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Game 6 Preview: Concordia At Carleton

Game 6 Preview: Concordia At Carleton

GAME 6: #24/23 Concordia (4-1/2-1 MIAC) at Carleton (1-4/0-3 MIAC) 

DATE: October 10, 2014
LOCATION: Northfield, Minn. (Laird Stadium)
AME TIME:
 1 p.m.
RADIO: 1660-AM in the F-M area

Live VideoCarleton Game Central

Live Stats: Carleton Game Central

Live Audio: MN Sports Network


Cobbers vs. Carleton Series History:

Series started:
 1921
Cobbers lead overall series: 27-6-0
Series Synopsis: Concordia has won 21 of the last 22 meetings between the two teams. The Knights snapped a 15-game losing streak in the series in 2008 when they won 41-28 in Moorhead. That win was also the third for Carleton at Jake Christiansen Stadium in the series...the Cobbers are 10-1 in the last 11 games played at Carleton. The only loss for CC in that stretch in Northfield came in 1992 when the Knights prevailed 26-24. The teams played games in the Metrodome in 1996 and 1997 with CC winning both inside contests...Cobber head coach Terry Horan is 13-1 vs. Carleton.           

Last 10 Meetings
Year Score
2005 Concordia 39 at Carleton 31
2006 Concordia 25 at Carleton 20
2007 Carleton 21 at Concordia 54
2008 Carleton 41 at Concordia 28
2009 Concordia 31 at Carleton 16
2010 Carleton 14 at Concordia 26
2011 Concordia 26 at Carleton 7
2012 Carleton 27 at Concordia 51
2013 Concordia 35 at Carleton 27
2014 Carleton 7 at Concordia 34


Cobber vs. Knight Complete Series History (pdf)


Cobber Football in the Fargo-Moorhead Media:

F
argo Forum
Cobbers prep for Carleton after big win against Bethel

 

Cobber SID
Dejan Besara: Wired For Sound


Last Year: Carleton 7 at Concordia 34
Concordia scored on three straight possessions at the end of the first quarter and start of second quarter, scored two touchdowns after forcing a turnover and had a 99-yard which helped the Cobbers post a 34-7 win over Carleton. The Cobbers didn't score until its fourth possession. The Cobbers also allowed a season-high 273 rushing yards to Carleton – 150 of which came from the legs of quarterback Zach Creighton. CC hadn't allowed a team to rush for over 105 yards in 2014 and the Knights had 139 rushing yards in the first half alone.

Concordia was able to counter Carleton's rushing game by coming up with 445 total offensive yards and had 16 plays which went for 10 or more yards. The Cobbers were also 3-for-3 inside the "red zone" with all three scores by touchdown inside Carleton's 20-yard line. The Cobbers scored three rushing touchdowns on the day. Zach Southwick scampered 29 yards to post the second TD of the day for Concordia and the fullback tandem of Domenic Fraboni and Alex McLean finished off the Cobber scoring with a pair of short yardage plunges in the third and fourth quarters. Concordia had eight players carry the ball in the game and finished with 242 rushing yards. 


Stat Central:

2015 Concordia Statistics

2015 Carleton Statistics

2015 MIAC Statistics

2015 Concordia NCAA Team/Individual Rankings

2015 Carleton NCAA Team/Individual Rankings


Pick 6 - 6 Items To Help You Take It To The House: 
1. Ready Eddie? Punter Eddie Clifton was named the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week and also garnered D3football.com Team of the Week honors for his efforts last week against Bethel when he averaged nearly 50 yards per punt. Carleton already struggles on offense as they are second to last in total offense per game in the conference. Another big day from Clifton could cause some big trouble for the Knights' offense. 
2. Let's Play Keepaway. The Cobbers rack up the fifth most yards in the conference per game, but it is done methodically. They hold the ball for a MIAC best 33:26 of each game, which is also 31st in the nation.
3. The Nasty Boys. Concordia boasts one of the top linebacking corps in the conference. The trio of Levi Hintermeister, Erik Bye, Austyn Raftevold and Derek Rachel average just under 21 combined tackles per game. That total is just behind St. John's starting linebackers for most combined tackles per game.
4. 4th and Long. It's been a "pick six" option for the last several weeks with good reason. The Cobbers are still a perfect 12-for-12 on 4th down conversions this season. That mark is tops in the nation for that many tries without a failed attempt. 
5. Red Zone Defense. Ranked first in the conference and 16th in the country, the Cobber "Black Shirts" have a nose for the ball when opposing teams slip into the red zone. Teams have only scored on 52% of possessions inside the 20-yard line. 
6. Put Your Hands Together for #6. Brandon Zylstra was not healthy in last week's win versus Bethel. The standout receiver has looked fresher in practice and is primed to contribute in a big way for the Cobbers on the perimeter. 


Scouting the Knights:
Carleton's feature halfback reaches the century mark almost every game. Andy Gustafson averages 100.8 yards rushing per game and has a pair of rushing scores on the season. Quarterback Zach Creighton is also a mobile dual threat quarterback as he adds an additional 57 yards on the ground per contest.

Creighton throws for 161 yards per game and has tossed seven touchdowns so far. His favorite target on the perimeter is Chris Madden, who averages 57 yards receiving per game and has found the end zone four times. Gustafson is also a threat out of the backfield. Creighton uses his running back as his favorite checkdown receiver and on screen passes. Gustafson chips in 28 receiving yards per game.

Madden is one of the better kick returners in the MIAC. He averages 21.7 yards per kick return and has busted a long return of 45 yards. Madden has the ability to change a game at any given moment.

The Knights are led by Eric McGregor in the defensive backfield. In five games McGregor has amassed 36 tackles and forced a fumble for the Carleton defense. He had a big game last week against St. Olaf in which he recorded 15 tackles, eight of them being solo. Linebacker Kwaku Bodom anchors the front seven for the Knights with his 7.2 tackles per game. Defensive back Dylan Saline averages eight tackles per game.  Saline did not play last week against the Oles.

Miscellaneous Stats:
- Carleton gives up 42 points per game which is last in the MIAC.
- The Knights struggle on third down. Successful on 44% (27-for-62) of their tries, it is even worse on fourth down where they are 3-for-13 (23%).
- The Knights have committed just 24 penalties in their first five games which is third best in the conference.   


Cobber SID Picks To Click:
Once again we will choose one offensive player and one defensive player who we think will have a chance to have a big game on Saturday. It will give the fans a chance to watch the "key" players on either side of the ball. It will hopefully give an insight into what the keys to success might be.

Offense – QB #19 Michael Herzog
Herzog is primed to make his third start of the season in the absence of the injured Alex Grove. Many had questions about the sophomore's ability to own the spotlight when he took over but he silenced his doubters last Saturday against Bethel. The dual threat quarterback displayed poise and leadership in Concordia's 23-21 win over the Royals last week. His stats do not jump out at you – he averages 69.8 yards passing and another 30.4 yards rushing per game. Rather, he manages games and lets his playmakers make plays around him.

Defense - #21 CB Alex Sandahl
Welcome to Sandy Island. Carleton features a dynamic duo in quarterback Zach Creighton and speedy standout receiver Chris Madden. Sandahl has been a cog in the secondary for the Cobbers – averaging six tackles per game since he moved into the starting lineup at Wis.-Eau Claire in week two. The Warroad native will look to slow down Madden and the Knights' aerial attack on Saturday.

Coach Horan Preview Interview: