Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (32-36, 8th season) 2023 Record: 5-5 overall, 5-5 GPAC (T-4th) Key Returners: RB Mark Arp; S Braxton Borer; LB CJ Dyhrkopp; DL Carson Fehlhafer; LB Michael Grindey; WR Austin Jablonski; QB DJ McGarvie; S Luke Penrod; DL Devon Polley; OL Blake Schlegel; OL Christian Schlepp; DL Kyle Sterup; WR Adam Van Cleave; OL Tyler Walford. Key Losses: WR Carsen Arline; DB Carson Core; LB Michael Doiel; S Gabe Knisley; TE Luke Lang; RB Devin Zeigler. 2023 NAIA All-America: Austin Jablonski (First Team). 2023 GPAC All-Conference: Austin Jablonski (First Team); Kyle Sterup (First Team); Michael Grindey (Second Team); DJ McGarvie (Second Team); Tyler Walford (Second Team); Devin Ziegler (Second Team); Carson Fehlhafer (Honorable Mention); Devon Polley (Honorable Mention); Blake Schlegel (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
The feeling inside the Concordia locker room is that the time is now. It’s time to get over the hump and truly challenge for a spot amongst the elite teams in the GPAC, which has been headlined for several years by the usual suspects. There are 18 starters back in place from a squad that finished 2023 at 5-5 overall in an up-and-down campaign that fell below on-field expectations. Eighth-year Head Coach Patrick Daberkow is convinced that he has the right mix of talents and personalities on board capable of combining for the program’s best squad in several years.
Talk to many of the veterans on the roster and you get the sense that there’s a quiet confidence building within the confines of Bulldog Stadium. At some point, you have to prove it. The 2024 Bulldogs believe they will begin to do just that when the lights come on Aug. 31.
“It’s evident that they understand the talent that we have and the opportunity we have with that talent,” Daberkow said. “Along with that talent, we have some locker room leadership that’s just phenomenal. We have a locker room that has bought into what we’re doing and believes in what we’re doing. We recruited to that, and guys have really responded well to the challenges we’ve put in front of them. When you respond to challenges well, it builds your confidence. We have a confident group for good reason.”
Few teams around the country will be as veteran as this Concordia edition, which returns nearly every offensive lineman from last year’s two deep and welcomes back an All-American receiver in Austin Jablonski to go with the most prolific passer in the program’s history, senior DJ McGarvie (26 career starts). Up front, there’s plenty of strength and experience on not just the offensive line, but also on a defensive line that brings back First Team All-GPAC backfield disruptor Kyle Sterup. There’s also old man Michael Grindey (a 24-year-old linebacker) and a secondary that figures to be much improved after taking its lumps in 2023.
Since the second half of the 2022 season, the program has undergone an offensive transformation. The 30.3 points per game averaged by the ’23 squad represented the highest scoring average for Concordia since 1972. That average is expected to climb again this fall as McGarvie adds to his career totals of 6,679 passing yards and 54 passing touchdowns. The offense will feature holdovers such as receivers in Jablonski and Adam Van Cleave, running back Mark Arp, tight end Daylan Russell and talented transfers such as receiver Thomas Meadough and tight end John Goodwin.
Says Jablonski, “We know as an offense we can do really good things. The next step for us is to be able to string good things together and stack big plays on top of each other and reach a level of consistency that is congruent with our standards. I think we’ve taken really big strides towards that in fall camp. If we can keep improving on that, I think it’s going to be a really special season.”
While McGarvie and Jablonski have grabbed headlines the past couple of seasons, Daberkow has always been quick to point to the offensive line. The rise of that group has coincided with the offense’s improved productivity. Every starter from the end of 2023 is back in the fold: tackles Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel, guards Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp and center Jackson Anderson. Several others also possess ample experience and are in the mix for playing time.
On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs must become stingier. Their 31.9 points per game allowed represented the program’s highest mark since 2008. Coordinator Corby Osten and company believe they have made strides against the pass, an area of weakness last season. Up front, Sterup leads a crew that includes the likes of Carson Fehlhafer, Devon Polley, Stephen Hughes, Joe Kahrs and Tal Solo (who can play up front or at linebacker). Daberkow jokes that Fehlhafer could probably squat a car.
The linebacker group includes two-time All-GPAC honoree Grindey to go with veterans DJ Dyhrkopp and Nick Leader and former safety Deegan Barnes. The growing secondary is teeming with players who got their feet wet last season, along with a group of veterans. Daberkow and his staff have been impressed with Braxton Borer’s ability to cover ground at safety.
“We feel like we’re going to be much improved,” Daberkow said. “Our expectation is to get back to stopping the pass and not giving up things we shouldn’t. Our defensive philosophy is designed to combat the variety of different offenses we see in our conference. I think our coaches have built a defense that will put us in the best position to handle all of those things. I’m excited to see that side of the ball this fall.”
Not surprisingly based on recent years, the Bulldogs were pegged fifth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll behind Northwestern, Morningside, Dordt and Midland. Both Northwestern and Morningside are known throughout the NAIA as national powers. Concordia competed closely with the Red Raiders in the 2023 season opener in a shootout from a muggy Bulldog Stadium. Instead of showing flashes of playing at an elite level, the Bulldogs expect to display those types of performances with regularity this fall.
“I know that it’s a possibility for us,” said Jablonski when asked about the chances of reaching the 2024 postseason. “You look at our roster up and down and we have guys at every spot that can get the job done at a very high level. Since this last offseason, we’ve put a good amount of focus into the mental side of competing. Everything that we do, we compete. It’s changed the ways that we think, not only about football but about life. We want to be the best and know that we can be. I think that belief is finally there. We can go out and beat anybody we play if we execute our gameplan and play with that team chemistry.”
In August camp, Concordia has assimilated a large group of freshmen while continuing to develop depth to go with the significant veteran presence. With Devin Zeigler now a graduate assistant on the staff, Arp looks to step into a starting role at running back while others such as Carlos Collazo emerge at that position. Another storyline revolves around the return from injury of Van Cleave, who appeared on his way to a stellar 2023 season before sidelined by injury. The roster includes other reinforcements in the form of older players who decided to use a redshirt or COVID exemption. Schlepp and Toby Hager are both back for year six within the program.
