2008 - Football schedule/results

1-9 GPAC | Season Statistics

SEPTEMBER
Sept. 6	Midland Lutheran College	Seward, Neb.	L 50-14
Sept. 13	Doane College	Crete, Neb.	L 29-13
Sept. 20	Briar Cliff University	Seward, Neb.	W 17-7
Sept. 27	University of Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls, S.D.	L 47-0
OCTOBER
Oct. 4	Northwestern	Seward, Neb.	L 49-2
Oct. 11	Dordt College	Sioux Center, Iowa	L 17-14
Oct. 18	Morningside College	Seward, Neb.	L 49-0
Oct. 25	Nebraska Wesleyan	Lincoln, Neb.	L 44-0
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1	Dana College	Seward, Neb.	L 17-10
Nov. 8	Hastings College	Hastings, Neb.	L 36-7

All Contests are Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Games in BOLD

2008 - Football Roster

No.

Name

Pos.

Ht.

Yr.

Hometown

Previous School

Derrick Woods

6-1

Jr.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Tolleson Union

Kole Ficken

6-1

Jr.

Davenport, Neb.

Bruning-Davenport

Wade Houchin

Slot

5-8

Jr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Gothenburg

Daniel Crowe

5-11

Jr.

Glendale, Ariz.

Westview

Jake Griedl

5-10

So.

Spring, Texas

Concordia Lutheran

Chad Wilshusen

6-0

Jr.

Fremont, Neb.

Fremont

Casey Makey

6-2

Sr.

Gurley, Neb.

Leyton

Darrin Macaluso

5-11

Jr.

Santa Fe, Texas

Santa Fe

Jamarcus Walker

6-0

Fr.

Houston, Texas

Eisenhower

Kyle Schmidt

6-2

Jr.

Riverton, Neb.

Franklin

Preston Harris

6-1

So.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln High

Nathan Sindt

6-2

So.

Scottsbluff, Neb.

Scottsbluff

Jim Landers

5-10

Sr.

Tulsa, Okla.

Lincoln High

Zack Smetter

6-0

Jr.

Seward, Neb.

Seward

TJ Shirey

6-0

Fr.

Houston, Texas

Cy-Ridge

Wade Halvorsen

5-10

Fr.

Ravenna, Neb.

Ravenna

Shawn Seevers

6-3

So.

Tokoyo, Japan

American School of Japan

Jeremy Walrath

6-2

So.

Tucson, Ariz.

Mountain View High

Keith Rowlett

6-2

Fr.

Lodgepole, Neb.

Leyton

Charles Dunbar

5-10

Fr.

St. Louis , Mo.

Lutheran North

Grant Rolfsmeier

5-10

So.

Seward, Neb.

Seward

Sean Atkins

5-10

Fr.

Fredricksburg, Texas

Fredricksburg

Curtis Miller

6-0

Jr.

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sioux Falls Christian

Jacob Harmon

5-8

Fr.

Trumball, Neb.

Giltner

Akeem Christian-Starks

5-10

Fr.

Santa Ana, Calif.

Sergerstrom

Heath Broekemeier

5-11

Fr.

Farmington, Ark.

Prairie Grove

Darius Smith

5-9

Fr.

Kearney, Neb.

Kearney Catholic

Patrick Tyrance

6-0

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Parkview Christian

Austin Freudenburg

6-0

So.

Madison, Neb.

Lutheran High NE

Ben Klein

6-2

Fr.

Dallas, Texas

Dallas Lutheran

Adam Smith

6-1

Fr.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Valley Lutheran

Alex Niederklein

5-10

Jr.

Hastings, Neb.

Adams Central

Jason Culbertson

6-1

Fr.

St. Paul, Minn.

Concordia

Emmanuel Butler

RB/FB

5-10

Fr.

Torrence, Calif.

El Camino CC

Kane Dunbar

5-8

Jr.

Magnolia, Texas

Magnolia

Aaron Habe

5-9

Fr.

