SEWARD, Neb. – The 100th season of Concordia University, Nebraska Football will officially open on Saturday as the Bulldogs welcome Waldorf to Bulldog Stadium for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff. It will mark the second time in three seasons that Concordia has hosted the Warriors, the GPAC’s newest member, to open a campaign. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow enters his 10th season at the helm of his alma mater. He’s guided the Bulldogs to a combined 15-5 record over the past two seasons.
Daberkow and his staff retained nearly 100 players from last season’s roster. Expectations remain high internally with Concordia having placed in the top four of the GPAC standings in three-straight seasons and in four of the past five years. Meanwhile, Waldorf is attempting to find footing in what will be its third year as a GPAC member. The Warriors have turned to a new head coach in David Calloway, who has been a head coach at two previous stops. Waldorf is expected to travel a revamped roster to Seward on Saturday.
GAME INFO
Concordia (7-3, 7-3 GPAC) vs. Waldorf (0-10, 0-10 GPAC)
Saturday, Aug. 29 | 7 p.m.
Bulldog Stadium | Seward, Neb.
Webcast: GPAC Network
Live Stats: PrestoStats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentators: Parker Cyza and Ross Wurdeman
Tickets: Hudl Ticketing (also sold on site)
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*2025 national rankings out of 97 NAIA football programs in parentheses
--Note: national statistical rankings for the 2025 season are currently unavailable on the NAIA’s official stats website.
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 34.8
Defensive PPG: 31.0
Total Offense: 396.2
Pass Offense: 242.1
Rush Offense: 154.1
Total Defense: 384.9
Pass Defense: 261.1
Rush Defense: 123.8
Turnover +/-: -2
Waldorf
Offensive PPG: 6.6
Defensive PPG: 44.0
Total Offense: 175.0
Pass Offense: 96.9
Rush Offense: 78.1
Total Defense: 430.8
Pass Defense: 234.9
Rush Defense: 195.9
Turnover +/-: -5
2025 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (47-41, 10th season)
Passing: Gideon Stark – 188/365 (.515), 2,339 yards, 21 td, 12 int, 117.7 effic.
Rushing: Carlos Collazo – 102 rushes, 591 yards, 5.8 avg, 8 td
Receiving: Adam Van Cleave – 63 receptions, 726 yards, 11.5 avg, 6 td (11 total td)
Defense: Grant Huss – 104 tackles, 5.5 tfl, 3.5 sacks, 3 pbu, 1 ff, 1 fr
Waldorf
Head Coach: David Calloway (1st season at Waldorf; previously HC of Texas A&M Kingsville, 2012-14, and Central Methodist, 2015-23).
Passing: Chris Walter – 43/73 (.589), 485 yards, 3 td, 1 int, 125.5 effic.
Rushing: Anthony Tucker – 118 rushes, 395 yards, 3.3 avg, 1 td
Receiving: Luke Valdez – 24 receptions, 249 yards, 10.4 avg, 1 td
Defense: Christian Gerot – 66 tackles, 3 pbu, 1.5 tfl, 1 ff, 1 fr
2026 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (0-0, 0-0 GPAC)
8/29 vs. Waldorf, 7 p.m. (Parents Weekend)
9/12 at Hastings, 1 p.m.
9/19 vs. Mount Marty, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
9/26 vs. Dordt, 1 p.m.
10/3 at Northwestern, 1:30 p.m.
10/10 at Dakota Wesleyan, 1:30 p.m.
10/24 at Morningside, 1 p.m.
10/31 vs. Doane, 1 p.m.
11/7 at Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
11/14 vs. Midland, 1 p.m. (Senior Day)
Waldorf (0-0, 0-0 GPAC)
8/29 at Concordia, 7 p.m.
9/5 at Midland, 6 p.m.
9/12 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, 6 p.m.
9/19 vs. Hastings, 1 p.m.
9/26 at Doane, 1 p.m.
10/3 at Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
10/10 vs. Morningside, 1 p.m.
10/24 vs. Northwestern, 1 p.m.
10/31 at Dordt, 1 p.m.
11/7 vs. Mount Marty, 3 p.m.
