Bulldog football suffers second season loss to Morningside, 59-21
Senior Gideon Stark prepares to throw a pass (photo from previous game).
Photo credit: Kai Olbrich
By Kai Olbrich
Sports Editor
In a top 25 matchup, the No. 23 Concordia University football team suffered its second loss of the season at the hands of No. 11 Morningside on Oct. 25 by a score of 59-21.
The Mustangs of Morningside took the lead early and created a gap of 21 points by the middle of the second quarter. Off the ensuing kickoff, senior Adam Van Cleave picked up the short kick and returned it 81 yards for Concordia’s opening touchdown.
Van Cleave added a rushing touchdown just after the halftime break, a one-yard run, which followed an interception from junior Deegan Barnes and a 32-yard pass from senior quarterback Gideon Stark to Van Cleave.
Stark got a touchdown to his name as well, as he found senior Maddox Rickertsen for a 54-yard touchdown.
Junior Peyton Atwood was perfect on his three extra points, but the 59 points put up by Morningside were too big a mountain to climb.
The Bulldogs had 247 yards of total offense, 214 passing, and just 33 rushing. Stark threw for all but three of the 214 and had one touchdown with three interceptions. Van Cleave rushed for 35 yards and had 69 receiving. He also put up a score in each category. Sophomore Braxtyn Koch put six of his seven punts within Morningside’s 20-yard line. Senior Grant Huss led the team in total tackles with 14.
The 5-2 Bulldogs will be back at home on Nov. 1 when they will host 5-4 Briar Cliff University at 1 p.m.