On special teams, the Bulldogs are considering a variety of options for the duties of placekicker and kickoffs. In addition, the punter position remains up for grabs. Both Max Wurdeman and Hager are experienced as long snappers. Borer spent time last season as both a punter and punt returner. The game-breaking talents of Jablonski could also be put to use in kick return.
To sum it up, the difference between going 5-5 or much better can often be very slim. Wins often occur when one team gets the upper hand over the other in the margins. It’s simple in theory, but not so simple to put into practice.
“We have to not repeat mistakes from last year,” Daberkow said. “All of the coach speak is true. In tight moments, we can’t leave it up to any judgement calls or one-play scenarios. We need to close the door on situations and score more in the red zone. It’s about learning from the mistakes we made last year and making sure those losses were lessons. There have to be lessons in wins too. It’s nothing earth shattering – let’s not do the things we did wrong last year. It’s really not rocket science, it’s football. If we can do that, we’ll be all right.”
The chemistry and leadership aspects of what makes a successful team appear to be in place. Take it from those who have experienced every single day inside the locker and weight rooms and on the practice fields.
Says Jablonski of the team’s makeup, “You’re not just a leader because you’re older. I think we have a lot of leaders who are in that position because they’re older and they truly care about this program and have everyone’s best interests. You just think about guys who have come back for their sixth years – or Grindey it’s his 18th year or something. Guys really care about this program and it just shows. When you see someone with so much passion about an organization, it’s not hard to listen to them and to follow them and be inspired by them.”
The 2024 season will officially kick off on Aug. 31 when Concordia hosts new GPAC member Waldorf inside Bulldog Stadium. The game is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT. View the complete schedule HERE.
Warriors walloped as Bulldogs ring in 2024 season
September 1, 2024
On the opening day of the 2024 season, the Concordia University Football team greeted visiting Waldorf University with a rather rude welcome to the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The first ever meeting on the gridiron between the two sides was a complete whitewashing. Five Bulldogs found the end zone as part of the 45-7 demolition of the Warriors inside Bulldog Stadium on a pleasant Saturday (Aug. 31) night.
This was exactly the dominant start Head Coach Patrick Daberkow had hoped for from an experienced squad with superior strength up front. Now in year eight, Daberkow just might have his best team yet.
“I was pleased to see how we operated,” Daberkow said. “I thought our group 1s and 2s did a pretty good job of executing our game plan. It was fun to see that come together, and what a beautiful night in Bulldog Stadium.
“Any time you’re in a game like this, you kind of want to get everybody in. It was good to see the guys come out and start it off the way we did.”
Fourth-year starting quarterback DJ McGarvie and his offensive mates put this one away in the first half while scoring touchdowns on six of their first seven possessions. Those six first-half touchdown drives covered distances of 83, 68, 79, 45, 69 and 32 yards, respectively. There was also a safety sandwiched in-between that was caused by the hard-charging pass rush of the ferocious Kyle Sterup. The statistics said it all – Concordia averaged 7.4 yards per play (565 total yards) and Waldorf averaged just 3.7 yards per play (209 total yards).
The occasion marked breakout performances for the likes of transfer tight end John Goodwin (former Cornhusker) and sophomore running back Carlos Collazo. McGarvie found Goodwin for each of the game’s first two touchdowns on strikes of 10 and 27 yards. A bruising, physical back, Collazo carried the ball 18 times for 128 yards and a score. His long rush of 43 yards was finished with a lowering of the boom on a Waldorf defender. The backfield duo of Collazo and Mark Arp (69 rushing yards and a touchdown on Saturday) figures to be a potent one.
Said Collazo afterwards of his efforts, “Last year was kind of rough. The second week, I tore my PCL and that put me out the rest of the year. Going in, I kind of had that chip on my shoulder. I knew where I would be sitting depth chart-wise and that I had to come in and work. It was a blessing to be able to go out there. The offensive line dominated their defensive line. They made it easy for me.”
McGarvie went 17-for-22 for 220 yards and three touchdowns (57 career) before giving way to Gideon Stark (5-for-8 for 102 yards) for the final 30 minutes. McGarvie and Stark combined to complete passes to eight different receivers. Adam Van Cleave hauled in seven receptions for 80 yards, Austin Jablonski made six grabs for 71 yards and transfer Jonny Puelz pulled in two catches for 89 yards. In addition, tight end Daylan Russell nabbed a 14-yard touchdown strike from McGarvie.
The offense showed balance with 322 passing yards and 243 rushing yards. Four different running backs saw action. The lopsided nature of the contest gave all of Concordia’s starters a rest. The starting group up front included tackles Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel, guards Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp and center Jackson Anderson.
Said Daberkow in assessing the offense, “I thought DJ made some great throws and great decisions and was just operating at a very high level … It was a breakout on the stat sheet (for Collazo), but it wasn’t a breakout for us because we seem him do this all the time. We have a great running back room.”
The defense also flexed its muscles in producing constant pressure in the backfield. The Bulldogs registered seven tackles for loss and three sacks. The veteran defensive front of Carson Fehlhafer, Devon Polley and Sterup helped hassle quarterback Louis Williams into a 9-for-17, 69-yard passing performance. Those numbers were music to the ears of a secondary that will be better after taking some lumps in 2023.
Statically, linebacker Grant Huss paced Concordia with 12 tackles while fellow backer Michael Grindey added nine stops. Tal Solo was exceptionally disruptive in notching five tackles (one for loss) and Zachary Downs subbed in and recorded a second-half sack.
Said Solo, “The thing we have to improve on is getting to the quarterback more. I think we showcased that today … I feel like we did exactly what the coaches wanted us to do.”
Concordia punted only twice and got solid results in that area. The son of former Baltimore Ravens punter Sam Koch, Braxtyn Koch punted twice for an average of 44.5 yards with one landing inside the 20. Meanwhile, Peyton Atwood made all five extra point attempts and Admir Mujkic handled kickoff duties.