In the rankings
Concordia rose as high as No. 17 last season in the official NAIA coaches’ polls before settling as a “receiving votes” team to end 2025. The Bulldogs also concluded 2024 at No. 18 in the poll. This preseason, Concordia landed at No. 4 and Waldorf at No. 11 in the GPAC coaches’ poll.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 4th
Massey Ratings: 26th
Waldorf
GPAC preseason: 11th
Massey Ratings: 79th
Team 100
The 2026 season will mark the 100th in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Football. On record, the first official season was 1925 when Professor Walter Hellwege presided over the Concordia Teachers College gridiron squad as its first ever head coach. In the time since then, there have been three years without football, including 1926 and 1927 and 1943 (during World War II). In program history, Concordia has won conference championships in 1929, 1931, 1944, 1945, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1970, 1981 and 2001. The championship team of ’01 remains the lone NAIA playoff qualifier in program annals.
Coach Daberkow + staff
Patrick Daberkow’s history at Concordia dates back to his first season as a Bulldog football player in 2003. This is Daberkow’s 19th season as part of the program’s staff – 10th as head coach. He served as defensive coordinator for seven years before being named head coach in December 2016. Daberkow assumed offensive play calling duties in 2022 before turning that role over to Greg Nelson, former Lincoln Lutheran head coach, in 2023. Meanwhile, his full-time staff includes Defensive Coordinator Corby Osten, Special Teams Coordinator Trent Laune and Assistant Coach Grady Koch (who specializes in coaching the offensive line, among other duties). Former Nebraska Wesleyan assistant Kevin Crume is in his fourth season at Concordia. The graduate assistants are Tanner Ingle and Grant Huss. Daberkow owns a career coaching record of 47-41. His 47 wins are the fourth most among all head coaches in program history. The top three are Courtney Meyer (70), Larry Oetting (63) and Herb Meyer (62).
Stark returns as QB1
The Magnolia, Texas, native Gideon Stark spent his first three collegiate seasons waiting his turn to take over as QB1. Stark rose to the top of the depth chart in 2025 and responded with an Honorable Mention All-GPAC season. Stark has appeared in 19 career games as a Bulldog and has completed 207 of 395 passes (.524) for 2,576 yards and 22 touchdowns to go against 12 interceptions. Stark also added three scores on the ground last season. Stark’s 21 touchdown passes in 2025 ranked as the second highest single season total in school history. Gideon continues a long line of family members to have attended Concordia as student-athletes, joining his father Paul (football), mother Kim (volleyball) and extended family, Ken Robbins (football), Nathan Robbins (football) and Stephen Robbins (football). In addition, Gideon’s older sisters, Kara and Shelby, both played volleyball at Concordia. Current freshman Tayden Robbins is a cousin.
Collazo back from injury
The recovery of running back Carlos Collazo from a 2025 midseason ACL tear has been impressively fast and fluid. At the time Collazo went down last season, he was leading all NAIA players in rushing yards per game (147.8). Collazo broke the school single game rushing record when he rumbled to 283 yards in the 52-43 win at Mount Marty in 2025. The Marquette, Neb., native and Aurora High School product sports career tallies of 1,147 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns on 185 attempts (6.2 yards per carry). Collazo earned Second Team All-GPAC honors in 2025 despite playing in only four games. Collazo is joined in the backfield by Calvin Sassaman, who rushed for 464 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Experienced receiver core
Stark will have many familiar targets to spray the ball to this fall. Foremost among them is the accomplished Adam Van Cleave, named a 2025 NAIA Third Team All-American by Victory Sports Network. The Columbus Lakeview High School alum served as a Swiss army knife of sorts in 2025 as he compiled yardage totals of 726 receiving, 310 rushing and 310 as a kick returner. He totaled 11 touchdowns (six receiving, four rushing and one kick return). A former member of the Nebraska Wesleyan basketball team, Jonny Puelz emerged as a big-play threat in 2025 as he made 31 receptions for 519 yards and nine touchdowns. The Bulldogs also bring back tight ends Maddox Rickertsen (19 catches for 323 yards and 3 TDs) and Dustin Kapke and receiver Carter Skleba (11 catches for 109 yards). Concordia expects Northern State University transfer Collin Fritton to also play a key role.