Ravenna, Neb.

Ravenna

Martin Rodriguez

6-0

Fr.

Tucson, Ariz.

Salpointe Catholic

David Haynes

6-0

Fr.

Bend, Ore.

Summit

Ryan Fricke

WR/P

6-0

So.

Arapahoe, Neb.

Arapahoe

Robert Jeppesen

6-1

Fr.

Pleasent Dale, Neb.

Milford

Chad Harmon

5-10

Sr.

Wichita, Kan.

Wichita Heights

Kyle Hoffman

6-0

Fr.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Desert Vista

Austin Thies

5-11

Sr.

Rushville, Neb.

Rushville

Joshua Menke

6-0

So.

Pflugerville, Texas

Pflugerville High

Tyler Schik

5-11

So.

Hastings, Neb.

Hastings St. Cecelia

Dan Margritz

5-11

Fr.

Lexington, Neb.

Lexington

Luke Staab

6-0

Sr.

Ord, Neb.

Ord

Rusty McConnell

5-10

So.

Peoria, Ariz.

Centennial

Jerrod Fleming

OLB

5-11

Fr.

Houston, Texas

Cy-Ridge

Frank Ohlinger

6-0

Jr.

Wheat Ridge, Colo.

Faith Christian

Josh Osienger

6-1

Fr.

Mitchell, Neb.

Mitchell

Michael Stelling

6-1

So.

Plainview, Neb.

Plainview

Jordan Brockman

6-3

So.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln High

James McCoy Jr.

5-11

Jr.

Pasadena, Texas

Lutheran North

Jonathan McDaniel

6-0

Sr.

Cypress, Calif.

Los Alamitos

Adam Wolf

OLB

5-9

Fr.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Valley Lutheran

Tyler Carter

5-11

Fr.

Glenwood, Iowa

Glenwood

Carlos Villasenor

5-11

So.

Tucson, Ariz.

Mountain View High

Marcus Rust

6-3

Jr.

Geneva, Neb.

Fillmore Central

Nicholas Yosten

5-10

Jr.

Plainview, Neb.

Plainview

Sammey Lusk

OLB

5-11

Fr.

Houston, Texas

Cy-Ridge

Michael Voelker

6-2

Fr.

Linn, Kan.

Linn

Austin Neesen

OLB

5-10

Fr.

West Point, Neb.

West Point Central Catholic

Alex Muniz

OLB

6-1

Fr.

Tucson, Ariz.

Salpointe Catholic

Brenton Whitaker

6-0

So.

Caddo Mills, Texas

Royse City High

Alejandro de los Santos

6-0

Fr.

Blue Springs, Mo.

Blue Springs

Caleb Pahl

OLB

6-0

Fr.

Diller, Neb.

Diller-Odell

Josh Sudol

6-1

Fr.

Edmond, Okla.

Deer Creek

Andrew Sunderman

6-0

Sr.

Norfolk, Neb.

Lutheran Northeast

Dustin Ehlers

6-0

Jr.

Gothenburg, Neb.

Gothenburg

Taylor Austin

6-2

So.

Colo. Springs, Colo.

Colo. Springs Christian

Ryan Clark

6-3

So.

Denver, Colo.

Denver Lutheran

Matthew Ridge

6-1

So.

Glendale, Ariz.

Tolleson Union

Casey Johnson

6-2

Fr.

Avondale, Ariz.

Westview

Corbin Jones

6-3

So.

Loveland, Colo.

Mountain View High

Charles Washington

6-3

Fr.

Houston, Texas

Jersey Village

Aaron Ritz

5-10

Fr.

Dallas, Texas

Dallas Lutheran

Ray McCray

5-5

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln High

Trevor Patterson

6-2

So.

Staplehurst, Neb.

Seward High

Seth Elley

6-4

So.

Hastings, Neb.

Hastings St. Cecilia

Marc McPhillips

6-3

Jr.

Lindsay, Neb.

