ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia University football team, faced with the sixth-strongest schedule in NCAA Division II football during the 2009 season, faces one more tough test this Saturday, November 7 when they host Bemidji State University, the seventh-ranked team in NCAA Super Region 3 at 1:00 p.m. The Beavers are fighting for the sixth and final playoff spot this Saturday and must win to have a chance at the postseason or a Mineral Water Bowl invitation. The Golden Bears, meanwhile, will be hunting for head coach Mark Mauer's school record-tying 33rd career victory and their first-ever win at Sea Foam Stadium. WEEKLY RELEASE - GAMEDAY LIVE
The Golden Bear offense features the third-ranked passing attack in the league bolstered by high flying wideouts Jordan Schultenover and Calvin Simon. Simon is 11 yards shy of 2,000 for his career and ranks in the top-six in career receptions, yards and touchdowns. He is 66 yards of his career-high 769 yards set during his freshman season as he knocks on the door of the 2,000 yard milestone. Schultenover, meanwhile, is sixth in the NSIC in receiving yardage with 747 and is seventh in receptions with 48. While the duo provide one of the top tandems in the Northern Sun, Concordia also throws to their backs often, hitting 33% of their pass plays to running backs Sam Campbell (45 receptions), Jerry Shaw (17) and Jeremy Randle (13).
The passing game received a kick start when senior Mitch Brecke earned the starting quarterback job, as he threw for back-to-back 300 yard games in road wins at SMSU and Upper Iowa before career-highs of 30 completions in 49 attempts last week for 272 more yards. Despite starting only five games this year, Brecke is knocking on the door of a 2,000 yard season in 2009 and ranks in the top-10 in the league in total offense and passing yardage per game.
Sticking on the offensive side of the ball, Campbell is closing in on 1,000 combined rushing/receiving yards with 911 and eight touchdowns. In addition, he has thrown a pair of touchdown passes and has over 100 passing yards to his credit. Campbell has 504 on the ground and 407 through the air and averages 6.3 yards per touch out of the backfield.
But the offense faces the second ranked defense in the league as the Beavers surrender under 300 yards of total offense per game and BSU has won four of the last five meetings including three in a row. Concordia's last win over Bemidji State was in CU's NSIC Championship year of 2005 at Griffin Stadium. In that game, James McNear became the first player in NCAA Division II history to throw for 300 (309) and rush for 200 (215) in the same game. In that game, he rushed for four touchdowns and passed for two more in a dramatic 55-48 overtime win, which was the last overtime game CU had played in until this year's 57-56 game at Upper Iowa that set the CU record for most combined points in a game.
Prior to that, Concordia had won four consecutive against BSU from 2000 through 2003 as the series is knotted at five games apiece.
Concordia has not had an easy road this year, playing all five of the teams currently ranked in the top-10 of the Super Region while seven of their games have gone against teams with playoff or bowl hopes including five games against teams that either were ranked at the time of the game or had been ranked prior to the actual meeting.
Bemidji State's ball control offense (they control the ball for over 34 minutes per game) combined with their strong defensive front (2nd in NSIC in sacks) should provide a tough test for the Golden Bears at home. But Brecke and the third-ranked passing attack will try to have their way downfield and the Golden Bears will be hungry for their first win at home in 2009.
