No. 20 Concordia Spoil Warriors’ Season Finale

FREMONT, Neb. – The No. 20-ranked Concordia University Bulldogs scored 38 unanswered points to defeat Midland University, 45-13, Saturday afternoon at Heedum Field in Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) football action. Trailing the Warriors 13-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs exploded for 31 points in the third quarter to seize control of the regular season finale.

Midland began the game strong, receiving the opening kickoff and quickly advancing the ball. On the fourth play, Tyson Denkert rushed for 11 yards, aided by a 15-yard face-mask penalty, placing the Warriors at Concordia's 35-yard line. Denkert added another 11-yard run to push the drive to the Bulldogs' 19-yard line, but the Warriors stalled, turning the ball over on downs after a fourth-down pass fell short.

Concordia struggled early, managing just five plays on their opening drive before punting. Midland's offense resumed at its own 40-yard line and showed promise, with Tim Brown's 23-yard rush and a 26-yard run by Denkert. However, a holding penalty negated the latter. Despite a 14-yard reception by Anthony McPhee, the Warriors failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs at the Concordia 24-yard line.

The Bulldogs' next drive ended in a punt, but Concordia recovered a costly fumble by Denkert on the return at Midland's nine-yard line as the first quarter ended. Concordia capitalized on the turnover two plays later, with Carlos Collazo scoring on a four-yard run. Peyton Atwood's extra point made it 7-0 early in the second quarter.

Midland's ensuing drive quickly turned disastrous when Concordia's Daylon Henson recovered a fumbled option pitch at the Warriors' 28-yard line. Midland's defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs to keep the Bulldogs from scoring.

The Warriors responded with a strong offensive sequence. A 23-yard pass from Teryn Berry to Kevin Adams Jr. and a 41-yard connection between Jacob Jones and Tim Brown set up a two-yard touchdown run by Denkert. Cameron Spicer's extra point tied the game, 7-7, with 9:21 remaining in the half.

Midland's defense continued to hold, forcing a short punt from Concordia. The Warriors seized the opportunity, advancing downfield with key completions from Berry to Tae Marks. Berry capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Marks, though a penalty on the play pushed the extra point back, resulting in a missed kick. Midland led 13-7 at halftime.

The third quarter belonged entirely to Concordia. Receiving the second-half kickoff, the Bulldogs quickly drove into scoring range, with a 38-yard field goal from Atwood narrowing Midland's lead to 13-10. The Warriors' subsequent drive stalled, and Concordia capitalized with a pair of explosive plays: a 31-yard run by Collazo and a 35-yard touchdown pass from D.J. McGarvie to Austin Jablonski, putting the Bulldogs ahead 17-13.

Midland's fortunes unraveled as Berry threw interceptions on consecutive drives, leading to two quick Bulldog touchdowns—a three-yard run by Mark Arp and a 53-yard pass from McGarvie to John Goodwin. Concordia extended their lead to 31-13 with 5:37 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs added another touchdown late in the quarter following a second interception, with Arp scoring on a two-yard run to make it 38-13 entering the fourth.

Now battling against time and momentum, Midland's offense struggled to regain footing. A promising drive ended with a turnover on downs, while the defense held Concordia to a punt. Late in the game, the Bulldogs put the final stamp on the contest, as Jablonski broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run. Atwood's extra point secured the 45-13 final score.

Midland turned the ball over five times in the game and could not find its rhythm after the first half. The loss concludes the Warriors' season, while the Bulldogs head into postseason play with momentum.

"I haven't been through a third quarter like the one we had today, in a long time", said head coach Jeff Jamrog. "They gained momentum, we turned it over a couple of times, and just couldn't bounce back".

Concordia rushed the ball 45 times for 232 yards. Through the air, the Bulldogs completed 11-of-15 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Concordia ran a total of 60 plays for 399 yards of total offense.

Midland ran the ball 34 times for 117 yards. The Warriors completed 21-of-42 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown, but three interceptions. Midland ran a total of 76 plays for 345 yards of total offense.

Individually, D.J. McGarvie completed 11-of-14 passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Mark Arp rushed the ball 25 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Austin Jablonski had six carries for 56 yards and a score. Carlos Collazo rushed the ball five times for 38 yards and a touchdown. Jablonski also hauled in six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. John Goodwin recorded just one reception, but it went for a 53-yard touchdown.

Defensively, Kyle Sterup and Grant Huss led the Bulldogs with 10 tackles, each. Sterup had 1.5 tackles for loss. Huss also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, one of which was a sack. Michael Grindey had seven tackles and half a tackle for loss. Daylon Henson recorded six tackles, one for a loss, one fumble recovery, one interception, and three pass break-ups. Will Potratz had three tackles and a pass breakup. Devon Polley had two tackles, half a tackle for a loss, plus an interception. Dylan Smith also recovered a fumble.

For Midland, Teryn Berry completed 20-of-40 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown, but three interceptions. Tyson Denkert carried the ball 20 times for 74 yards and a touchdown. Tim Brown caught five passes for 71 yards. Tae Marks also had five receptions for 56 yards and a score.

Treden Davis-Reed led the Warriors' defense with eight tackles, 1.5 for loss. Braxton Bates had five tackles, 1.5 for loss.

Concordia will await the announcement of the NAIA Championship Series field on Sunday night, to learn if they have qualified for the postseason. Midland wraps up the season with a winning record for the ninth straight year under Coach Jamrog.

 "I'm very proud of the seniors that stepped on the field for the final time today," said Jamrog. "We didn't finish this like we wanted, but the time and effort put forth by these student-athletes will turn them into very productive men, husbands, and fathers in the future. This is a tough place to win. To record a winning record for the ninth straight year is something we should be very proud of, moving forward."