DE PERE, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin football team faced its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the St. Norbert College Green Knights by a score of 10-28. This defeat brings the Falcons' record to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play.
The Green Knights struck first, capitalizing on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
However, the Falcons responded with a strong defensive stand, forcing St. Norbert to go three-and-out thanks to a six-yard tackle for loss by junior Marquiton Sellers (Winnsboro, La.).
During CUW's subsequent offensive possession, the Falcons marched down the field, culminating in a field goal by sophomore Logan Navis (Cedar Grove, Wis.). This impressive 13-play, 70-yard drive took 5:44 off the clock.
Key moments included a 14-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Roman Funk (Scottsdale, Ariz.) to senior TJ Harrold (Rosenberg, Texas) on third down and a 33-yard pass to junior Mason Knueppel (Jackson, Wis.) that brought the Falcons to the SNC 29-yard line. On another crucial third down, senior Kekoa Carmichael (Las Vegas, Nev.) caught a 14-yard pass, setting up Navis's field goal, narrowing the score to 3-10.
The Green Knights answered with 14 unanswered points, closing the half with a commanding 21-3 lead.
Determined to mount a comeback, the Falcons kept St. Norbert scoreless in the third quarter.
CUW began to chip away at the deficit when Funk connected with Carmichael on a deep pass. Carmichael showcased his speed, racing 50 yards after the catch to score a touchdown. Navis added the extra point, bringing the score to 10-21.
Despite a solid defensive effort throughout the second half from the Blue and White, the Green Knights scored again with just 49 seconds remaining, sealing the victory.
Roman Funk finished the game with 255 passing yards, completing 17 of 34 attempts. On the ground, junior Pierre Summers III (Columbus, Ga.) led the team with 17 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards on two catches.
Carmichael had a standout performance, posting a season-high 108 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Kam'Ron Pierre (Canyon County, Calif.) contributed with two catches for 23 yards.
Punter sophomore Luke Droegemueller (Cumming, Ga.) had one punt land inside the 20-yard line, finishing the day with a total of 406 punting yards.
On defense, senior Justice Kaneta (Brighton, Colo.) led the team with 14 tackles, including 12 solo efforts. Sophomore Duncan Ireland III recorded seven tackles and one for loss, while Sellers added two for a loss.
Freshman Darrian Turner (Oshkosh, Wis.) broke up two passes, while sophomores Se'Korrey Thomas (Punta Gorda, Fla.) and Devin Glowicki (Commerce City, Colo.) each had one pass breakup.
The Falcons will return home next week to face the formidable Aurora Spartans.