The Warriors, coached by Doane alum Tyler Chapa, went 4-6 last season. They had their most success offensively with the quarterback run. Williams gained 105 yards on 16 attempts. Tailback Rocky Ketchum was stonewalled with just 33 yards on 23 carries. Waldorf avoided being shutout by scoring on a 17-yard pass play with 32 seconds left in the contest.
Another home night game is coming up next Saturday (Sept. 7) when perennial power Morningside (0-1) pays a visit to Bulldog Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT in Seward. In their 2024 opener, the 10th-ranked Mustangs fell in a shootout with No. 19 Benedictine College (Kan.), 48-45, in Sioux City, Iowa. Morningside went 9-3 and qualified for the NAIA playoffs in 2023.
McGarvie named GPAC Offensive Player of the Week following win over Waldorf
September 2, 2024
On the heels of leading a 45-point first-half outburst in the season opener, Concordia senior quarterback DJ McGarvie has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Offensive Player of the Week. The announcement from the league office on Monday (Sept. 2) marked the fourth time in McGarvie’s career that he has earned GPAC weekly recognition. He garnered the same recognition once in each of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The native of Valparaiso, Neb., made the 27th start of his career in the 45-7 win over Waldorf. With McGarvie at the controls, the Bulldogs scored touchdowns on six of their first seven possessions. While playing in the first half only, McGarvie went 17-for-22 with 220 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a 17-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Two of McGarvie’s scoring tosses went to tight end John Goodwin (10 and 27 yards, respectively) and the other went to tight end Daylan Russell (14 yards).
The Lincoln North Star High School product continues to add to his school record numbers. In 30 career collegiate games, McGarvie has thrown for 6,899 yards and 57 touchdowns while completing 57.4 percent (586-for-1,021) of his passes. By season, McGarvie has turned in touchdown-to-interception ratios of 19-7 in 2021, 18-6 in 2022 and 17-10 in 2023.
McGarvie and the Bulldogs are getting set to host No. 10 Morningside at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Mustangs dropped their season opener, 48-45, to No. 19 Benedictine College (Kan.).
Tenth-ranked Mustangs topple Bulldogs with aerial onslaught
September 7, 2024
Tenth-ranked Morningside played like a team on a mission a week after falling in heartbreaking fashion while up against No. 19 Benedictine College (Kan.). On a perfect Saturday (Sept. 7) inside Bulldog Stadium, the Mustangs crashed the party and dealt the Concordia University Football team a 51-21 defeat. A first-possession scoring drive and an early pick-six put the Bulldogs in a 14-0 hole they never recovered from.
One week after mounting a 45-0 halftime lead over Waldorf, Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad experienced the other side of a decisive GPAC clash.
“It’s hard to digest,” Daberkow said. “You can’t shoot yourself in the foot against a good team like that. We didn’t play well enough to win. That’s what happens when you don’t against a good team. There’s a lot to think about and a lot to watch (on film). We’ll watch it and we’ll get better from it.”
With a veteran roster featuring a slew of returning All-GPAC players, Concordia believed this meeting with Morningside would be different. However, the Mustangs flexed their muscles on the road while showcasing their array of offensive weapons. Iowa Wesleyan transfer quarterback Zack Chevalier especially favored throwing to Drew Sellon, who snared a school record 18 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Chevalier picked the Bulldogs apart for 481 yards while completing 44-of-57 passes. A back breaker came on Morningside’s second touchdown drive when it converted a third and 22, setting up a nine-yard touchdown toss from Chevalier to Sellon.
In the third quarter, Concordia began to establish a degree of offensive success it had hoped to showcase from the opening kick. Quarterback DJ McGarvie helped engineer a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown strike to Austin Jablonski on a fourth-and-goal play. Later in the third, running back Carlos Collazo carried Mustang defenders into the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run. The battering ram of a carry by Collazo polished off a nine-play, 72-yard drive.
The Bulldog defense did manage to force five second-half Morningside punts, but the outcome had largely been decided. The Mustangs added an exclamation point with a second pick-six. Landry Phipps corralled a deflected pass and tip-toed down the left sideline for a 27-yard interception return in the final quarter. Concordia had four-straight offensive possessions with the score stuck at 44-21.
There were a whopping 159 plays from scrimmage as both teams leaned on the pass. The Bulldog defense was forced to defend sideline to sideline against a Morningside attack that spreads the field and sprays passes horizontally to the boundaries. There were four Concordia players with double-digit tackle totals: Michael Grindey (13), Will Potratz (13), Grant Huss (10) and Nick Leader (10). Grindey also made 2.5 tackles for loss and came up with a sack. Defensive back Daylan Henson intercepted a pass and broke up another. While Morningside racked up the passing yardage, it ran for only 48 yards on 24 attempts.
It was an inefficient day for the Bulldog passing game. McGarvie went 18-for-44 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He was picked off three times (twice by Phipps). McGarvie has surpassed 7,000 career passing yards. Jablonski was Concordia’s leading receiver with nine grabs for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Adam Van Cleave registered four receptions for 43 yards. In the running game, Mark Arp carried 20 times for 78 yards and Collazo rushed 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown. The offense’s streak of six-straight games without allowing a sack ended as the Mustangs notched two sacks.
It was an active night for freshman punter Braxtyn Koch, who booted the ball nine times for an average of 38.0 yards per attempt. He had a long of 55. His work was a bright spot on an evening that saw the Bulldogs come up short of their expectations.
Said Daberkow, “It’s okay to sit in this a little bit and think about where we were so off. I told one of our linebackers that we’re going to find out a lot about our locker room after this. Regardless of the circumstances, we’re going to act a certain way. This will test that. I have all the confidence in the world that our guys will handle it with poise and get better from it.”
Morningside (1-1, 1-0 GPAC) had actually dropped four of its last five games (dating back to the end of 2023) coming into the evening. In the Mustangs’ pass-oriented offense, four different receivers caught at least seven passes on Saturday. Chevalier has already eclipsed 1,000 passing yards for the season in just two games.
The Bulldogs will hit the road for the first time in 2024 as they set their sights on next Saturday (Sept. 14)’s trek to Mitchell, S.D., for a clash with Dakota Wesleyan (0-2, 0-1 GPAC). In game No. 2 of the season, the Tigers were tripped up at home by Mount Marty, 24-17. Concordia will attempt to avenge last season’s 16-12 home defeat at the hands of DWU. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 13-11.
