2004 Concordia Cobbers Football Gameday Recap

	2004 Concordia Football Line Score
	Cobbers vs. Knights Teams 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Wartburg 7 0 7 0 14 Concordia 7 7 7 7 28  First meeting between the two teams.

Game 11 (NCAA 1st Round): Wartburg Knights (8-2) at Concordia College Cobbers (10-0) 
Location: Jake Christiansen Stadium - Moorhead, Minn.
Kickoff: Noon
Radio: Live on "The Fan" 1280AM in the F-M area. Larry Knutson doing the play-by-play. Live on KWAR radio in the Waverly area with Andy Pollock and Terry Goetzinger doing the broadcast. 
Internet: www.gocobbers.com
Tickets: Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students. All tickets are general admission. You can contact the Concordia athletic office at 218-299-4434 for advance ticket sales. Football tickets go on sale and the gates open at 11:00pm for the Noon kickoff. The stadium has a seating capacity of 7,000 and has ample room for standing. There has never been a sellout. 
Last Week: Concordia beat Menlo 30-0 (Recap). Warburg beat Dubuque 37-7 (Recap). 
Rankings: Concordia finished the regular seasonranked in the top five in the country. The Cobbers are currently ranked 4th in the latest Don Hansen Football Gazette poll. They are also ranked 4th in the D3football.com poll and 6th in the AFCA poll; Wartburg is ranked 31st in the Don Hansen Football Gazette poll and among "others receiving votes" in the D3football.com and AFCA polls. 
Don Hansen Football Gazette - D3football.com - AFCA

WARTBURG

CONCORDIA

Rick Willis is in his eighth season as head coach of the Wartburg Knights. He took over the reigns in 1997. His seven-year record of 72-13 ranks him in the top five among winningest active coaches percentage-wise in NCAA Division III. A 59-7 run in the IIAC over the past six seasons and conference championships in 2004, 2003, 2002 and 1999 are included in that mark. The 1999 and 2003 seasons are crown jewels for Willis' staff as he led the Knights to 10-0 records. Willis earned IIAC and West Region Coach of the Year honors following the 1999 season. 

Wartburg's main offensive weapon is running back Dan Hammes. Hammes has gained 1,016 yards on the season on 189 carries. He has ran for over 100 yards in three of the team's last four games. Last week he scored three touchdowns in the Knights' title-clinching victory over Dubuque. 

As a team, Wartburg has rushed for over 200 yards in the last four games. They have only been held under 150 yards of rushing three times this season - they lost two of those. Against Buena Vista, Wartburg was held to a season-low 84 yards in rushing and lost 17-14. In their other loss, a 31-14 defeat at the hands of Loras, the Knights gained only 126 yards on the ground. In the three games they were held to under 150 yards in rushing, the Knights averaged 16.3 points. In the seven games Wartburg gained over 150 yards on the ground, they averaged 30.4 points per game. 

The Concordia defense led the MIAC in rushing yardage allowed per game and was ranked eighth nationally against the run. The Cobber defensive front has been the toughest in the league against the run all year long. They have consistently shut down the top runners in the league and completely neutralized opposing offenses. Against St. Thomas' premiere back, Walter Dosh, the Cobbers held him to a mere 33 yards. Facing Wade Thompson of Carleton, Concordia stifled the Knight king for only 11 yards, and against perennial league champion St. John's, the Concordia Clobber Crew held their #1 back Corey Weber to 21 yards (he did leave the game with a separated shoulder in the first quarter). 

Wartburg has a two-pronged offensive attack. Running back Dan Hammes carries the weight of the offense. He has gained 1,046 yards on the year and averages just under 100 yards per game. Quarterback Reed Hoskins can beat teams through the air. Hoskins has thrown for more than 1,700 yards on the season. His favorite target is Chris Winter who is among the national leaders in receptions per game. Defensively, the Knights led the IIAC in scoring defense (15.8 pts/game) and total defense (261.8 yds/g). They are led by defensive lineman Noah Junge who was second in the IIAC in sacks. Brian McIntire leads the team in tackles with 68. 

Andrew Passanante is ranked 11th in receiving yards per game (103.7). He did however slide out of the national rankings in receptions per game. Quarterback Brian Schumacher led the MIAC in passing efficiency and is 14th (153.4) in the nation. The defensive duo of Jordan Talge and Josh Dietz are still ranked in the top 20. Talge is tied for fifth in interceptions per game (0.8) and tied for 13th in passes defended (1.7). Dietz finished the regular season 20th in solo tackles per game (6.5).

Cobber kicker Brian Halverson is the last individual to finish the regular season on the national charts. He is tied for 11th in field goals per game (1.1). 

As a team, Concordia is ranked fifth in total defense (218.9), seventh in scoring defense (10.8), eighth against the run (72.8) and 12th in pass efficiency defense (83.2). On offense, the Cobbers are 32nd in rushing offense (232.5) and tied for 32nd in scoring offense (34.0).

