LISLE, Ill. – With an undefeated season and a conference championship hanging in the balance, the Concordia University Wisconsin football team delivered a comeback for the ages on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons erased a seven-point deficit in the final minute to stun Benedictine, 25-24, and retain the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) crown.
The dramatic victory sends the Blue and White to a perfect 10-0 record and 8-0 in NACC play, securing back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 2005 and 2006. The Falcons also completed their first undefeated regular season since 2006, adding another historic chapter to the program's legacy.
With the conference championship on the line between two unbeaten teams, the Falcons wasted little time making a statement.
Concordia received the opening kickoff and put together a methodical 14-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 7:06 of the first quarter.
Senior quarterback Roman Funk (Scottsdale, Ariz.) capped the impressive opening possession by connecting with senior Nick Crowell (Las Vegas, Nev.) near the five-yard line. Crowell secured the pass and leaped past the far pylon for a seven-yard touchdown. Senior Nick Klein (Rome City, Ind.) added the extra point to give the Falcons an early 7-0 advantage.
Benedictine answered on its opening possession with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Martin to Tristan Weglarz, tying the contest at seven.
The Blue and White responded with another lengthy drive, marching 64 yards on 14 plays to put themselves in scoring position. On the opening play of the second quarter, Klein calmly connected on a 29-yard field goal to reclaim a 10-7 lead.
The Concordia defense rose to the occasion throughout the remainder of the first half, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard and preserving the three-point advantage heading into the locker room.
The Eagles came out firing in the second half. Benedictine needed just four plays on its opening possession to travel 61 yards, with Dino Stephens finding the end zone from one yard out to give the hosts their first lead of the afternoon at 14-10.
The Falcons continued to battle, and their persistence paid off late in the third quarter.
Starting at the Benedictine 48-yard line, the Blue and White marched down the field on an eight-play scoring drive. Funk finished the possession with a 14-yard touchdown pass to junior Kam'Ron Pierre (Canyon Country, Calif.), who found an opening on a slant route in the end zone.
Klein's extra point put Concordia back in front, 17-14, with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Benedictine responded with a 13-play drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. The Eagles connected on a 25-yard field goal with 9:25 remaining to tie the game at 17.
The Concordia defense continued to battle, but Benedictine put together a lengthy possession to threaten the Falcons' perfect season. The Eagles marched 69 yards on 11 plays, draining more than six minutes off the clock.
Stephens capped the drive with a seven-yard touchdown rush up the middle to give Benedictine a 24-17 advantage with just 1:07 remaining.
With the conference championship slipping away and the clock working against them, the Falcons faced their biggest challenge of the season.
They needed 70 yards. They had just 60 seconds.
And they delivered.
The Blue and White took over at their own 30-yard line with exactly one minute remaining. Funk's first pass fell incomplete, leaving the Falcons facing second-and-10 with precious seconds ticking away.
On the next snap, Funk connected with Pierre for a massive 36-yard gain down the middle of the field, moving Concordia across midfield to the Benedictine 34-yard line.
An incompletion followed, but Funk refused to let the championship slip away.
Facing another crucial down, Funk found junior Victor Watson Jr. (Cypress, Texas) streaking down the middle for a 22-yard completion to the Benedictine 12-yard line.
The Falcons called a timeout with 25 seconds remaining, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
On the next snap, Funk targeted junior Jack Bradley (Tucson, Ariz.) in the end zone. The pass fell incomplete, but a pass interference penalty against the Eagles moved the ball to the two-yard line and gave the Falcons a fresh set of downs.
With 15 seconds showing on the clock, Funk went right back to Bradley. This time, the connection was perfect.
TOUCHDOWN, FALCONS!
The two-yard touchdown brought Concordia within a single point at 24-23, but the Falcons were not interested in settling for overtime.
With the NACC championship hanging in the balance, the Blue and White kept their offense on the field for the two-point conversion.
Funk took the snap and powered his way into the end zone, giving Concordia a 25-24 lead and completing an unforgettable comeback.
The Falcons had covered 70 yards in just 45 seconds, turning a potential heartbreaking defeat into one of the most memorable victories in program history.
But the drama was not finished.
The Eagles had one final opportunity with 12 seconds remaining. Benedictine moved into Concordia territory, but sophomore Bayer White (Port Washington, Wis.) delivered the final defensive exclamation point. White forced a fumble and recovered the loose ball on the final play, sealing the victory and sending the Falcons into a championship celebration.
Funk finished the afternoon completing 33 of his 48 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for the decisive two-point conversion.
Pierre led the receiving corps with 108 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Watson Jr. hauled in a game-high nine receptions for 94 yards, while Crowell finished with six catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. Bradley added six receptions for 33 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.
Senior Jacob Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.) led the rushing attack with 60 yards on 14 carries and added six receptions for 25 yards.
Defensively, senior Ben Birch (Grafton, Wis.) led the Falcons with 12 tackles, including a tackle for loss. White followed with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Senior Duncan Ireland III (Eagle, Wis.) and senior Devin Glowicki (Commerce City, Colo.) added seven tackles apiece.
The Falcons finished with 391 yards of total offense, including 309 through the air, and converted three fourth-down opportunities. Concordia also played turnover-free football in the championship-clinching victory.
The victory marks the second consecutive NACC championship for head coach Greg Etter and the Falcons, who completed a perfect conference slate for the second straight season.
For the first time in 20 years, the Falcons have finished the regular season undefeated. And for the first time since the 2005 and 2006 campaigns, the conference championship trophy will remain in Mequon for a second consecutive year.
Ten games. Ten victories. Back-to-back NACC champions.
The Falcons now turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Concordia will learn its first-round opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday at 4 p.m.