Arp, Collazo run wild as Dawgs trounce Tigers
September 14, 2024
While leaning upon the legs of Mark Arp and Carlos Collazo and the dominance of its veteran offensive line, the Concordia University Football team piled up more yardage than any other Bulldog edition ever has during the GPAC era (2000-present). The 641 total yards jumped off the page in what amounted to a 42-7 thumping of Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D., on Saturday (Sept. 14). Arp racked up more than 200 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns while Collazo passed the century mark and found the end zone twice.
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad moved to 2-1 on the season in acing its first road test of the 2024 season. In this outing, the Bulldogs scored 3:19 into the contest and owned the lead the rest of the way.
“Any time you can get a win on the road, you’ll take it,” Daberkow said. “I was proud of how we started – we started fast. We had a little lull in the middle of the first quarter and then turned it on. In the postgame locker room, we always nominate someone who had an obvious good game. Today our o-line did a great job. That’s where this game was decided – in the trenches. Any time you rush for 340, it’s a cumulative effort. I thought DJ (McGarvie) made good decisions, the o-line was blocking really well and Mark and Carlos did a great job.”
While taking ownership of the line of scrimmage, Concordia put together respective scoring drives that covered 75, 80, 87, 87, 80, 75 and 94 yards. The game’s opening possession was polished off when McGarvie fired a 12-yard touchdown strike to tight end Daylan Russell, who made a nifty grab on the sideline. The Bulldogs then turned to the ground game and got touchdown runs of 51 and four yards from Collazo to make it a comfortable 21-0 lead by halftime.
Concordia put its foot on the gas with three second-half touchdown totes from Arp, who totaled a career high 210 rushing yards. He carried the ball 32 times in a workhorse performance that also saw him catch two passes for 15 yards. The McCook, Neb., native Arp surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for his collegiate career. Meanwhile, Collazo needed only eight carries to churn out 116 yards. The Marquette, Neb., native has found the end zone in all three games this season. The Bulldogs are averaging 231.7 rushing yards per game behind an offensive line featuring Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel at the tackles, Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp at the guard spots and Jackson Anderson at center.
McGarvie enjoyed an efficient passing day as he completed 26-of-35 attempts for 309 yards and a touchdown (60th career touchdown pass). His favorite target was the All-American Austin Jablonski, who made nine grabs for 142 yards. In addition, Adam Van Cleave notched seven catches for 87 yards and tight end John Goodwin plucked three receptions for 45 yards. Concordia achieved a nice balance with 332 rushing yards and 309 passing yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs surrendered 370 yards but buckled down when it counted. Dakota Wesleyan (0-3, 0-2 GPAC) scored on only one of its three red zone trips. Tiger quarterback Carter Johnson finished 21-for-33 for 234 yards and a touchdown toss to Cole Holden. Four players led the Concordia defense with seven tackles apiece: Grant Huss, Luke Penrod, Jaden Seier and Kyle Sterup. Both Sterup and Devon Polley (strip sack and two tackles for loss) registered a sack. The fumble forced by Polley was recovered by Stephen Hughes and ended a red zone drive.
Said Daberkow, “I think the defense really held when they needed to today. On special teams, we gave them a couple of short fields that we probably shouldn’t have, and our defense really responded well in those moments. I was really proud of the defense. They bent, but they didn’t break.”
From a special teams perspective, Peyton Atwood nailed all six of his PATs and Braxtyn Koch punted twice for an average of 45.5 yards per attempt. One of Koch’s punts went 52 yards and settled out of bounds at the Dakota Wesleyan 6.
The contest marked the 25th all-time meeting between Concordia and Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs have the edge, 14-11, after avenging last season’s 16-12 nail-biter of a loss in Seward. The Tigers have a first-year head coach in Alex Kretzschmar, who replaced Ross Cimpl (now the DWU AD). DWU was coming off a heartbreaker of a 24-17 loss to in-state foe Mount Marty.
Next Saturday will bring another road trip as the Bulldogs look forward to taking on Briar Cliff (1-2, 1-1 GPAC) in Sioux City, Iowa. Kickoff from Memorial Field is slated for 1 p.m. CT. Concordia has won five-straight matchups with the Chargers and leads the all-time series, 18-3. Briar Cliff fell at Hastings, 44-35, in its week three outing.
Career best day leads to GPAC Player of the Week honors for Arp
September 16, 2024
A Concordia Bulldog has won two of the first three GPAC Offensive Player of the Week awards in 2024. On Monday (Sept. 16), the league office recognized senior running back Marp Arp as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Offensive Player of the Week. Arp has earned this award for the first time in his career. Quarterback DJ McGarvie pulled in the same recognition on Sept. 2.
A native of McCook, Neb., and McCook High School alum, Arp had previously rushed for more than 100 yards twice in his career. Running behind Concordia’s veteran offensive line, Arp elevated his game in last week’s 42-7 win at Dakota Wesleyan while carrying the ball 32 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Arp found the end zone once in the third quarter and twice in the fourth quarter. As part of the performance, Arp eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards (1,199) for his career.
Arp is the current GPAC leader with 357 rushing yards on the season (for an average of 119.0 per game). Arp and teammate Carlos Collazo are tied for the conference lead in rushing touchdowns with four apiece. The Bulldog ground attack is averaging 231.7 yards per game, ranking 10th nationally in that category.
Arp and his Concordia teammates will be back on the road this week to take on Briar Cliff (1-2, 1-1 GPAC). Saturday’s kickoff in Sioux City, Iowa, is set for 1 p.m. CT.
Bulldogs take ownership of line of scrimmage, bully Briar Cliff
September 21, 2024
Make it three utterly dominant victories in four outings for the Concordia University Football team. The Bulldogs found balance in the run and pass games on Saturday (Sept. 21) and bullied host Briar Cliff by a final score of 63-13 at Memorial Field in Sioux City, Iowa. DJ McGarvie whirled five touchdown tosses and sizzling running back Marp Arp found the end zone twice as part of the throttling. It started up front for a Concordia squad that piled up 479 more yards of total offense.
