ST. PAUL, Minn. - This Saturday on Halloween, Sea Foam Stadium will showcase some of the top-ranked individual players in NCAA Division II football as Concordia University (3-6, 3-5 NSIC, 2-3 NSIC South) will host Wayne State (6-3, 5-3 NSIC, 3-2 NSIC South) in the final NSIC South Division game of the year for each team. The Golden Bears and Wildcats each have multiple players ranked highly among national leaders on both sides of the ball in what is shaping up to be an exciting match-up at Sea Foam Stadium. WEEKLY RELEASE - GAMEDAY LIVE
The Golden Bears, who sputtered out to a 1-6 start, have turned things around down the stretch by closing out the season with a 3-3 record on the road. With two home games on the schedule, CU will be hungry for their first win at Sea Foam Stadium and can even out their record in Divisional play with a win over Wayne State, which would tie the two clubs in the final divisional standings. Not only that, but a win would give the Golden Bears a chance to play for a 5-5 record in the NSIC overall standings as well the following week. Concordia's next win would also give head coach Mark Mauer his 33rd career win which would tie him for the school record in coaching victories.
Concordia features two players ranked in three different statistics in the top-30 in the nation while Wayne State has six players ranked in 12 different categories in the nation's top-40. Both teams feature multiple weapons on both sides of the ball as well as on special teams.
Offensively, Wayne State is a high-powered passing machine that features one of the most dynamic quarterbacks the league has ever seen in Silas Fluellen, the new all-time league leader in total offense. Fluellen surpassed former Concordia great James McNear for the NSIC record two weeks ago. Fluellen is currently ranked fifth in the nation in total offense (334.8 per game) and 22nd in pass efficiency (147.8).
Meanwhile, Concordia's quarterback has come on strong as well, senior Mitch Brecke has led CU to back-to-back wins and a 3-1 overall record as their starter. He has produced back-to-back 300-plus passing performances and has moved up to the 59th rated quarterback in DII football (130.0) while sprinting up to 73rd in total offense (186.6 per game).
Both quarterbacks will be throwing to elite level receivers. Wayne State's Frederic Bruno and Logan Masters are the top WR tandem in the league with Bruno being fourth in the nation in receiving yardage (108.3 per game) while Masters is ranked 32nd (81.9 per game). Masters also tied the Division II record for reception streak with at least two catches in 44 straight contests.
Concordia's receivers are not far behind the Wildcats, stride-for-stride. Senior Jordan Schultenover and junior Calvin Simon have the size and speed to take over any game. Schultenover leads the team with three 100 yard games and is 52nd in the nation in yardage (75.2 per game) while Simon is not far behind at 68.8 per game. Both rank in the NSIC's top-10 and both have produced a 200 yard game and a 10-plus reception effort. Simon has climbed into fifth all-time in receiving yards and is on the verge of topping the 2,000 yard milestone. Simon also has a nice catch streak going with 30 consecutive contests with at least one catch.
Both teams also have skilled defensive playmakers to watch for as well. Concordia senior defensive end Will Brown is dominating the league with 18.0 tackles for loss which is the fourth-most in Division II football while his 6.5 sacks rank second in the NSIC and 30th in the nation. For Wayne State, watch Ryan Reeves, the seventh leading tackler in the nation and the league leader with 11.3 per game while he has four interceptions as well, tied for 36th in the nation. Anthony Hale can reach the quarterback with efficiency as well with six sacks on the season, 37th in the nation.
Special teams features dynamic players as well, with CU kicker Steven King and his record setting season producing the fourth most field goals (1.7) and three more (12) than any other kicker in the league. Along with King is punter T.G. Schoenberg who boasts the second highest average per punt in the NSIC at 39.8. For Wayne State, kicker Nick Hope has drilled nine field goals, second in the league and 29th nationally.
While Brecke's emergence as Concordia's starting quarterback has certainly been a big part of the turnaround, so has the breakthrough perfomance of sophomore Sam Campbell, who had his first 100 yard rushing performance along with three rushing touchdowns last week at Upper Iowa. Campbell also toted the ball four times for 50 yards and both touchdowns in the overtimes - accounting for all of Concordia's yardage.
And with Campbell and Brecke emerging on offense, the defense has seen impact play from freshman linebacker Alex Helms who had a career-high 14 tackles last week. Joining Helms on the inside is junior Trevor Glomski who also churned out a career-high in tackles with 11 while providing interceptions in each of the last two games. In the secondary, safeties Karl Pope and Arnold Doxie also notched career-highs in tackles at Upper Iowa with 11 and 9, respectively.
With Concordia's young team gaining more and more experience throughout the 2009 season, things are starting to come together for what looks to be an exciting final two home games against high quality opposition. Both Wayne State and Bemidji State (next week's opponent) suffered huge set backs last week that may have thwarted them from playoff consideration. Wayne State has lost two of their last three games while Bemidji State was an extra point away from taking the defending champion Minnesota Duluth to overtime.
Something has to give as Concordia will undoubtedly be looking to finish the 2009 season strong to carry some momentum into the offseason!