Humphrey

Bryant Schweers

6-3

Jr.

Greely, Colo.

University

Joe Boitano

6-2

Fr.

Tucson, Ariz.

Canyon Del Oro

Benjamin Eckhoff

5-10

Fr.

East Peoria, Ill.

East Peoria

James Refenes

6-7

Jr.

Westland, Mich.

Lutheran Westland

Zach Fisher

5-11

So.

Houston, Texas

Lutheran North

Jason Owens

6-6

So.

Seward, Neb.

Seward

Barry Eitzmann

6-2

Sr.

Bryon, Neb.

Deshler

Dayton Daberkow

6-5

Sr.

Madison, Neb.

Madison

Andy Hoffman

6-5

Fr.

Seward, Neb.

Seward

Daniel Uden

6-3

Jr.

Kenesaw, Neb.

Kenesaw

Derek Rodine

6-0

Fr.

Polk, Neb.

High Plains

Benjamin McGee

5-11

Jr.

St. Joseph, Mo.

Central

Randy Merritt

6-2

Fr.

Twin Falls, ID

Kimberley

Paul Rowlett

6-3

Fr.

Lodgepole, Neb.

Leyton

Matt Baller

6-2

Sr.

Milligan, Neb.

Exeter-Milligan

Levi Wiseman

6-4

Fr.

La Grande, Ore.

La Grande

Aaron Hannemann

6-0

So.

Eureka, Mo.

Jonathan Erickson

OLB

6-1

Fr.

West Point, Neb.

West Point

Kyle Kapels

6-5

Jr.

Creston, Neb.

Lakeview

Brock Simonsen

6-2

Sr.

Lyons, Neb.

Lyons-Decatur

Jacob Sunderman

6-2

Fr.

Madison, Neb.

Madison

Warriors roll over Bulldogs

6 SEP 2008

Midland Lutheran College unveiled a new offensive scheme on a rainy Saturday evening in Seward, Neb., and racked up 453 yards of total offense en route to a 50-14 win over the Concordia University, Nebraska Bulldog football team.

Midland's first drive foretold the rest of the ballgame for the Bulldogs. In the first quarter, after the Bulldogs failed on a fourth-down attempt, the Warriors took over and marched 63 yards on seven plays for the score, a goal-line plunge by running back Brandon Brooks. It was the first of four rushing touchdowns for Brooks on the evening.

Concordia's offense failed to find a rhythm against the Warrior defense. The Bulldogs in the first half were forced to punt or lost the ball on downs for the first seven of Concordia's eight drives. The Warrior triple-option attack, on the other hand, was only gaining momentum. Midland notched a drive of 44 yards and two drives of 74 yards en route to a 29-7 first half lead.

The Bulldogs lone score of the first half came after about an hour delay due to lightning. Kyle Schmidt hit Derrick Woods streaking down the sideline for a 31-yard score.

The second half continued much as the first half ended. The Warriors had the ball first and made the score 36-7 on a 3-yard run by Brooks. Midway through the third quarter, the Warriors Jiho Tohara was able to take Shawn Seevers' punt 73 yards for the score, giving Midland a 43-7 lead. The Warriors last touchdown came when Chad Heater capped off a seven-play, 36-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run.

The Bulldogs' offense found the end zone one last time when backup quarterback Darrin Macaluso pitched the ball to JaMarcus Walker on a reverse that caught the Warrior defense by surprise and scored from 14 yards out.

Offensively the Bulldogs finished with 256 yards of total offense (123 rushing, 133 passing), compared to the Warriors 453 yards of total offense, 360 of which were rushing yards. Of the Concordia rushers, none could manage more than 32 yards for the evening. Bulldog quarterback Kyle Schmidt was 11-for-26 and had 124 passing yards.

The Bulldogs travel to Crete, Neb., next to take on the Doane College Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m.