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad has put together back-to-back blowout wins on the road while moving to 3-1 overall (3-1 GPAC). The 63 points scored were the most ever by a Bulldog Football team in a GPAC conference game and the most for the program since a 64-0 win over Martin Luther in 1982.
“We put together a game plan and you want to be able to execute it. I thought our guys executed it really well,” Daberkow said. “We were able to run a lot of our stuff and felt good about it. We had very explosive second and third quarters. I think we’re a tough offense to defend. If teams really want to take away one thing, we can hit them with the other. We have a confident group in our ability to do that. It’s good to see it come together.”
One week after rattling off 641 yards of offense, Concordia was more efficient in terms of putting points on the board. The touchdown drives at Briar Cliff covered respective distances of 17, 19, 74, 12, 56, 69, 44 and 74 yards. An opportunistic defense set up the opening touchdown when linebacker Grant Huss picked off a pass. In adding an exclamation mark on the 35-point third-quarter outburst, Daylon Henson maneuvered his way into the end zone for a pick six. The Bulldogs’ ownership of the line of scrimmage combined with a plus-five turnover margin made it a long afternoon for Briar Cliff.
Kept comfortable by his veteran offensive line, McGarvie padded his school record career touchdown pass total (65 and counting) with scoring tosses of three and 12 yards to Daylan Russell, 11 and 50 yards to Austin Jablonski and 36 yards to Adam Van Cleave. The reigning GPAC Offensive Player of the Week Arp found paydirt from eight and 38 yards out as part of his 24-carry, 156-yard rushing effort. Arp entered the day as the GPAC’s leading rusher.
Said Daberkow, “Any time you score more than 60 points, your offensive line deserves credit. We really did a good job up front protecting our quarterbacks and we ran the ball well. To have 230 rushing and 250 passing is the balance we want to strike. I thought we could have done better on third down, but our fourth down efficiency was really good. We took some chances and went for it quite a bit on fourth down today.”
McGarvie finished 13-for-23 for 169 yards and five touchdown passes. He was later relieved by Gideon Stark (8-for-10 for 74 yards) and Camden Jensen (2-for-4 for six yards) as the score got out of hand. With Carlos Collazo sidelined (expected back next week), Jesse Herndon got carries as the No. 2 back and rushed 12 times for 49 yards and a touchdown. Jablonski pulled in five catches for 71 yards as he nears 2,000 career receiving yards. Van Cleave hauled in four receptions for 59 yards and Russell made six grabs for 42 yards. Russell has four touchdowns on the year. The Bulldogs averaged a healthy clip of 5.9 yards per rush and did not allow a sack.
As good as Concordia’s offensive line was, the d-line matched that play on the other side of the ball. The Briar Cliff rushing attack mustered only 1.7 yards per carry while faced with the likes of Carson Fehlhafer, Devon Polley and Kyle Sterup. Polley posted two sacks to lead a defense that recorded six sacks. Two fumbles were forced by Stephen Hughes while Deegan Barnes was credited with a team high 12 tackles. Tal Solo also registered seven tackles and a sack.
“Our defensive line really dominated the line of scrimmage today,” Daberkow said. “I was proud of their effort. I thought they really handled things. We held them to 61 yards rushing. That’s about as much as you can ask for. Defensive touchdowns are good for my soul. I love seeing those guys convert interceptions into touchdowns.”
Briar Cliff slumped to 1-3 (1-2 GPAC) with its one win being a 15-10 decision at Doane. The Chargers made it a competitive first quarter with Concordia by mounting a nine-play 75-yard drive that got them within one, 7-6. That’s when the wheels came off as the Bulldogs owned the second and third quarters by a combined score of 56-0. Briar Cliff got its two scores via a one-yard run by Matthew Mason and a three-yard rush by Gavin Dobson.
Through four games, Concordia is averaging 42.8 points per game and 489.0 yards per game, figures that would both shatter school records for a season. The previous high for points scored by the Bulldogs in a GPAC game came in 2021 when the Bulldogs toppled Briar Cliff, 61-21.
Following two weeks on the road, the Bulldogs will host No. 10 Dordt (2-0, 2-0 GPAC) on homecoming Saturday (Sept. 28). In this week’s action, the Defenders steamrolled Hastings, 58-0, at home. Dordt has won each of the past six series meetings with Concordia, including a 29-28 squeaker in Seward in 2022.
Homecoming clash with No. 9 Dordt results in defeat
September 28, 2024
For the second time this season, the Concordia University Football team came up short while hosting an NAIA top 10 ranked opponent. The Bulldogs kept within two scores for the majority of the sun-splashed homecoming (Sept. 28) clash but couldn’t overcome the power rushing attack of ninth-ranked Dordt, which held the ball for more than 40 minutes of game time. The Defenders used that run game and a two red zone stops on the defensive end in the process of claiming a 33-22 win inside Bulldog Stadium.
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad slipped to 3-2 a week after claiming a second straight blowout road win. Concordia continues to seek that elusive signature victory against one of the league’s powerhouse programs.
“You want to win that one – it’s tough,” Daberkow said. “You feel like you deserve to win when you’re working as hard as they’re working. This one stings, but we will rebound. I have a lot of trust in our resolve and no doubt about the leadership in our locker room … Dordt does a really good job with that triple option attack. It’s the only time you see it throughout the year. We felt really good about the plan today. At the end of the day, you have to make plays on money downs.”
The sequence at the end of the first half enabled the Defenders to construct a double-digit lead that they would maintain the rest of the way. Leading only 10-7 with less than five minutes remaining until halftime, Dordt marched 79 yards on nine plays and punctuated the possession with Kolson Kruse’s 17-yard touchdown toss to Kaden Harken. An interception with inside of minute until the break then set up a chip-shot field goal from Stephen Leinen. The visitors led 20-7 at the half.
Leinen wound up going 4-for-4 on field goal tries and put the game out of reach with a 35-yarder that made it 33-14 with 2:30 left in the game. Concordia never got back within one score in the second half despite some big plays from quarterback DJ McGarvie. He rushed 48 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter on a fourth and two. McGarvie also delivered a 74-yard touchdown strike to favorite target Austin Jablonski in the third quarter and later added a touchdown pass of 14 yards to tight end Daylan Russell.
