordia defense forced and recovered two fumbles deep in Viking territory in the fourth quarter but the offense could not capitalize. After recovering the second fumble at the Dana 21-yard line, the Bulldogs moved the ball all the way to the 1-yardline before being pushed back three yards on a Christian-Stark run. On third down with four yards to the goal line, Shirey was forced out of the pocket and threw to tight end James Refenes in the end zone, but the ball went through his hands for an incomplete pass. On fourth down, Shirey tried to scramble his way to the touchdown but was met by multiple Viking defenders and stopped short. Dana's offense held the ball the rest of the way to close out the win.
Christian-Stark and Shirey led the Concordia offense on the ground with 65 yards each. Shirey and junior quarterback Kyle Schmidt alternated series for much of the game and combined for 80 yards passing.
The passing attack of quarterback Marcus Sladek and receivers Mark Schlueter and Brad Metzler, who earned 81 and 119 receiving yards, respectively, led the Vikings on offense.
The Bulldogs will close out the 2008 season Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. against Hastings College in Hastings, Neb.