Wartburg has three players ranked in the top 35 in the nation. The Knights have one offensive player, one defensive player and one special teams player on the national charts. Punter Mark Giesmann is ranked 11th in punt average (40.0). Defensive end Noah Junge is tied for 30th in sacks (1.0), and wide receiver Chris Winter is tied for 33rd in receptions per game (6.1). 

The Knights are ranked in four different defensive categories. The check-in at 19th in pass efficiency defense (87.3). They are also 26th in total defense (261.8), 29th in total defense (15.8) and tied for 31st against the run (105.0). Turnover margin is the only other category the Knights show up in the national rankings. Wartburg is tied for 29th with a +0.9 mark.

Cobbers vs. Knights News and Notes

Cobber News and Notes
Playoff Pedigree
The Cobbers are making their first overall postseason appearance since 1997, when they lost to Augsburg in the first round 34-22 in the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. It will be the fourth time that Concordia will play in the NCAA playoffs and eighth overall playoff appearance. The Cobbers won the NAIA national championship in 1964, 1978 and 1981. The farthest they have ventured in the NCAA playoffs is the semifinal round. In 1986, Concordia lost to Augustana (Ill.) in the Division III semifinals. The last time a playoff game was played at Jake Christiansen Stadium was 1986 when the Cobbers played Central College (Iowa) in an NCAA quarterfinal game. Concordia prevailed in that game 17-14.

Cobber Clobber Crew
Concordia’s defense ended the regular season by allowing an MIAC low 10.8 points per game. The Cobbers posted two shutouts on the season, and only allowed 13 total points in their last three games of the year. The two-shutout season marks the first time Concordia has had more than one shutout in a season since the 1997 campaign when they also recorded two blankings.

No Take at the Jake
Concordia has turned Jake Christiansen Stadium into one of the toughest places to play in the MIAC - if not the Midwest portion of the DIII West Region. In 2004, Concordia is a perfect 4-0 at "The Jake". They are the only team in the MIAC that did not lose at home. St. Thomas, St. Olaf and Bethel lost only one game at home this season. The tie that binds the Tommies and Oles home seasons together is the fact that the Cobbers were the only team to beat both of those two teams at home. 

In the past two seasons, Concordia has posted a 7-1 at "The Jake". In the past three years, the mark grows to 10-2. 

Steady Eddy II
Ed Oehlers quietly established himself as one of the premiere backs in the conference in 2004. Oehlers finished the season by scoring two touchdowns against Menlo. He scored at least one TD in the team’s last five games and ended the year by scoring a total of 10 touchdowns. 

Second Half Sensational
Concordia outscored their opponents 173-50 in the second half of their 10 games this season. The Cobbers held a 96-27 edge in the third quarter and a 77-23 margin in the final quarter. In the last three games of the year, Concordia only allowed six points and an average of only 97.3 yards of total offense in the second half. In the decisive third quarter during those games, the Cobbers did not yield a point and gave up only 39.0 yards of total offense.

Record Watch!
Several Cobbers are close to leaving their names in the Concordia football record book. Four years ago the NCAA decided to allow playoff statistics to count in the record book, so the record watch is still on for a handful of Concordia players. Here is a capsule summary:
- Concordia senior wide receiver Andrew Passanante (Hawley, Minn.) had three catches for 49 yards against Menlo. That total put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He is only the second Cobber in program history to record over 1,000 passing yards in a single season. Passanante has 60 catches for 1,037 yards in 2004. 

He led the MIAC in receptions and receiving yards per game. Passanante now sets his sights on head coach Terry Horan who holds the school record for receiving yards in a season. Horan had 72 catches for 1,132 yards in 1987. Passanante needs 96 yards to break Horan’s record. 

- Cobber quarterback Brian Schumacher (Jr., Thompson, N.D.) finished second in total offense in the MIAC in 2004. He finished the regular season with 2,163 total offensive yards this season. He needs 134 yards to break Ryan Hebrink’s (’04) school record for total offensive yards in a single season.  Hebrink, who was a three-time, All-MIAC quarterback and owns the school mark for total offensive yards in a career, set the record of 2,296 yards last season. Schumacher led the MIAC in pass efficiency and was fifth in rushing.

- Jordan Talge (Sr., Moorhead, Minn.) finished the regular season with eight interceptions on the year. That ties him Todd Twete (’90) for most interceptions in a single season. Twete had eight interceptions in 1989. Talge has 16 career interceptions and needs one more “pick” to tie Terry Storm’s (’87) record of 17.  Talge led the MIAC in overall interceptions and passes defended. 

- Senior linebacker Josh Dietz (Sr., Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) is nearing the school record for solo tackles and total tackles in a single season. After Dietz' 12-tackle performance against Menlo, he finished the regular season with 65 solo tackles and 107 total. The school record for solo tackles in a season is 69, which is held by Shayne Lindsay. Lindsay set that mark in 1990. The mark for total tackles is 126 held by Dave Benson, who set the record in 1989. 

- Junior kicker Brian Halverson (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) tied the school record for field goals in a season on Friday night. Halverson knocked home his 11th field goal of the season when he connected on a 38-yarder against Menlo.  He tied the record held by Chris Reimertz (’91), who made 11 field goals in 1989 and 1990. 