The ability of the defense to force field goal tries gave the Bulldogs a fighting chance, but it spent a lot of the afternoon surrendering chunk plays in the run game. Nick Wellen carried the ball 17 times for 90 yards and a touchdown while the quarterback Kruse rushed for 76 yards. One of the biggest back breakers for Concordia came when a botched punt snap resulted in the Dordt punter rushing for a first down. Three plays later, Keenan Valverde raced 55 yards to the end zone, pushing the Defender lead to 27-7 late in the third quarter.
Dordt finished with a 492-376 advantage in total yards. The Bulldogs countered the strong Defender rushing attack with the nation’s leading rusher in Mark Arp. He toted the rock 25 times for 87 tough yards. Concordia managed to churn out 154 rushing yards with the help of McGarvie’s touchdown burst. In the passing game, McGarvie went 21-for-37 for 222 yards and two touchdowns (67 career touchdown passes). Jablonski reeled in seven grabs for 104 yards while eclipsing 2,000 receiving yards for his career. In addition, Adam Van Cleave snagged six receptions for 62 yards.
Defensively, safety Daylon Henson (pick-six last week at Briar Cliff) enjoyed another strong day in piling up a team high 11 tackles to go with two stops for loss and a forced fumble. Henson’s forced fumble (recovered by Nick Leader) ended a Dordt red zone threat in the opening quarter. Leader also notched 10 tackles and Grant Huss came up with an interception for the second straight week. At linebacker, Michael Grindey collected seven tackles (2.5 for loss) and a pass breakup. Kyle Sterup posted 1.5 tackles for loss.
An NAIA playoff qualifier last season, Dordt (3-0) remains undefeated on the season. The Defenders have won each of the past seven series meetings with Concordia. Dordt was actually ranked No. 3 in the NAIA in ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s latest SP+ rankings.
The Bulldogs had won each of their previous three homecoming games against ranked opponents. Said Daberkow, “I thought our guys played hard. Our guys fight. You can tell they love each other by how they play. I’m excited to get back to the drawing board and go work on Northwestern now. You want so badly for our guys to experience success together. I’m confident about our guys’ response to this. We’re going to continue to fight because that’s our character.”
Another stiff test awaits as the Bulldogs will be headed to Orange City, Iowa, next Saturday for a clash with No. 2 Northwestern (4-0, 4-0 GPPAC). The defending GPAC champion Red Raiders routed Doane, 31-7, in this week’s action. Northwestern has won each of the past seven series matchups with Concordia dating back to 2017.
Recent history was against the Concordia University Football team in its matchup with No. 2 Northwestern. The 2024 Bulldogs decided to write their own history. Behind a stifling defense that picked off four passes, Concordia stunned the defending GPAC champion Red Raiders, 29-17, inside a warm and blustery De Valois Stadium in Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday (Oct. 5). It’s a place the Bulldogs had not won since 2002. The result snapped Northwestern’s 20-game home winning streak.
The achievement marked the program’s most significant victory since Head Coach Patrick Daberkow was promoted prior to the start of the 2017 season. Concordia (4-2, 4-2 GPAC) led for the final 25 minutes of the second half and pulled off exactly the signature victory that had eluded it.
“We had things go our way today because we forced them to go our way,” Daberkow said. “Our players made plays in big moments. Big players make big plays in big games. This is a big game for us. To go do it on the road in an environment like this up here – it had been too long. We’re really excited about what happened today. I’m more excited about the locker room and how they handled the loss last week. I’m just proud of our guys. That was about as much fun as I’ve had in a postgame locker room. Singing The Doxology is always a lot more fun after a win.”
The upset became reality in large part because the Bulldogs enjoyed the upper hand at the line of scrimmage. Carson Fehlhafer proved nearly unblockable from his nose guard spot and the Concordia defense swelled with confidence as the afternoon wore on. The Bulldogs ultimately sealed the victory in the fourth quarter when safety Daylon Henson plucked his second interception of the day. Four plays later, Mark Arp found the end zone with 1:13 left for the game’s final points.
Weird and wacky things have happened in Orange City before (see the 2007 and 2013 games when Concordia thought it had Northwestern beat), but there would be no late heroics for the Red Raiders. They were beaten by a GPAC opponent other than Morningside for the first time since 2016. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs defeated a top 10 team for the first time since a 29-18 home victory over No. 7 Doane in 2017. It was Concordia’s first road win over a ranked team since 2014 (at No. 15 Sterling College).
Said Daberkow, “You talk about a team effort. With the way the wind was today and how it shifted, it seemed like it was in our face every quarter. That factors in on special teams. We made some big stops on defense. Going for the score (in the fourth quarter) was an aggressive move, but I loved it.
“It’s really encouraging to think about what we’ve been through so far this season. To add a win against the No. 2 team on the road is great for the playoff resume. We go into the bye week with some big things ahead of us. We’re really excited.”
In order to make it happen, Concordia had to respond to an early gut punch when it went three-and-out and Northwestern proceeded to march 75 yards on 13 plays while going up 7-0 on Logan Meyer’s four-yard touchdown rush. From that point on, Fehlhafer and company wreaked havoc. All-American running back Konner McQuillan managed only 43 yards on 13 carries and the Red Raider rushing attack was stonewalled – 52 yards and an average of 1.7 yards per rush. Northwestern did not gain a single first down for the entirety of the third quarter.
Though the Red Raiders had to replace NAIA Player of the Year Jalyn Gramstad this season, their quarterbacks had entered this game with a 9-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That statistic changed dramatically on Saturday as each of the Bulldog safeties nabbed at least one pick: Henson (two), Luke Penrod and Jaden Seier. All of them were crippling – the first ending a red zone drive, the second leading to an Arp touchdown, the third setting up a DJ McGarvie touchdown pass and the fourth putting Concordia in position for the game clinching score.
