SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off its first defeat in more than 365 days, Concordia University, Nebraska Football has its sights set on rebounding this week. The challenger will be another in-state rival in Hastings. The two programs have met 57 previous times on the gridiron. Saturday’s kickoff from Lloyd Wilson Field is slated for 1 p.m. CT.
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad surrendered a 38-7 lead and fell at the hands of Midland, 60-52, in double overtime this past Homecoming Saturday. The result snapped a nine-game winning streak, tied for the program’s longest during the GPAC era. Hastings will be the second straight opponent that will be coming off a bye. The Broncos have been idle since their 10-9 upset of then 22nd-ranked Northwestern on Oct. 4. Head Coach Matt Franzen’s squad also owns wins over Doane and Waldorf.
GAME INFO
Concordia (4-1, 4-1 GPAC) at Hastings (3-3, 3-3 GPAC)
Saturday, Oct. 18 | 1 p.m.
Lloyd Wilson Field | Hastings, Neb.
Webcast: GPAC Network
Live Stats: PrestoStats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentators: Parker Cyza and Ross Wurdeman
Tickets: Hastings Website (also sold on site)
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*2025 national rankings out of 97 NAIA football programs in parentheses
Concordia
Offensive PPG: 44.0 (12th)
Defensive PPG: 26.4 (41st)
Total Offense: 438.2 (19th)
Pass Offense: 264.0 (T-22nd)
Rush Offense: 174.2 (30th)
Total Defense: 342.8 (32nd)
Pass Defense: 280.6 (83rd)
Rush Defense: 62.2 (5th)
Turnover +/-: +3
Hastings
Offensive PPG: 21.3 (65th)
Defensive PPG: 16.8 (15th)
Total Offense: 306.5 (66th)
Pass Offense: 136.2 (82nd)
Rush Offense: 170.3 (33rd)
Total Defense: 311.8 (22nd)
Pass Defense: 217.8 (47th)
Rush Defense: 94.0 (22nd)
Turnover +/-: 0
2025 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (44-39, 8th season)
Passing: Gideon Stark – 89/165 (.539), 1,274 yards, 15 td, 5 int, 142.7 effic.
Rushing: Carlos Collazo – 102 rushes, 591 yards, 5.8 avg, 8 td
Receiving: Adam Van Cleave – 32 receptions, 428 yards, 13.4 avg, 4 td
Defense: Carson Fehlhafer – 29 tackles, 13 tfl’s, 7.5 sacks, 3 blocked kicks
Hastings
Head Coach: Matt Franzen (at Hastings: 19-30, 5th season; overall: 84-79, 16th season)
Passing: Carson Kudlacek – 46/87 (.529), 488 yards, 2 td, 1 int, 105.3 effic.
Rushing: Dalton Armbruster – 98 rushes, 494 yards, 5.0 avg, 2 td
Receiving: Jake Bargen – 14 receptions, 165 yards, 11.8 avg, 0 td
Defense: Dawson Kissinger – 42 tackles, 7.5 tfl’s, 2 sacks, 2 int
2025 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Concordia (4-1, 4-1 GPAC)
9/6 vs. Doane, W, 35-7
9/13 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, W, 27-22
9/27 at Waldorf, W, 54-0
10/4 at Mount Marty, W, 52-43
10/11 vs. Midland (Homecoming), L, 52-60 (2 OT)
10/18 at Hastings, 1 p.m.
10/25 at (4) Morningside, 1 p.m.
11/1 vs. Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
11/8 at (11) Dordt, 1 p.m.
11/15 vs. Northwestern (Senior Day), 1 p.m.
Hastings (3-3, 3-3 GPAC)
8/30 at Doane, W, 20-7
9/6 vs. Midland, L, 9-24
9/13 at Briar Cliff, L, 16-20
9/20 vs. Waldorf, W, 42-0
9/27 vs. (4) Morningside, L, 31-41
10/4 at (22) Northwestern, W, 10-9
10/18 vs. (17) Concordia, 1 p.m.
10/25 at Mount Marty, 2:30 p.m.
11/1 vs. (11) Dordt, 1 p.m.
