SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Football team will learn a lot about where it stands by Saturday night. Game week has arrived for the Bulldogs, who did not play any official games in the spring (as some football programs across collegiate levels did due to circumstances caused by COVID-19). Concordia and Morningside will go head-to-head at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday from Elwood Olsen Stadium in Sioux City, Iowa, in the season opener for both sides.
This will be year five of Patrick Daberkow’s tenure at his alma mater. His first four seasons have resulted in records of 6-4 in 2017, 3-7 in 2018, 3-7 in 2019 and 4-4 in 2020. The 2021 squad will be the most veteran Bulldog bunch that Daberkow has put on the field since the 2017 season. Concordia returns eight starters on both sides of the ball. The headliners, in terms of accolades, are first team All-GPAC running back Jonah Weyand and All-American linebacker Lane Napier.
Morningside brings a streak of 10-straight GPAC championships into the 2021 season. Twentieth-year Head Coach Steve Ryan has been at the controls for the program’s run of dominance, which has included NAIA national titles in 2018 and 2019. In the two-part 2020-21 season, the Mustangs played three NAIA playoff games in the spring. The campaign ultimately came to an end with a 44-41 loss to Northwestern in the national semifinals on May 1. In other words, Morningside has been an elite program on the national landscape.
GAME INFO
Concordia (0-0) at No. 3 Morningside (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 4 | 7 p.m.
Elwood Olsen Stadium | Sioux City, Iowa
Webcast: https://www.msidemustangs.com/gameday/video-streams
Live Stats: Presto Sports
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentators: Parker Cyza and Ross Wurdeman
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*2020 national rank out of 90 NAIA football programs in parentheses.
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 21.9 (46th)
Defensive PPG: 25.4 (46th)
Total Offense: 351.4 (37th)
Pass Offense: 230.1 (27th)
Rush Offense: 121.3 (53rd)
Total Defense: 385.6 (62nd)
Pass Defense: 251.5 (84th)
Rush Defense: 134.1 (33rd)
Turnover +/-: +1 (T-35th)
Morningside
Offensive PPG: 50.4 (1st)
Defensive PPG: 17.6 (16th)
Total Offense: 565.6 (1st)
Pass Offense: 364.2 (1st)
Rush Offense: 201.5 (13th)
Total Defense: 343.1 (41st)
Pass Defense: 274.1 (87th)
Rush Defense: 69.0 (4th)
Turnover +/-: +14 (2nd)
2020 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (among returners)
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (16-22, 5th season)
Passing: Wyatt Ehlers – 8/13 (.615), 107 yards, 2 td, 0 int, 181.4 effic.
Rushing: Jonah Weyand – 146 rushes, 625 yards, 4.3 avg, 9 td
Receiving: Korrell Koehlmoos – 25 catches, 533 yards, 21.3 avg, 3 td
Defense: Lane Napier – 54 tackles, 3 tfl’s, 1 sack, 1 pbu
Morningside
Head Coach: Steve Ryan (194-39, 20th season)
Passing: Joe Dolincheck – 243/347 (.700), 3,727 yards, 35 td, 7 int, 189.5 effic.
Rushing: Anthony Sims – 176 rushes, 992 yards, 5.6 avg, 17 td
Receiving: Reid Jurgensmeier – 73 catches, 1,413 yards, 19.4 avg, 20 td
Defense: Tyler Wingert – 79 tackles, 7.5 tfl’s, 6.5 sacks, 2 int
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (0-0)
9/4 at (3) Morningside, 7 p.m.
9/11 vs. Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
9/18 at (14) Dordt, 1 p.m.
9/25 vs. (2) Northwestern, 1 p.m.
10/2 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
10/9 at Jamestown, 1 p.m.
10/16 at Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
10/23 vs. Midland, 1 p.m.
11/6 vs. Doane, 1 p.m.
11/13 at Hastings, 1 p.m.
Morningside (0-0)
9/4 vs. Concordia, 7 p.m.
9/11 at Doane, 1 p.m.
9/18 vs. Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
10/2 vs. Midland, 1 p.m.
10/9 at Hastings, 1 p.m.
10/16 at Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
10/23 vs. (14) Dordt, 1 p.m.
10/30 vs. Jamestown, 1 p.m.
11/6 vs. (2) Northwestern, 1 p.m.
11/13 at Dakota Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
Fan protocols/ticketing
Morningside is allowing full capacity within Elwood Olsen Stadium and face coverings are optional. Tickets can be purchased at the stadium on game day. Additional game day information at Morningside can be found HERE.
In the rankings
Not surprisingly, Morningside is highly rated heading into the 2021 season. The Mustangs reached the NAIA national semifinals last season and are currently ranked third in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Morningside collected eight first-place votes and was rated No. 1 in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs came in at No. 5 in the GPAC poll with 62 points.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 5th
Current Massey Ratings: 56th
Morningside
GPAC preseason: 1st
NAIA Coaches’ Poll Rank: 3rd
Current Massey Ratings: 2nd
Bulldogs seek winning season
At 4-4 last season, Concordia hit the .500 mark for the second time in four seasons under Patrick Daberkow. With a more veteran team in place this fall, the Bulldogs have an expectation of moving back above .500 as they did in 2017 when they went 6-4 overall. The previous season, in 2016, Concordia finished at 7-3 and was ranked 19th in the NAIA postseason coaches’ poll.