Offensively, the Bulldogs totaled 320 yards. McGarvie found both Austin Jablonski (nine yards) and Adam Van Cleave (19 yards) for a touchdown apiece. In addition, Arp ran for 85 yards and two scores on 27 bruising carries. McGarvie went 17-for-27 for 173 yards through the air and was not sacked as part of another strong showing for a veteran offensive line. Jablonski hauled in seven receptions for 106 yards and Van Cleave made five grabs for 48 yards. The one Concordia turnover (a fumbled handoff) did not hurt as Northwestern misfired on a 39-yard field goal.
The defense limited the potent Red Raider offense to 253 total yards (11 first downs). The one major gaffe resulted in a 67-yard touchdown pass from Colby Duncan to Austyn Gerard (putting the home team within 17-14 in the fourth quarter). The Bulldog D was led by nine tackles (two for loss) from linebacker Nick Leader. Fellow backers Michael Grindey and Grant Huss were credited with a sack apiece. At the line of scrimmage, Devon Polley made two tackles for loss in teaming up with standouts in Fehlhafer and Kyle Sterup.
On special teams, Braxtyn Koch punted 10 times for an average of 37.5 yards per attempt. Only one of his punts was returned and he landed a 46-yarder out of bounds at the Northwestern 6. Meanwhile, Peyton Atwood booted a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter to give Concordia a 10-7 lead at the time.
The Bulldogs will have a bye next week as they prepare for their next outing on Saturday, Oct. 19. On that date, Concordia will be in Crete, Neb., for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff with rival Doane. The Tigers slipped to 1-5 (1-4 GPAC) with their loss at No. 8 Dordt, 38-3, on Saturday. The Bulldogs have taken three of the past four meetings with Doane.
With four games remaining in the regular season, Concordia has caught the attention of national observers and could even crack next week’s NAIA top 25. For now, Daberkow, his staff and players are going to enjoy this one.
Added Daberkow, “I'm just proud to be part of Bulldog Nation. I'm very excited for our players and our alums. There are a lot of guys who graduated last year, two years ago and 18 years ago that I wish could be part of this today. They all are in their own way. It's just really fun to see it come together.”
Fehlhafer awarded NAIA National and GPAC weekly honors following momentous win
October 7, 2024
One of the ringleaders that spurred the upset of No. 2 Northwestern, junior Carson Fehlhafer has been honored with major awards. On Monday (Oct. 7), the NAIA recognized Fehlhafer as the NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week while the GPAC league office named Fehlhafer the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week. Fehlhafer joins teammates Mark Arp and DJ McGarvie as the third Concordia University Football player to earn a GPAC Player of the Week award this season. Fehlhafer is the program's first NAIA National Player of the Week since D'Mauria Martin in October 2017.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Fehlhafer wreaked havoc upon the Red Raider offense. He registered eight tackles, three sacks and a pass breakup in the 29-17 victory in Orange City, Iowa, that sent shockwaves throughout the NAIA football world. From his nose guard spot, the Utica, Neb., native played a major role in the Concordia defense limiting Northwestern to 253 total yards, including only 52 on the ground (1.7 yards per rush). The pressure generated by Fehlhafer also helped cause Red Raider quarterbacks to throw four interceptions.
Also a national qualifying thrower in track & field, Fehlhafer leads the Bulldogs with five sacks this season. For his career, he has logged 71 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
Fehlhafer and the Bulldogs (4-2, 4-2 GPAC) have a bye this week. They will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 19 for a rivalry matchup at Doane.
In the trenches: veteran lines key to growth of Bulldog Football
October 10, 2024
Skill players such as DJ McGarvie, Austin Jablonski and Mark Arp have earned their share of the spotlight for the Concordia University, Nebraska Football program. It’s well-deserved considering the McGarvie-to-Jablonski connection has been as fruitful as any quarterback-to-receiver combination in the history of the program. Simultaneously, the big guys up front have worked in the shadows, progressing year-by-year while becoming physically and emotionally mature enough to not just handle the rigors of trench play in the GPAC – but to thrive.
The cohesion is obvious for an offensive line that includes a pair of sixth-year guys, Toby Hager and Christian Schlepp. On both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Bulldogs are teeming with experience, depth and strength. It’s no wonder Concordia has outnumbered its opponents in sacks, 18-2, through the season’s first six games.
If the Bulldogs were to realize their lofty goals of becoming NAIA playoff contenders in 2024, their success was going to start up front. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow told you so prior to the start of the season. As Daberkow said back in July, “Any time you have success on offense, you have to think about your offensive line. All those guys are coming back. To have them back is the biggest advantage in our program. We have work to do still, but we’re very confident in our ability to accomplish our goals because of our offensive line.”
Line-of-scrimmage superiority carried the day last week at No. 2 Northwestern as the Bulldogs earned the type of signature win they have worked desperately hard to secure. Up against an NAIA superpower, Concordia won the rushing battle nearly 3-to-1 (147 to 52 yards) and registered five sacks to the Red Raiders’ none. The constant pressure put on by nose guard Carson Fehlhafer (three sacks) and company played a role in Northwestern quarterbacks throwing four critical interceptions. In another ‘prove-it game,’ the Bulldogs finally did just that.
Such an exhilarating win (arguably the program’s most significant since the 2001 GPAC championship season) would not have been possible without the leaps that have been made up front. Three years ago, when many of the current veterans were just young pups, the Bulldogs averaged 314.6 yards and 23.6 points per game. Those numbers have spiked to 443.8 yards and 37.0 points in 2024 – and that’s with Concordia having played the league’s three teams currently ranked in the NAIA top 10.
Offensive line coach Grady Koch has seen the development up close. Says Koch, “The group of guys have grown a ton in their four, five and six years in the program. They are an extremely unselfish, tough, team-first group that works extremely hard as a whole. With all of the reps they have taken, they have become very football smart and are really good at talking and thinking things through. What has helped them be so successful is that they are a group that plays extremely hard and extremely physical regardless of situation.”
The veteran offensive line starts a senior (fourth year or otherwise) at all five spots: Cohen Carpenter and Blake Schlegel at the tackles, Tyler Walford and Christian Schlepp at the guard spots and Jackson Anderson at center. Those five players have opened each of the first six games while Hager has been a regular in the rotation. In certain short yardage situations, the Bulldogs will employ their “Rhino Package” that places nine offensive linemen on the field at once. Concordia has additional seniors in its two deep in Brevin Damrow, Nathan Miller and Seth Moore.