Revamped o-line
For the second year in a row, the Bulldogs are replacing all or most of their starting offensive line. Fortunately, Second Team All-GPAC left tackle Derek Campbell is back to anchor the group up front. Concordia successfully replaced all five starters after 2024 and believes it can work similar wonders this fall. With Campbell entrenched at one tackle spot, the other starting positions may be held down by some combination of Layne Bugarske, Jackson Jenkins, Joshua Luehr, Carter Meier, Ethan Olson and Thomas Thomas. The group is coached by Grady Koch, a former all-conference offensive lineman for the Bulldogs. Impressively, Concordia has surrendered a grand total of seven sacks over the past two seasons while paving the way for all-conference running backs Mark Arp and Carlos Collazo.
The specialists
The Bulldogs return their kicker (Peyton Atwood), punter (Braxtyn Koch), long snapper (Max Wurdeman) and holder (Braylen Muhle), in addition to the game breaking kick returner Adam Van Cleave. Atwood, Koch and Wurdeman were each named Second Team All-GPAC honorees in 2025. Atwood already owns school records for career PATs (121) and longest field goal (50). He made immense strides while knocking through 12-of-16 field goal tries as a junior. In his sophomore season, Koch downed 26 of his 54 attempts inside the opponent’s 20 (with another 20 of his punts being fair caught).
Longest field goals in Concordia history, on record
50 – Petyon Atwood (2025)
47 – Kenny Zoeller (2011)
46 – Jess Boyd (2001)
46 – John Dumar (1980)
Defensive line led by veterans Frazey, Sebek
Concordia got a head start on replacing All-American Carson Fehlhafer last season went he went down with an injury. There is experience up front with starters AJ Frazey (39 tackles, 5 tfl) and Terry Sebek (29 tackles, 11 tfl, 6 sacks) back in the fold. Lukas Lafler, Brock Ostdiek and Nicolas Steuter are candidates for rotation time in a defensive line that has depth beyond the starters. With help from edge rushers at linebacker, the Bulldogs compiled 31 sacks in 2025.
Linebackers/secondary outlook
It will take a collective effort for Concordia to cut back on the 31.0 points and 384.9 yards per game it allowed in 2025. The returning starters on the back end of the defense include linebackers Dylan Meyer (GPAC high 16.5 tackles for loss in ’25) and Deegan Barnes, corner Will Potratz and safety Luke Penrod. At linebacker, the depth is extended by the likes of Drake Trent, Tanner Frahm, Luke Kolsrud, Tristen Ray and others. Back from last year’s secondary two deep are corner Cade Seaman and safeties Gabe Schmidt and Kaden Thompson.
Around the league
This Saturday is considered week zero around the NAIA, but many GPAC teams will be in action. In addition to Concordia hosting Waldorf, Mount Marty will welcome Clarke University (Iowa) to Yankton, Morningside will clash with Benedictine College (Kan.) in a nonconference showdown, Briar Cliff will be at home versus Mayville State University (N.D.), Doane will entertain Texas College and Dakota Wesleyan will play at in-state rival Dakota State University. The 2026 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll can be found HERE.
Series vs. Waldorf
The two sides had never met on the football field until the Warriors joined the GPAC beginning with the 2024 season. In the ’24 matchup played in Seward, Concordia pummeled Waldorf, 45-7. The result was similar last season as the Bulldogs pitched a 54-0 shutout in Forest City, Iowa. In the blowout, quarterback Gideon Stark fired three touchdown passes, including two to Adam Van Cleave and one to Max Bartels. On the ground, Calvin Sassaman ran for 125 yards and two scores. In addition, Daylon Henson scooped up a botched punt snap for a touchdown and three different kickers drilled at least one field goal. Defensively, Grant Huss recorded 10 tackles and Dylan Meyer notched three tackles for loss. Waldorf managed only 100 total yards of offense.
Scouting Waldorf
In the season prior to joining the GPAC (2023), Waldorf posted a 5-5 record. The Warriors went on to go 0-11 (0-10 GPAC) in 2024 and 0-10 (0-10 GPAC) in 2025. Waldorf hopes to put those struggles behind it under the direction of Head Coach David Calloway, who most recently served as Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at NAIA Missouri Valley College. Calloway has past head coaching experience having filled that role at NCAA Division II Texas A&M University-Kingsville (2012-14) and NAIA Central Methodist University (2015-23). Concordia is expecting to go up against very different personnel than it saw last season in Forest City. Calloway and his staff have rebuilt the Warrior roster. There is a recent history of success with the program having finished at .500 or better each season from 2017 through 2022.