Halverson led the MIAC in scoring by a kicker (71 pts.), field goals (11), field goal percentage (78.6) and extra point percentage (95.0). He was 4-for-4 in field goals under 30 yards, 6-for-8 from 30 to 39 yards out and 1-for-2 from beyond 40 yards. His longest field goal of the year was a 40-yarder against St. John’s. 
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Knights News and Notes
(Courtesy of the Wartburg SID)

Knight Recap
Wartburg has a four-game win string in tow going into the weekend. Head coach Rick Willis’ squad earned the program’s 10th Iowa Conference title and third in a row with a 37-7 win over the University of Dubuque Nov. 13. 
Sophomore running back Dan Hammes of Sigourney is the top rusher for the offense with 976 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 regular season contests. He needs just 24 yards Saturday to mark the fifth consecutive season of at least one 1,000-yard rusher for the Knights. Senior Andy Parker of Bettendorf is close behind with 685 yards and six touchdowns.

Passing Prowess
Junior quarterback Reed Hoskins of Grinnell, already the single-season record holder in passing yardage after a breakout sophomore campaign of 2,685 yards and 24 touchdowns, has thrown for 1,734 yards and 13 touchdowns this fall. Senior wide receiver Chris Winter of New Hampton is his favorite target with back-to-back 10-plus reception games to conclude the regular season and 55 total catches for 734 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Brandon Vinzant of Nevada has come along late in the year for 15 catches and 287 yards as has junior Mike Hachey of Hiawatha with 14 catches for 212 yards. Thirteen receivers have been included in Wartburg’s aerial attack during the year.
 

Delayed Defense
The Knights defense, after surrendering 31 points in a 31-14 loss to Loras in week six and 27 points to Coe in a key 34-27 win in week seven, has been tough to handle the past three contests allowing only 24 total points. Senior defensive back Brian McIntire of Clear Lake leads the team in tackles with 68 to go along with two sacks, three interceptions, four pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and a forced fumble. Junior linebacker Alex Pollock of Parkersburg is second in tackles (66), while the defensive line tandem of senior tackle Brad Culbertson of Buffalo Center and junior end Noah Junge of Van Horne has combined for 25 tackles for losses and 16 and a half sacks. 

The Third Time is a Charm
Wartburg secured its third consecutive postseason bid and Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title Nov. 13 with a 37-7 victory over the University of Dubuque at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly. The victory over the Spartans, coupled with a Coe win at Buena Vista, helped the Knights earn the automatic playoff bid. 
“This season started off rough. We had a few games where things didn’t go our way and it was looking a little bleak,” Winter said. “We stuck together and came together as a team, tight as a fist like we’ve been saying all year long. We came together today and played real well, got a little help from Coe and now we’re going on to the playoffs. It’s a great feeling.” 

After a couple of losses early into the conference schedule, Wartburg needed to win four consecutive games and hope for Buena Vista to lose three of its final four in order to go to the playoffs. 

“It says a lot about our team and the seniors especially. They really persevered, battled and found a way to get it done,” Willis said. “There’s no question it’s special [...] That’s what it’s all about - hanging in their and fighting through things when they don’t go your way. This team has certainly done that.” 

Against Dubuque, the Knight offense started off firing on all cylinders. Wartburg scored touchdowns in its first three drives to jump out to a 20-0 lead six seconds into the second quarter. 

Wartburg’s first two scoring drives were capped off with five and one-yard touchdown runs from Hammes. Wartburg’s third score came on a 10-yard pass from Hoskins to Vinzant. The Knights ended the first half with a 37-yard field goal kick by senior placekicker Jordan Maus of Davenport that moved him into a tie for the career record. 

In the second half, the Knights offense continued to have its way. Wartburg’s ground attack added two more touchdowns, capped off with a 20-yard run from Hammes and a 36-yard run by Parker. Dubuque got on the scoreboard with the game’s final scoring drive as quarterback Will Hewlett connected with receiver Daunta Peterson for a 28-yard strike. 

Wartburg’s offensive attack netted 234 yards rushing and 265 yards passing. Hammes was the team’s leading rusher earning 94 yards and three touchdowns. Winter led the Knight receiving corps with 11 catches for 152 yards. 

“It was just like last week when we opened it up against Cornell. We decided to get the ball in the air early against these guys,” Winter said. “We thought we could make some plays and take advantage of the way they were going to cover us and we did that. In the first half we made some big plays and got ourselves where we wanted to be.”

The Knight defense also turned in an impressive performance, surrendering only 104 total net yards of offense. Senior defensive back Jake Burns of Starmont tallied two interceptions for 27 yards to lead the secondary. The Knight linebackers and defensive line also put a lot of pressure on Hewlett with six sacks.

To the Victor
Saturday’s winner meets the winner of the Occidental (Calif.)-Willamette (Ore.) game in a second round playoff contest at a site and time to be determined Saturday, Nov. 27.

The rest of the western half of the national bracket features UW-La Crosse hosting St. Norbert Saturday with the winner advancing to a second-round game at Linfield (Ore.) next weekend.