Tigers defense stifles Bulldogs

13 SEP 2008

Doane College used a stingy defense to defeat Concordia University, 29-13, in football action Saturday afternoon in Crete, Neb. The win moved the Tigers to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the GPAC while Concordia fell to 0-2 overall and in the GPAC.

The Tiger defense limited Concordia to 32 yards net rushing and 199 yards in total offense. Hondo Fanning got the Tigers on the board first, taking a 32-yard interception return in for a touchdown. Concordia blew through the Tiger line to block the PAT.

Concordia evened up the score with a two-yard run by Emmanuel Butler but the PAT was missed and the score was tied 6-6 with 4:20 left in the first half.

Doane's back-up quarterback Anthony Dunn completed a 33-yard pass to Antony Ritton to give the Tigers the lead going into halftime, 13-6.

In the third quarter, Doane picked up their first points of the second half when Concordia long-snapper Carlos Villasenor sent the snap, meant for Bulldog punter, Shawn Seevers into the end zone for a safety.

Doane's Alex Hall rounded out the third quarter scoring with a 24-yard scamper on his lone carry of the game.

The Tigers jumped on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter when Tim Reed bounced off of five Concordia defenders and scored from 20 yards out.

The Bulldogs finished up the scoring with 7:01 left in the game when Kyle Schmidt connected with Akeem Cristian-Stark for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

For the game, Doane totaled 375 yards with 218 coming through the air. Dunn finished with 204 yards passing on 14 completions while JR Artozqui completed one pass for 14 yards.

Reed led the ground attack with 52 net yards. Michael Vargas notched 36 yards on the ground.

Devon Niewohner and Antony Ritton finished with four receptions apiece. Niewohner totaled 51 yards while Blake Erickson finished with 63 yards receiving on two receptions.

Concordia was led on the ground by Christian-Stark's 25 rushing yards. Kyle Schmidt finished with 161 yards passing on 11 completions.

Barry Eitzmann pulled in three receptions for 32 yards while Wade Houchin had a team-high 45 yards receiving on two receptions.

Concordia was paced defensively by Preston Harris' 11 total tackles, five solo. Brock Simonsen collected the lone Bulldog sack. Casey Makey pulled in an interception and returned it 21 yards.

The Bulldogs will return next Saturday, September 20, for a 1 p.m. meeting with Briar Cliff University at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb.

Bulldog defense neutralizes Chargers

20 SEP 2008

The Concordia University football team was able to notch its first victory of the season Saturday afternoon with a 17-7 defeat of the Briar Cliff Chargers at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb.

The Bulldogs (1-2, 1-2 GPAC) got a spark on the opening offensive play as freshman running back Akeem Christian-Starks burst through the line for a 22 yard gain. The opening drive went deep into Charger territory before the Bulldogs settled for a 26-yard field goal by Curtis Miller.

The two offenses then struggled to move the ball for the remainder of the first quarter as Concordia held on to the 3-0 lead after the Bulldogs were able to block a 28-yard field goal attempt.

The Chargers (1-3, 1-2 GPAC) were able to get on the scoreboard in the second quarter after an interception by Charger linebacker Billy Mousel. After the turnover the Chargers drove the ball to the Bulldogs one-yard line and on fourth-and-goal Stavhn Leavy was able to squirt through the left side of the line for the touchdown. After a Kevin Johnson extra point the Chargers took a 7-3 lead.

The Bulldogs defense held strong throughout the remainder of the second quarter and they blocked yet another Charger field goal attempt. The half ended with Briar Cliff leading 7-3.

After the half, the two teams traded unsuccessful offensive drives before the Bulldog defense was able to earn a turnover on downs. Concordia offense, powered by Christian-Stark's rushing, marched down the field. Christian-Stark was able to cap off the seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 14-yard scamper to paydirt. After the extra point was made by Miller, the Bulldogs took the lead for good at 10-7.

