The Concordia University, Nebraska football struggled to find a rhythm on offense and didn't have an answer for Midland Lutheran College as the Warriors downed the Bulldogs 27-10 on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium in Seward.
After back to back-to-back weeks of big games on the ground, the Bulldogs (2-1, 2-1 GPAC) only mustered 95 yards rushing against the Warriors. Midland (1-2, 1-2 GPAC) bounced back to pick up their first of the season after getting trounced by Sioux Falls a week earlier.
Midland dominated the time of possession on the afternoon, holding the almost 40 minutes, compared to just 20 minutes for the Bulldogs. Concordia also struggled on third down, converting just one out of 13 opportunities.
The Warriors put up points on two of their first three drives, getting a pair of field goals from 36 and 37 yards out by Andrew Hunt.
In the second quarter it Bulldogs took lead thanks to a big passing play. Junior QB Kyle Schmidt hooked up with sophomore Daniel Uden for a 43-yard touchdown kick to cap a three-play, 58-yard drive.
After a punt by Midland the Bulldogs drove to the Warrior 26 yard line before the drive stalled. A Michael Saalfeld field goal attempt from 43-yards out had the distance, but was just right.
On the ensuing possession Midland marched 74-yards on nine plays, taking 3:30 off the clock. Dustin Lindtrom went into the endzone from one-yard out to cap the drive.
Concordia had a chance to pull within three before halftime, but a 50-yard field goal attempt by Saalfeld came up short.
Midland took control on the opening drive of the second half, mixing things up through air and on the ground, going 80 yards in 12 plays. The drive took just over five minutes. Tyler Swanson, the Warrior QB, ran for the touchdown, going in from nine yards out on a naked bootleg to make it 20-7.
The final Concordia points came with 60 seconds left in the third quarter as Saalfeld split the uprights on a 32-yard field goal.
Swanson added a passing touchdown for Midland with 3:55 remaining, connecting with Steve Hromas to put the game out of reach for the Bulldogs.
Offensively, the Bulldogs finished with 201 total yards compared to 347 for Midland. Senior running back JaMaine Lewis finished with 96 yards on 18 carries to pace the Bulldogs.
Freshman Jeremy Walrath had a game-high 11.5 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for a loss, a pair of sacks and a pass break up. He also forced a fumbled on the afternoon. Senior Trent Laune finished with eight tackles while Brett Mertens and Matt Baller each recorded sacks. Mertens also had an interception.
For Midland, QB Swanson was 17 of 25 for 251 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a net of five yards and a TD
Concordia is at Northwestern College next Saturday. The Red Raiders are coming off a 44-20 loss to NAIA No. 1, the University of Sioux Falls. Kickoff is schedule for 1 p.m.