Top Seasons, GPAC era
10-2 | 2001 (GPAC champions, NAIA playoff quarterfinalist; final NAIA rank of 7th)
7-3 | 2016 (final NAIA rank of 19th)
7-4 | 2013
7-4 | 2000
6-4 | 2017
6-4 | 2015
Napier rises to top of GPAC all-time list
Not just an all-time great when it comes to Concordia Football, Lane Napier is one of the top defensive players in the history of the GPAC. The All-American linebacker already owns the conference record for career tackles (401) with a full season yet to play. The David City, Neb., native made the decision to return to the Bulldogs for a fifth season of college football. His year-by-year tackle totals have been 97 in 2017, 142 in 2018 (GPAC single season record), 108 in 2019 and 54 in 2020. Last season Napier was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association as an NAIA Second Team All-American. Napier is also a four-time First Team All-GPAC selection.
Ehlers gets the call at QB
A third-year member of the program, Wyatt Ehlers will get the call at quarterback as he takes over for 2020 starter Blake Culbert, who graduated. Ehlers will make the second start of his career on Saturday. His first start came at Buena Vista University (Iowa) on Sept. 14, 2019, when he threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, Ehlers has appeared in 11 games, during which he has completed 30-of-56 pass attempts for 383 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Ehlers led Centennial High School to a Nebraska class C-2 state championship as a senior. Ehlers will have an experienced set of receivers to throw to with Art Anderson, Cayden Beran and Korrell Koehlmoos headlining the depth chart. Each of those receivers has recorded multiple career 100-yard receiving games.
Weyand adds muscle heading into second year as starter
Running back Jonah Weyand has moved up from a listed weight of 203 last season to 220 this preseason. The hope is that the added muscle will help Weyand carry a heavy workload from start to finish in 2021. The Crete High School product burst onto the scene at the beginning of last season with performances that included 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Doane and 177 rushing yards and five touchdowns versus Hastings. He wound up with 625 yards and nine touchdowns on the season and was named First Team All-GPAC. Observers also should expect to see Lyle Whitney and Devin Zeigler get carries out of the backfield. Whitney chipped in with 260 rushing yards as Weyand’s backup last season.
GPAC’s best tight end?
Davenport, Neb., native Garrett Schardt enjoyed a breakout 2020 campaign that saw him catch 25 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns while staking a claim as perhaps the top tight end in the GPAC. Schardt put together an especially big game at Northwestern last season when he hauled in seven receptions for 132 yards and two scores. Schardt caught at least three passes in each of the final five games of the 2020 campaign. His career totals are: 40 receptions for 684 yards and four touchdowns.
D-Line/Secondary looking for players to emerge
With Napier leading the way at his respective position group, Concordia feels good about what it has at the linebacker position. There are a few more questions along the defensive line and in the secondary. While opposing quarterbacks only threw for 11 touchdowns last season, the Bulldogs would like to cut back on the 251.5 passing yards per game they allowed in 2020. The secondary can lean upon safety Peyton Mitchell, a two-time Second Team All-GPAC honoree. Up front, coordinator Corby Osten likes the growth he’s seen from York High School product Dylan Rahder at nose guard. End Payton Stevens (four career sacks) possesses plenty of game experience.
Koehlmoos moving up school receiving list
Only three pass catchers in the history of the Concordia Football program have eclipsed 2,000 career receiving yards. Entering the 2021 season, Korrell Koehlmoos needs 601 yards to reach that number. The native of Pilger, Neb., has been the team’s big play threat in recent years. Last season Koehlmoos averaged 21.3 yards per reception with a long of 61 yards. In addition, Koehlmoos has piled up 1,176 yards on kickoff returns over his career. He’s still looking to breakthrough with his first return touchdown.
Most Receiving Yards, Career
2,495 – Jared Garcia (2014-17)
2,458 – Ross Wurdeman (1998-01)
2,011 – Clarence Woods (1984-88)
1,974 – Eric Pralle (1987-91)
1,880 – Travis Soukup (1991-94)
1,692 – Jim Young (1964-67)
1,399 – Korrell Koehlmoos (2018-- )
Three GPAC teams coming off playoff appearances
The GPAC stood out as one of the top leagues in NAIA football season, putting three teams in the playoffs. Northwestern defeated Morningside in the national semifinals and finished as the NAIA runner up. Dordt also reached the playoffs. Each of those teams are nationally ranked in the preseason with Northwestern at No. 2, Morningside at No. 3 and Dordt at No. 14.
Series vs. Morningside
Morningside has won 18 of the first 19 meetings with Concordia. The Mustangs have won each of the past five matchups by margins of 34 points or greater. The Bulldogs competed much more favorably in 2013 (lost 48-31) and 2015 (lost 44-21). The ’15 matchup was actually much closer than the final score indicated (Morningside scored two touchdowns in the final 2:12). Concordia had the football on the Mustang 27 trailing 27-21 in the fourth quarter of that contest. The series history dates back to 2002. The lone Bulldog victory over Morningside occurred in 2003 in Seward. Concordia is vying for its first-ever win at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
Scouting Morningside
On paper, Morningside looks outstanding once again. Head Coach Steve Ryan’s program will be aiming for an 11th-straight GPAC championship. An offense that led the NAIA in scoring and total yards last season returns star quarterback Joe Dolincheck along with prolific pass catcher Reid Jurgensmeier (fifth season) and running back Anthony Sims. Jurgensmeier has caught 215 receptions for 3,858 yards and 54 touchdowns in his impressive career. Hunter Behrens leads the offensive line group. On the defensive side of the ball, leading tackler and First Team All-GPAC linebacker Tyler Wingert returns for a unit that stifled opposing rushing attacks last season. There are few weaknesses for Morningside, but it did rank near the bottom of the NAIA last season in pass defense with 274.1 yards per game allowed. The Mustangs made up for it by plucking 20 interceptions. As usual, the Mustangs will be tough for anyone in the NAIA to beat.