The Bulldog defense continued to come up big after Concordia's touchdown. Briar Cliff's subsequent offensive drive lasted three plays and gained only two yards. The Concordia offense, taking over on its own 37-yard line, moved the ball 63 yards on 11 plays. The Bulldog field goal squad took the field, but Concordia was not going to settle for three points this time. Instead the Bulldog holder and backup quarterback, Darrin Macaluso, took the snap and darted into the end zone from six yards out to put the game out of reach.

The Bulldog defense was led by sophomore defensive back Grant Rolfsmeier who ended the day with 9.5 total tackles, including two tackles for a loss and a two pass breakups. Jim Landers also had a big day defensively for the Bulldogs with seven tackles and an interception. Concordia also took some steam out of the Chargers' high-powered passing attack. Last week against Hastings College the Chargers had thrown for 475 yards. Against the Bulldogs they were held to 263 yards passing.

The Bulldog offense was paced by Christian-Stark who had his first career 100-yard rushing day, going for 101 yards on 17 attempts. Kyle Schmidt ended the day completing 20-of-44 passes for 184 yards and had one interception.

The Bulldogs will hit the road next week as they travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls.

Cougars overpower Bulldogs

27 SEP 2008

The Concordia University, Nebraska football team struggled on both sides of the ball as the No.2 ranked University of Sioux Falls Cougars shut out the Bulldogs 47-0 Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Health Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Bulldog defense was able to keep the high powered Sioux Falls offense out of rhythm in its first three possessions. On the Cougars' first drive the Bulldogs held strong and Sioux Falls missed a 40-yard field goal attempt. The Cougars second drive ended with a fumble and the third with a turnover on downs. But that was the end of the sputtering for the Sioux Falls offense.

The Cougars began to click on the fourth possession as they were able to drive 69 yards on six plays for the first score of the game. The Sioux Falls offense would go on to score on the next six of their last 13 drives.

While the defense was fighting to keep the Cougars out of the end zone, the offense was struggling to find any offensive rhythm. The Bulldogs would only muster 69 yards of total offense, 14 of those yards on the ground. The Bulldog offense managed just six first downs on the afternoon.

Sioux Falls on the other hand took advantage of a defense that didn't get much rest, amassing 660 yards of total offense (406 passing, 254 rushing).

The Bulldogs will return home for homecoming weekend as the Northwestern College Red Raiders come to Bulldog Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Red Raiders humble Bulldogs

4 OCT 2008

The Concordia University, Nebraska football team was humbled for the second straight week as the Bulldogs were defeated 49-2 at the hands of the Northwestern College Red Raiders on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb.

The Northwestern (4-1, 4-1 GPAC) offense racked up 370 yards of total offense including 228 on the ground and scored on all four of its first drives. The Red Raiders' early control of the game would not be challenged.

The lone score for the Bulldogs (1-4, 1-4 GPAC) came with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter as the Red Raiders attempted to pass from their own 5-yard line. Facing pressure from Concordia's pass rush, Northwestern committed a holding penalty in the end zone and the Bulldogs, by rule, earned the safety.

Concordia's offense, held within its own territory for most of the day, could not find its rhythm. The Bulldogs had 203 yards of total offense and struggled to establish a running game for the second straight week. Bulldog rushing netted 73 yards, 28 of those on a fourth down run by Derrick Woods.

Concordia's starting quarterback, Kyle Schmidt, was held to 10-of-18 passing for 80 yards and two interceptions. Backup T.J. Shirey went 4-for-9 for 50 yards and an interception.

The Bulldogs travel to Sioux Center, Iowa, next to take on the Dordt College Defenders. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Bulldogs fall at Dordt

11 OCT 2008

The Concordia University football team struggled for a third straight week as they dropped a close 17-14 decision to the Dordt College Defenders in Sioux Center, Iowa, Saturday afternoon.