11/15 at Dakota Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
In the rankings
Concordia was tagged with a preseason national ranking for the first time since 2002. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 21 in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll announced on Aug. 25. Concordia has been ranked as high as No. 17 this season but dropped to the “receiving votes” category this week following the loss to Midland. Meanwhile, Hastings has not cracked the NAIA top 25 since the 2017 season.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 4th
Current Massey Ratings: 19th
Hastings
GPAC preseason: 7th
Current Massey Ratings: 45th
Last time out
The homecoming defeat was one that will sting for a while. When Carlos Collazo rushed for a 15-yard touchdown at the 11:20 mark of the third quarter, the Bulldogs led Midland, 38-7. The Warriors rattled off the game’s next 38 points and took a 45-38 lead before a Gideon Stark 13-yard touchdown pass to Max Bartels forced overtime. Midland’s furious rally was spearheaded by quarterback Brodey Johnson, who fired seven touchdown passes (all after halftime). The Warriors also forced two critical turnovers that paved the way for touchdowns. Midland (3-3, 3-2 GPAC) abandoned a nonexistent running game and aired it out for 441 passing yards. An explosive Bulldog offense got three rushing touchdowns from Collazo and four passing touchdowns from Stark (each to different receivers). Maddox Rickertsen scored on a 57-yard touchdown pass play for his first career touchdown. The game’s first touchdown was set up when Concordia safety Luke Penrod picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards to the 2-yard-line.
Win streak halted at nine
The program win streak stretched to nine following the triumph at Mount Marty on Oct. 4. The streak was halted right there as a result of Midland’s improbable comeback win at Bulldog Stadium. The recent streak for the Bulldogs represented the longest for the program since the 2000 and 2001 teams combined for nine victories in a row. The school record of 14 consecutive wins spanned the 1944 and 1945 seasons when Concordia and its opponents played six-man football due to low roster numbers caused by World War II. The current Bulldogs still own an impressive nine-game road win streak. The 2024 Concordia team went a perfect 5-0 on the road.
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 18th season as part of the program’s staff – ninth 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 third season at Concordia. The graduate assistants are Devin Zeigler and Tanner Ingle. Daberkow owns a career coaching record of 44-39. His 44 wins are for the fourth most among all head coaches in program history. The top three are Courtney Meyer (70), Larry Oetting (63) and Herb Meyer (62).
Collazo paces NAIA in rushing
From a per game standpoint, junior running back Carlos Collazo leads the NAIA in rushing with an average of 147.8 yards per contest. Collazo followed up his school single game record of 283 rushing yards at Mount Marty with 171 yards and three touchdowns versus Midland (despite being sidelined for nearly the entire fourth quarter). Collazo has racked up 591 rushing yards this season while having missed three quarters of the win over Dakota Wesleyan and the entire victory at Waldorf. Additionally, his eight rushing touchdowns lead all GPAC players and rank No. 8 nationally. Collazo has totaled 1,147 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 185 carries in 12 career collegiate games.
The rebuilt offensive line deserves a shoutout for helping pave the way for Collazo. All five starters were backups last season. The starting group includes Derek Campbell at left tackle, Kadence Velde at left guard, Brevin Damrow at center, Seth Moore at right guard and Jeremiah Vasquez at right tackle. Concordia has yet to allow a sack this season and has surrendered only 19 tackles for loss through five games.
Most rushing yards, single game, program history
1. Carlos Collazo – 283 vs. Mount Marty (2025)
2. Ryan Durdon – 266 vs. Midland (2017)
2. Randy Posphishil – 266 vs. Dana (1972)
4. JaMaine Lewis – 261 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (2007)
5. Ryan Durdon – 250 vs. Buena Vista (2018)
Stark leads explosive offense
Gideon Stark has stepped in nicely in his first season as a starter. Midway through the season, Concordia sports NAIA national rankings of 12th in scoring offense (44.0) and 19th in total offense (438.2). Stark has thrown for multiple touchdowns in all five games this season. His 15 touchdown tosses on the year are tied for the second most among GPAC signal callers. At his current pace, Stark could challenge DJ McGarvie’s school single season touchdown pass record of 28 in 2024. In 14 career collegiate games, Stark has completed 108-of-195 (.554) passes for 1,511 yards and 16 touchdowns (against five interceptions). Stark also ran for a touchdown in the win at Mount Marty. Stark has led the offense to three straight games of more than 50 points: 54 at Waldorf, 52 at Mount Marty and 52 versus Midland.
Van Cleave reaches milestone
Columbus, Neb., native Adam Van Cleave continues to be the go-to target of quarterback Gideon Stark. This past week, Van Cleave hit a milestone by eclipsing 100 career receptions. In the clash with Midland, Van Cleave snared nine receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. He’s gone past 100 receiving yards three times this season. His 2025 statistics are 32 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Over his Bulldog career, Van Cleave has totaled 104 receptions for 1,280 yards and 10 touchdowns. In last week’s contest, Stark hit four different receivers for a touchdown apiece – 57 yards to Maddox Rickertsen, 55 yards to Jonny Puelz, 13 yards to Max Bartels and 22 yards to Van Cleave. Puelz leads the team with seven receiving touchdowns this season.
