RIPON, Wis. – The Falcons came flying out of the gates on Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia Wisconsin football team opened the 2026 season in emphatic fashion, scoring the first 35 points of the afternoon and rolling past Ripon, 38-14, at Hopp Stadium. The Falcons found the end zone on each of their first two possessions and never looked back, building a 21-0 halftime advantage before stretching the lead to 35-0 in the third quarter.
The Falcons wasted little time making their presence felt. Senior quarterback Roman Funk (Scottsdale, Ariz.) marched the offense 75 yards on nine plays on the opening possession before connecting with junior Kam'Ron Pierre (Canyon Country, Calif.) for a five-yard touchdown. Senior Nick Klein (Rome City, Ind.) added the extra point to give CUW a 7-0 lead with 10:03 remaining in the opening quarter.
After the Falcon defense forced a three-and-out, the offense went right back to work. Senior Jacob Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.) helped move the Falcons into Ripon territory before freshman Alijah Bright (Baytown, Texas) punched in an eight-yard touchdown run to double the lead at 14-0.
Concordia Wisconsin continued to put its foot on the gas in the second quarter.
With the Falcons backed up at their own 22-yard line, Funk found junior Jack Bradley (Tucson, Ariz.) for a 54-yard touchdown strike. The explosive play capped a three-play, 78-yard drive and pushed the CUW advantage to 21-0 with 10:02 remaining in the half.
The Falcon defense was just as impressive in the opening half, keeping Ripon off the scoreboard and allowing CUW to take a commanding 21-0 lead into the locker room.
The break did little to cool off the Falcons.
After the defense forced another three-and-out to begin the third quarter, CUW put together an 11-play, 54-yard march that chewed 5:43 off the clock. Pugh capped the drive by powering into the end zone from two yards out to extend the lead to 28-0.
The Falcons were back in the end zone less than five minutes later.
Bright provided the spark with a 44-yard run that moved the ball deep into Ripon territory. Three plays later, the freshman finished what he started, finding the end zone from two yards out for his second touchdown of the afternoon. The score gave Concordia Wisconsin a commanding 35-0 advantage with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Ripon broke through with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Falcons slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback. After the Red Hawks cut the lead to 35-14, the CUW defense forced a turnover on downs with 6:31 remaining.
The Falcons responded by marching 49 yards and draining nearly four minutes off the clock before Klein drilled a 27-yard field goal to put the finishing touches on the 38-14 victory.
Senior Duncan Ireland III (Eagle, Wis.) then put an exclamation point on the afternoon with an interception on Ripon's final possession, returning the pick 21 yards and allowing the Falcons to run out the clock.
The Concordia Wisconsin offense was firing on all cylinders, piling up 528 yards of total offense and averaging 7.7 yards per play. The Falcons rushed for 247 yards and three touchdowns while adding 281 yards and two scores through the air. CUW also controlled the football for 36:22 and converted both of its fourth-down attempts.
Funk was nearly flawless in his season debut, completing 20 of 24 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Pugh powered the ground attack with 120 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, averaging six yards per attempt. Bright made an immediate impact in his collegiate debut with 75 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while adding 35 receiving yards.
Pierre led the receiving corps with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Bradley hauled in two passes for 59 yards and a score. Senior Drew Allen (Madison, Wis.) added five receptions for 37 yards.
The Falcon defense held Ripon to just 216 yards of total offense, including only 48 yards on the ground. Sophomore Mason Starke (Seminole, Fla.) led CUW with seven tackles, while junior Brock Roseman (Pueblo, Colo.) finished with five. Ireland added the late interception and returned it 21 yards.
Concordia Wisconsin will look to keep the momentum rolling next Saturday when the Falcons return to Mequon for their home opener against Martin Luther.