Dordt (1-5, 1-5 GPAC) moved the ball on their first possession but came away empty after a fumble at the Concordia 27. It was the only turnover the Defenders would commit on the rainy day. Concordia (1-5, 1-5 GPAC) eventually got on the scoreboard when TJ Shirey found Wade Houchin for 19 yards and a touchdown to cap an eight-play, 73-yard drive. The point after failed, and the Bulldogs were up 6-0 with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

Dordt scored their first touchdown of conference play at the 3:59 mark when they capitalized on a fumble that gave the Defenders a short field to work with. Three plays later Joey Vander Schaaf took a pitch and went in from 19 yards out. The extra point was good and the Defenders led 7-6.

The Bulldogs wasted no time in responding when Houchin took a short pass 62 yards to pay dirt with 2:44 left in the half. The play was the second of the possession. Dordt threatened towards the end of the half but turned the ball over on downs after waiting out a 40-minute lightning delay with :44 left in the half.

After a Defender interception, Scotty Walden found Grant Mowery over the middle for a touchdown with 6:08 left in the third quarter. The drive took 5:33 off the clock. Nick Sohre's kick was good to tie it at 14.

The Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, giving the Defenders the ball 68 yards from the end zone with 3:29 left in the quarter. Dordt's drive looked dead when they ran a double reverse option pass on the first play of the fourth quarter with Vander Schaaf getting the second hand off from Ryan Campbell and completing a pass to Scotty Walden who started the play at quarterback. Walden raced to the Concordia 24 before being tackled. The Defenders eventually kicked a field goal from 21 yards for a 17-14 lead with 10:42 remaining in the game.

The Defenders forced a fumble on Concordia's second play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, forced Concordia to punt on their second possession after the field goal and picked off a Shirey pass at the Dordt 12 with :27 left to seal the win.

Dordt outgained Concordia 367-284 and allowed the Bulldogs just a little over six minutes of possession time in the second half.

Shirey had 68 yards of rushing on 10 carries and completed 9-of-17 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and two pass interceptions.

The Bulldogs will welcome the Morningside College Mustangs to Bulldog Stadium for a 1 p.m. kick off on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Mustangs run through Bulldogs

18 OCT 2008

The Concordia University, Nebraska football team was roughed up at Bulldog Stadium Saturday afternoon as No. 5 Morningside College collected a lopsided 49-0 victory.

Morningside (6-0, 6-0 GPAC) jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead after scoring on all five of its first half offensive possessions. The Mustangs Jake Peterson scored four of the five touchdowns on runs of 1, 5, 23, and 8 yards a piece and Blake Anderson added the last touchdown with 58 seconds remaining in the first half.

"I thought we played a lot better in the second half," said defensive coordinator Vance Winter. "The positive thing I took from this game was that in a couple series of the second half we held their top unit and forced some punts."

The Bulldogs did slow down the Mustang attack in the second half as Morningside only managed a pair of Beau Kildow touchdown receptions to increase the lead to 49-0. The Concordia offense struggled all afternoon as the Bulldogs only managed 85 yards of total offense on 60 plays.
Morningside, on the other hand, ran up 494 yards of total offense on 66 plays.

The Bulldogs will travel to Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Courtney Meyer to retire at season's end

Courtney Meyer, head football coach at Concordia University, Nebraska will end his coaching duties at the completion of 2008 season. Coach Meyer made the announcement Oct. 21 after talking with current players and coaches earlier in the week.

"For nearly two decades, coach Meyer has led the Bulldog football program," said Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, Concordia's president. "His focus on the 'double win' - winning on the field and in life as a Christian - has inspired student athletes, coaching colleagues, alumni and our campus community."

Meyer has been a part of Bulldog football for 31 years: four as a player, eight as an assistant coach and 19 as the head coach. He coached the Bulldogs from 1977 to 1984 as the defensive coordinator before taking a head coaching job at Concordia University Wisconsin. He returned to Concordia University, Nebraska in 1990 as the head coach.

Meyer was twice distinguished as a conference coach of the year. He earned the honor first in 1999 as the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference co-coach of the year after Concordia's first winning season in more than 12 years. He was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference coach of the year in 2001 when the Bulldogs went 10-2, finished as GPAC co-champions and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA playoffs. Meyer also served as the president of the NAIA Football Coaches Association in 2000.