Concordia’s Paul Bunyan
His size and stature led Head Coach Patrick Daberkow to liken Carson Fehlhafer to Paul Bunyan. Concordia’s 6-foot-4, 325-pound nose guard continues to lead all GPAC players in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (13). His presence in the middle of the defensive line is a major reason why opponents are averaging only 62.2 rushing yards per game and 1.8 rushing yards per attempt. A 2024 First Team All-GPAC honoree, Fehlhafer earned an NAIA National Player of the Week award in both 2024 and 2025 and appears on track for All-America consideration. As part of Fehlhafer’s career path, he started at offensive guard as a freshman when injuries plagued the position group. He is in his third year as a starting defensive lineman.
Atwood nears school PATs record
A new standard for longest field goal in program history was set in the win at Waldorf. At the 12:05 mark of the third quarter, Grand Island, Neb., native Peyton Atwood drilled a 50-yard field goal. That field goal broke the previous school record of a 47-yard field goal made by All-American kicker Kenny Zoeller in 2011. Below is a listing of the longest field goals in the Concordia record books. On the season, Atwood is 6-for-7 on field goals and 27-for-27 on extra points for a total of 45 points. He was named GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 29. Atwood is closing in on another school record. His 107 career PATs are one off the program all-time record of 108 by Adam Meirose, who played from 2012 through 2015.
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 superlatives
The ability to stuff the run is the strength of the Concordia defense. It starts with Carson Fehlhafer up front. The team’s leading tackler is senior linebacker Grant Huss, who has made 53 stops. The biggest playmaker in the secondary has been safety Daylon Henson, who has registered 29 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for touchdowns. Linebacker Dylan Meyer has spent plenty of time in opposing backfields having racked up 10 tackles for loss (second on the team to Fehlhafer). Heading into the Hastings game, the Bulldogs will attempt to shore up a pass defense that is allowing 280.6 yards per game.
State bragging rights
Concordia pulverized its in-state opponents in 2024. It won by scores of 45-10 over Doane, 42-6 over Hastings and 45-13 over Midland. That success carried over in the 2025 season opener, a 35-7 rout of Doane. The Bulldogs swept the state in 2021 and 2024. Their ownership of in-state foes was broken up last week by Midland.
Around the league
The Concordia-Midland game likely raised eyebrows around the league simply for the number of points alone. None of the other games within the GPAC last week were competitive as No. 13 Dordt walloped Waldorf, 59-7, No. 4 Morningside blew out Dakota Wesleyan, 49-17, Northwestern blanked Briar Cliff, 28-0, and Mount Marty won at Doane, 31-14. After last week’s results, the Bulldogs (4-1 GPAC) have slipped a game behind both Dordt and Morningside (5-0 GPAC records) atop the league standings. This week’s slate is headlined by Morningside’s visit to Northwestern in a matchup of NAIA playoff regulars.
Series vs. Hastings
The Broncos have owned the all-time series with a record of 37-19-1 versus the Bulldogs. However, the series has swung the other way recently with Concordia winning five of the past six and eight of the past 12 meetings. The 2019 matchup resulted in the largest point differential in series history with Concordia blowing out Hastings, 44-0. The Bulldogs also won decisively in 2023 (44-23) and 2024 (42-6). Concordia started a bit slow in last year’s meeting in Seward but poured it on by outscoring the Broncos 21-0 after halftime. Carlos Collazo rushed for two touchdowns and Austin Jablonski caught two touchdown passes from DJ McGarvie. The Bulldogs outgained Hastings, 543-303.
Scouting Hastings
Hastings (3-3, 3-3 GPAC) is attempting to take a step forward after finishing last season at 2-9 (2-8 GPAC). The Broncos brought back two 2024 All-GPAC players in punter Travon Shaw (second team) and linebacker Jake Lambert (honorable mention). The wins this season for Hastings have come by scores of 20-7 over Doane, 42-0 over Waldorf and 10-9 over then 22nd-ranked Northwestern. The Broncos have been idle since their road upset of the Red Raiders. Hastings prevailed when Northwestern missed a field goal try from 51 yards as time expired. Former head coach and athletics director at Doane, Matt Franzen is in his fifth season leading the Broncos. The most successful campaign for Hastings during Franzen’s tenure occurred in 2022 when it went 7-4 overall. This particular Broncos team leans upon the running game with the backfield duo of Dalton Armbruster (494 yards and two touchdowns) and Kaiden Merryman (366 yards and six touchdowns). The defense has been stout in limiting opponents to 16.8 points per game. Justyce Hostetler (8.5 tfl) and Dawson Kissinger (7.5 tfl) have emerged as regular playmakers in opposing backfields and the defense has burned its foes with nine interceptions. Concordia has managed to win in each of its past three trips to Lloyd Wilson Field.