Daberkow described the intricacies of each of the individual parts of the offensive line. As discussed by Daberkow, the “scrappy” Schlepp was an accomplished high school wrestler in the state of Kansas who has used a redshirt and a ‘COVID exemption.’ Walford is a rock at left guard who “tries to be grumpy but you know he’s not.” Anderson is the “brains of the operation,” Carpenter (undersized but savvy) was a key transfer and a coach’s son while the 6-foot-6 Schlegel is the biggest of the bunch and someone who has developed that necessary mean streak. The staff’s confidence in the unit goes beyond the starting five.
Many of the key cogs were starters – or two-deep contributors – by 2022. At the time, the offense was just beginning to take strides towards becoming a strength of the team. The 2021 squad that went 7-3 was built on a defense that featured All-American linebacker Lane Napier. Three years later, Concordia is a well-balanced team with units that complement one another.
Says the Bruning, Neb., native and farm strong Schlegel of the progression, “There were some struggles (early) and then all of a sudden we all started to click. The last couple years we’ve had the same guys. It’s been nice to kind of develop as one. We all hang out and stuff in our off time. I think that helps out chemistry-wise. It’s just awesome what we’ve been able to accomplish. Without the D-line, Fehlhafer, Sterup and Polley, it wouldn’t happen – especially the scout guys too. They are the ones who help us get better every day.”
At right tackle, Schlegel has become “one of the most ferocious guys on the field,” according to Daberkow. The ferocity in the run game and the steadiness in pass protection has helped fuel the offense. Not only has the offense’s scoring skyrocketed, the line play has kept McGarvie clean in the pocket. Dating back to last season, Concordia has held its opponents without a sack in 10 of its last 11 games.
While McGarvie has pushed his all-time school passing records to 69 touchdowns and 7,923 yards, Arp ranks among the nation’s leading rushers with 696 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. The offensive line has shown the versatility to play smash mouth football and to operate in a spread attack that makes use of the talents on the outside of Jablonski, Adam Van Cleave and company.
The prospects of being part of something special in 2024 are why Schlepp made use of yet another year. Wins like the one at Northwestern make the grind worth it. Says Schlepp, “I am very blessed and happy that I decided to come back for a sixth season. I love the culture, environment and my teammates here at Concordia. For us to be able to be as successful as we have been so far this year is a true testament to our hard work these past few years. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my collegiate football career anywhere else.”
As Koch has worked to build up one of the better Concordia offensive lines in the GPAC era, the defensive staff that includes coordinator Corby Osten, position coach Ron Jackson and others has done the same on the other side of the ball. Of the six players on the defensive line two deep, five are seniors, including Polley and Sterup, in addition to Stephen Hughes, Reed McFadden and Tal Solo. Sterup and Polley have continued to rack up tackles in the backfield as Fehlhafer eats up blockers on the interior.
Said Daberkow, “Sterup and Polley get a lot of the stats. Carson takes on all the double and triple teams. I don’t think people realize how hard you have to work to have three sacks as a nose guard. It’s incredible, honestly. Then you have guys like Stephen Hughes, Reed McFadden and Joe Kahrs who have just put their time in and have owned their roles. They’ve been ready when their names were called. It’s just been fun to coach them.”
This past summer, Sterup made mention of the many times he and Schlegel have gone head-to-head in practice. If you can run it on this defensive line, you are likely to be able to run it on most anybody. Sterup and company have limited three of their first six opponents to 55 or fewer rushing yards. Only high-powered Dordt has run for more than 135 yards on the stout Bulldog defensive front.
This past Saturday might have been the group’s best effort yet. Northwestern All-American running back Konner McQuillan managed only 43 yards on 13 carries.
Sterup gives a lot of credit to Coach Jackson and added, “We have so much depth here. I came in with Tal and Devon. Us three were freshmen who would play with the varsity our freshman year. We didn’t have to really do scout. I’m extremely close with those two. We’ve built such a great culture for the defensive line. We had nine guys here this summer working three days a week out on the field. It’s a culture thing throughout the entire locker room. We’ll have 40 guys out here for seven-on-seven. That wasn’t a thing four years ago. This team has a different feeling than when I got here.”
The feeling of reaching the bye week at 4-2, fresh off the Northwestern one is a pretty good one. As Schlegel commented, “It was super exciting. It was great to see everyone share in such a good team win. Everyone had a smile on their face. It was a great atmosphere. The bus ride home was a different experience than I’ve ever had. It was so much fun.”
That being said, there are four games remaining in the regular season and Concordia can’t afford to get caught looking past anyone. After responding to early adversity this season, the Bulldogs now are tasked with responding to success. The coaching staff seems to be confident in what that response will look like.
“This group has been an absolute joy to coach and be around as they are extremely tight-knit,” Koch said. “They genuinely enjoy being around each other and have a lot of fun with each other. They are super receptive to feedback and have a ton of productive questions. Older guys have done a very good job of setting a standard and helping the younger guys as they transition into our program.”
As Daberkow added of the offensive and defensive line groups, “It’s been fun to see how the football program has affected them personally over the years and how they’ve affected the football program. It’s been cool.”
Concordia Football Wins over NAIA Top 15 Opponents, GPAC era
10/5/24 – Won at No. 2 Northwestern, 29-17 (away).
9/23/17 – Won vs. No. 7 Doane, 29-18 (home).
9/6/14 – Won at No. 15 Sterling, 21-15 (away).
10/13/12 – Won vs. No. 11 Northwestern, 17-16 (home).
9/4/03 – Won at No. 15 Doane, 21-17 (away).
11/17/01 – Won vs. No. 13 St. Ambrose, 31-26 (home); NAIA playoffs.
10/27/01 – Won at No. 14 Doane, 14-3 (away).
9/15/01 – Won at No. 8 Sioux Falls, 17-14 (away).
9/16/00 – Won vs. No. 7 Sioux Falls, 43-24 (home).