"Coaching for me has been a ministry," said Meyer. "It is time for someone else to assume this position of influence. Concordia University has been very good to me in giving me this opportunity. I will treasure the relationships I have shared with young men and look forward to continued contact with them. I will do everything I can to support the university and the football program as it moves into an exciting new phase. Coaching is all consuming - my time to step aside is now, and I am at peace with it."

"He has found great joy in doing that which is most important - touching the hearts and lives of young men with the love of Jesus Christ," said Friedrich. "Coach Meyer has modeled service and leadership on and off the field. His enthusiasm for life, living, learning and Bulldog football will be missed greatly. We wish him God's richest blessings as he retires and transitions to another pace and phase of life."

Coach Meyer noted that the decision to retire came in mid-July and is not related to the current season.

The search for a replacement will begin immediately.

Prairie Wolves blank Bulldogs

25 OCT 2008

The Concordia University, Nebraska offense produced just 137 total yards as the Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan blew past the Bulldogs 44-0 Saturday afternoon at Abel Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.

The Prairie Wolves got all the points they would need just 50 seconds into the game. On a third-and-five Akeem Christian-Starks fumbled the handoff from TJ Shirey; the ball took an opportunistic bounce into the waiting arms of Nebraska Wesleyan's Phil Harm who walked untouched into the end zone.

The Bulldogs defense struggled to get off the field as the Prairie Wolves racked up 475 yards of total offense with 274 yards on ground, earning 30 first downs in the contest.

Concordia's lone scoring chance came in the fourth quarter after a mishandled punt attempt for the Prairie Wolves gave the Bulldogs the ball in NWU territory. The Bulldogs drove down to the two yard line but were unable to punch it in on three straight attempts.

Kyle Schmidt was 8-of-13 for 59 yards and two picks for Concordia, while starter TJ Shirey was 3-of-10 with one interception. The Bulldogs had 63 rushing yards on 27 carries.

The loss drops the Bulldogs to 1-7 overall and 1-7 in the GPAC. Nebraska Wesleyan picked up its fourth straight victory to move to 4-3 overall and 4-3 in the GPAC.

The Bulldogs will return home Nov. 1, to take on the Dana College Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.

Vikings spoil final home game

1 NOV 2008

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.

Broncos muscle past Bulldogs

8 NOV 2008

The Concordia University, Nebraska football team completed its 2008 season with a 36-7 defeat by the Hastings College Broncos on Saturday afternoon at Lloyd Wilson Stadium in Hastings, Neb.

The Bulldogs started the game with a gritty 10-play, 91-yard drive that took 4:13 off the clock and climaxed with a 21-yard touchdown pass from TJ Shirey to Daniel Uden. After that it was all Broncos as Concordia would be shut out for the remainder of the contest.

Hastings' first half scoring included two field goals by Gavin Rodriguez, a 60-yard drive that was capped off by a Dan Bargen five-yard touchdown run, and a safety.

The Bulldogs gave up the safety toward the end of the first half when Shirey was sacked and fumbled in Concordia's end zone. Corbin Jones recovered the safety for the Broncos and the half ended with Hastings up 15-7.

Hastings owned the scoring in the second half. The Broncos' Nick Grummert finished Hastings' opening drive with a nine-yard touchdown run and Concordia was unable to answer offensively. Hastings, on the other hand, seemed to be just warming up. Big plays of 78 and 40 yards capped the scoring at 36 for Hastings and put the game out of reach.

The Bulldog offense struggled with just 163 yards, 85 rushing and 78 passing, compared to 400 yards of offense from Hastings.

Concordia finishes the season with a record of 1-9 overall and 1-9 in the GPAC while Hastings moves to 5-4 overall and 5-4 in the GPAC. Hastings has a matchup with the Midland Lutheran College Warriors next week to finish the season.