MEQUON, Wis. – Down 11 points with just over five minutes remaining, the Concordia Wisconsin football team refused to fold on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons scored twice in the final 3:42, converted a pair of do-or-die fourth downs on their final possession and watched the defense repeatedly rise to the occasion in a thrilling 29-28 victory over Aurora at Tomasini Stadium.
The victory moves Concordia Wisconsin to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, while Aurora falls to 0-3 and 0-1 in conference play. CUW finished with 575 yards of offense and converted four of its five fourth-down attempts, while the Falcon defense limited Aurora to just one conversion on four fourth-down tries.
Saturday's victory carried some extra weight against an Aurora squad selected to win the NACC in the preseason poll. The Spartans received 12 first-place votes and 149 points in the poll, while defending NACC champion Concordia Wisconsin was picked second with three first-place votes and 132 points.
The victory also snapped a long drought against the Spartans on the shores of Lake Michigan. It marked the first home victory over Aurora since 2015. Combined with last season's victory at Aurora, the Falcons have now defeated the Spartans in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 2015.
The Falcons needed every ounce of fight to make that history.
Aurora struck first with a 27-yard field goal in the opening quarter, but senior Nick Klein (Rome City, Ind.) answered with a 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter to tie the game at 3-3.
The Falcons grabbed their first lead with 8:36 remaining in the half. Senior Roman Funk (Scottsdale, Ariz.) connected with senior Jacob Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.) for a 21-yard touchdown to finish a seven-play, 69-yard drive and put CUW ahead, 10-3.
The defense made its presence known early.
Aurora faced fourth-and-2 at the CUW 34 on its opening possession, but the Falcons turned the Spartans away. CUW did it again early in the second quarter, stopping Aurora on fourth-and-3 at the Falcons' 33.
Aurora tied the game at 10-10 on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, sending the teams into halftime deadlocked.
The Spartans took a 17-10 advantage early in the third quarter, but the Falcons needed only four plays to respond. Funk connected with senior Nick Crowell (Las Vegas, Nev.) for a two-yard touchdown to complete a 75-yard drive and tie the contest at 17-17.
Then came one of the biggest defensive stands of the afternoon.
Aurora took possession at the CUW 9 following an interception and worked its way to the one-yard line. Facing fourth-and-goal, the Spartans attempted to punch the ball into the end zone.
The Falcons did not budge.
Senior Ben Birch (Grafton, Wis.) helped stuff the rush for no gain, turning Aurora away at the goal line and giving the ball back to the CUW offense.
The defense was handed another difficult assignment early in the fourth quarter after Aurora recovered a fumble at the CUW 11. Once again, the Falcons refused to surrender the end zone. Aurora gained only two yards before settling for a 26-yard field goal and a 20-17 lead.
Those stands became even more important as the afternoon unfolded.
Aurora appeared to land the decisive blow with 5:03 remaining when Michael Ingram returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. The Spartans added two more points on the ensuing blocked extra point return to stretch the advantage to 28-17.
Eleven points down.
Five minutes left.
The Falcons were far from finished.
Facing fourth-and-11 from their own 24, Funk stepped up and delivered. Junior Kam'Ron Pierre (Canyon Country, Calif.) hauled in Funk's pass and raced 76 yards to the end zone, cutting the deficit to 28-23 with 3:42 remaining.
The defense was asked to deliver one more time.
It did.
Aurora took over near midfield, but CUW surrendered only six yards on three plays. Junior Jadon Lewis (Milwaukee, Wis.) buried Aurora quarterback Jackson Alcorn for a nine-yard sack, helping force a punt and giving the Falcons one final opportunity with 2:08 remaining.
Eighty yards stood between CUW and an unforgettable comeback.
The final drive quickly reached a crossroads. Facing fourth-and-16 from its own 14, Funk again looked toward Pierre. The connection went for 21 yards and kept the Falcons alive.
CUW later faced another fourth down at the Aurora 41. A pass intended for junior Jack Bradley (Tucson, Ariz.) drew a pass interference penalty, extending the drive and moving the Falcons into Aurora territory.
Head coach Greg Etter and the Falcons never backed away from the moment. CUW continued to trust its offense on fourth down while a defense that had already produced several critical stands kept giving the Falcons opportunities. The result was a team that continued fighting regardless of the situation, even with the margin for error gone in the closing minutes.
With 16 seconds remaining, the comeback was complete.
Funk found Bradley for a six-yard touchdown to finish a 13-play, 80-yard drive and give Concordia Wisconsin a 29-28 lead.
Aurora had one final opportunity, but the final pass fell incomplete as time expired and the celebration began at Tomasini Stadium.
Funk finished the afternoon with 445 passing yards and four touchdowns on 30 completions. Pierre turned in a monster afternoon with eight receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Crowell hauled in seven passes for 112 yards and a score. Pugh totaled 107 yards from scrimmage, including six receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown.
The defense came away with three interceptions. Senior Devin Glowicki (Commerce City, Colo.) picked off two passes and piled up a game-high 18 tackles. Junior Khalil Hargrove-Collins (Katy, Texas) added an interception, six tackles and two pass breakups. Senior Duncan Ireland III (Eagle, Wis.) and Lewis each recorded a sack.
The Falcons finished 4-for-5 on fourth down. Aurora finished 1-for-4.
On Saturday, those downs made all the difference.
There will be no shortage of stakes next weekend, either.
Concordia Wisconsin takes its unbeaten record on the road to rival Lakeland with the Cheese Bowl trophy on the line. The annual rivalry showdown adds another chapter to one of the biggest games on the CUW schedule as the Falcons look to keep their perfect start rolling and bring the Cheese Bowl trophy back to Mequon.
