(Ypsilanti, MI) - The Cardinal football team faced College of Faith in a non-conference match-up on Saturday, at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium. The Cardinal offense put on a display, racking up 58 points in the game. Their defense was just as impressive, not allowing any points through the duration of the game.
CUAA started the game by receiving the opening kickoff. Senior Nathan Smith (Lapeer, MI/Lapeer HS) took the kickoff and returned it 14 yards to the Concordia 41 yard line, giving the Cardinals great field position for their first drive. The Cardinals were able to pick up a few first downs thanks to sophomore quarterback, Tyler Steele (Garden City, MI/Garden City HS) who was 3/3 for 19 yards, and senior running back, Caleb Mims Mims (Southfield, MI/Southfield Lathrup HS) who had two carries for 23 yards. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, this drive ended with a fumble recovered by College of Faith.
The Cardinal defense took the field with the College of Faith backed up at their own 15 yard line. Cortez Smith (Detroit, MI/Clintondale HS) made the first tackle for the Cards, allowing no yards on a pass completed by Jalen Mallory to Chris Williams. On the next play, Takari Johnson (Landing, MI/Lansing Eastern HS) and Hunter Cox (Laurel, MD/St. Mary CC HS) assisted each other in tackling Mallory for a two yard loss. After an incomplete pass and a punt, the Cardinals' offense took the field again, at their own 47 yard line.
The two teams exchanged possessions one more time, each resulting in punts. With just 4:23 remaining in the first, the Cardinals started their third drive. Ashton Hundley (Ypsilanti, MI/Gabriel Richard HS) rushed for 16 yards on the first play. Steele then completed a pass to Austin Williams (Detroit, MI/Renaissance HS) for ten yards before Mims took the ball 37 yards for a CUAA touchdown. Brayden Bennett (Battle Creek, MI/Pennfield HS) connected on the extra point to put the Cards up 7-0.
The Cardinal defense then came up big, stopping the College of Faith on a fourth-down conversion. Tom Knott (Monroe, MI/Monroe HS) and Nigel Madison (Detroit, MI/Melvindale HS) recorded the tackle-for-a-loss to give CUAA the ball back just 19 yards away from the end zone. Hundley rushed several times for a first-down before the end of the quarter. Then, on the first play of the second quarter, Mims rushed in from eight yards out for his second TD of the game.
After this score, CUAA's defense prevailed once again as Terrence Willburn (Webster, TX/Clear Brook HS) intercepted the College of Faith's first pass and returned it 25 yards for a CUAA touchdown. After Bennett kicked the extra point, the Cards had a 21-0 lead.
The College of Faith took the field again, and was able to record a first down. But then they found themselves in another fourth-down conversion, and they went for it. Ty Peterson (Milan, MI/Milan HS) and Paul Preston (Ocala, FL/Forest HS) made the tackle to bring the run up short, turning the ball over to the Cards once again.
A handful of plays and possession changes took place before the next score. With only 5:19 remaining in the half, the Cardinals found themselves with the ball on their own 33 yard line. Mims had rushes of 14 and 13 yards in this drive but it was Hundley that crossed the goal line carrying the ball this time. After the TD, CUAA had a 28-0 lead with under three minutes to play in the half, but they were not done scoring yet.
The Cardinal defense continued their strong play forcing a punt, giving the Cardinal offense 1:24 to score again. The Cards were unable to get another TD, but Bennett was able to kick the ball in through the goalposts to add three points, making the score 31-0 at the half.
The Cards started the second half on defense, kicking off to the College of Faith. Taylor Lemanski (Monroe, MI/Monroe HS), Donovan Klem (Orlando, FL/Timber Creek HS), Jeff Heller (Gains, MI/Lake Fenton HS), and Lucas Koehler (Belvidere, IL/Rockrod Lutheran HS), all recorded tackles forcing the College of Faith to punt again. Robert Duff Jr. (Crosswell, MI/Crosswell-Lexington HS) returned the punt 28 yards to the College of Faith 31 yard line.
Andrew Nossaman (Bryan, OH/Bryan HS) was now in the back field for the Cards, taking handoffs from new QB Beau Perry (Anaheim Hills, CA, Canyon HS). Perry was not in to just hand the ball off, though. On the drive, Perry rushed for a total of 20 yards and a CUAA touchdown. CUAA's lead was now 37-0.
The special teams unit wanted to join in on the excitement, so during the kickoff Nick Holshoe (Allegan, MI/Hopkins HS) forced a fumbled that was recovered by Demarcus Bunn (Belleville, MI/Huron HS) at the College of Faith's 19 yard line. In this possession, it was Dominic Trogan (Essexville, MI/Essexville Garber HS) who rushed for a one yard touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 44-0 lead after the Nathan Smith (Lapeer, MI/Lapeer West HS) extra point.
On CUAA's next scoring drive, Trogan began by bursting through the line and carrying the ball for 42 yards before being brought down at the College of Faith's 48 yard line. On the next play, Perry rushed for another 21 yards. Perry then completed a pass to Austin Douglass (Detroit, MI/Clarenceville HS) for 9 yards and then Gage Frank (Sandusky, MI/Sandusky HS) finished the drive, rushing for 15 yards and another CUAA touchdown. With the extra point coming off the foot of Patrick Leigh (Flat Rock, MI/Summit Academy HS), the Cards led 51-0.
With the game clock under 5:00 minutes, CUAA's defense was still able to bring some pressure, sacking the College of the Faith's QB and forcing a fumble. After the fumble that was recovered by Heller, CUAA was only nine yards away from the end zone. Senior Aaron Zalewski (Toledo, OH/Cardinal Stritch HS) made an appearance at the quarterback position for the Cards during the game. After the fumble recovery, Zalewski handed the ball off the Terrence James Jr. (Inkster, MI/John Glenn HS) who punched it in for Concordia's final score of the game, 58-0.
For the Cards offensively, Steele was 12-20 with 104 yards passing. Rushing: Mims had 91 yards, Trogan had 47, Hundley followed with 43, and QB Perry was close behind with 41. Williams grabbed four receptions for 17 yards and Douglass had three for 35 yards. Hundley also added 27 receiving yards, good for 70 all-purpose yards. Matt Vandervliet (Grand Rapids, MI/Northpointe Christian HS) and Corey Turner (Woodhaven, MI/Riverview Community HS) each hauled in two receptions for 17 yards.
On the defensive side, Koehler had 3.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Duff Jr. recorded three tackles, a forced fumble, a broken-up pass, and a sack. Gregory Parker (Anaheim Hills, CA/Canyon HS) and Holshoe each forced a fumble with Bunn and Chris Taylor (Orlando, FL/Timber Creek HS) each recovering one and Tim Strunk (Yale, MI/Yale HS) recovering two. Willburn had the Cards' only interception on the day and returned it for a touchdown. Matthew Strzalkowski (Brighton, MI/Brighton HS) and Lawrence Harris (Detroit, MI/Northwestern HS) each broke up a pass while Cortez Smith broke up two. Omar Saeed (Allen Park, MI/Melvindale HS) and Hunter Cox both recorded a sack and Strunk assisted with one.
The Cardinals are on the road this Saturday, November 2nd facing the fourth ranked University of Saint Francis, starting at 2:00pm.
Go Cardinals!
