Oct. 19, 2019 - Following a loss to Aurora University last week and going on the road to play defending Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference champion Eureka College this evening - and on their Homecoming, no less - it's likely that not many football observers gave the Concordia University Chicago Cougars much of a chance to pull off a victory.
Of course, somebody forgot to tell the Cougars. Or if they did, the Cougars just refused to listen.
"Tonight was a testament to our guys in how much they believe and trust in each other. This was truly a team win," said CUC head coach Jason Aubry in describing the Cougars' 35-34 win over the Red Devils at McKinzie Stadium. The Cougars trailed the Red Devils 34-14 in the final minute of the third quarter before scoring 21 unanswered points, including the winning touchdown with 15.8 seconds remaining.
The CUC defense provided an early spark before many of the fans had found their seats. Eureka received the opening kickoff, but on the second play from scrimmage, Tyler Dudley made the correct read on the pass pattern and made a nice interception while back-pedaling. The Cougars took possession pn the Red Devils' 44 and made a strong drive into the red zone. A 15-yard penalty threatened to derail the Cougars' drive, but Lance Moise took a short pass from Jaxon Aubry, bounced off a defender in mid-hurdle and raced down the sideline for a 32-yard scoring play. The extra point was blocked, but CUC led 6-0 less than three minutes into the game.
Eureka would be frustrated on their next three drives, including the final two plays of the quarter as CUC's front line kept the pressure on quarterback Drew Barth. The Cougars got the ball back and moments later found themselves with a 14-0 lead. Juan Urrea took the ball around the left side and somehow found room down the sideline for a 47-yard touchdown. The Cougars then added the deuce as Aubry handed off to Griffin Beaudette and, while rolling right, found Corey Dooley open in the middle of the end zone.
Shocked to be down 14 early, the Red Devils came to life on their next drive. Their big weapon would be Barth's mobility as he picked up a big first down on a 35-yard run. Eureka drove to the CUC nine, from where Barth would do it himself on a nine-yard scramble. The extra-point kick cut the Cougars' lead in half.
Later in the quarter, the combination of a 31-yard punt return and a 15-yard penalty on CUC gave the home team great field position at the 20-yard line. Five plays later, Eureka cashed it in on a one-yard run by Joe Hughes. The game was tied at 14-14, and that was the way the first half would end.
The Red Devils' momentum carried over into the second half. After the Cougars went three-and-out, Eureka took their first lead of the night. On a third-and-eight at midfield, Barth was forced out of the pocket and ran right. He spotted James Douglas III behind the coverage and aired it out down the sideline. Douglas caught up to it and took it for a 51-yard score.
A pair of turnovers then threatened to undo all the good the Cougars had done to that point. Nehemiah Butler intercepted on CUC's next possession and took it to the house from 28 yards out for a touchdown (extra point missed). The Cougars were then intercepted again, and the hosts turned that into a 10-play, 60-yard drive capped by a Hughes' two-yard run. Eureka was rolling with a 34-14 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Fortunately, the Cougars' ensuing drive would not only salvage what had been a disastrous quarter but would actually turn the tide for the remainder of the game. Moise would break off his longest run of the night for 41 yards, taking it to the eight. The next snap saw the Cougars get tricky again, as Moise took a handoff and ran left. Eureka looked to have the play sniffed out, but Moise handed it off to Beaudette on a reverse. Rolling right, Beaudette hit Da'Nas Pinellas with the pass, and the touchdown made the score Eureka 34, CUC 21 with one second remaining in the third quarter.
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Concordia-Chicago held on Eureka's ensuing possession and took over at the 35 with 13 minutes to play. A 26-yard completion to Dooley put the ball in Red Devils' territory, Six plays later, it was Moise with another "quick strike" touchdowns, as he burst through a hole at the line of scrimmage and immediately found himself in a footrace with the rest of the defense. Moise won the race from 29 yards out, and the Cougars had cut the deficit to six at the 9:54 mark.
The defense continued to hold, as Eureka would pick up just one first down on the following drive before having to punt. The Cougars were pinned at their own 12 but still had six minutes remaining, and they had their best drive of the game still to come. Aubry's 10-yard scramble picked up a first down as did a 10-yard run by Moise. A penalty threatened to put a stop to the Cougars' momentum, and they would face a fourth-and-12 at the 43.The Cougars burned their final timeout to talk things over.
"I told the guys the play that we had been working on the whole week, and that this is the time to make it happen," said Aubry. "If there was one moment tonight that they showed their trust in each other, this was it." The play was a pass to Dooley up the seam that went for 18 yards and a first down. The Cougars continued to march as the clock ticked down. In the final minute, a 10-yard run by Moise took the ball to the one, and with 15.8 remaining, Moise went between the right guard and tackle from a yard out. Andrew Lechuga's extra point provided the deciding point, and the defense held on a final desperate drive to put away the home team.
Moise added 159 yards to his career rushing record on just 17 carries. Aubry was 10-19 for 97 yards while Dooley made four catches for 52 yards. Defensively, Matt Henning made 11 tackles (seven solo) while Dudley added nine tackles (eight solo) and the interception.
The Cougars (4-2, 2-1 NACC) will celebrate their Homecoming game this Saturday, Oct. 26 when they welcome the Falcons of Concordia University Wisconsin. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.