Game 4 Preview: Concordia at St. Olaf

GAME 4: St. Olaf (1-2/0-1 MIAC) at #19/25 Concordia (2-1/0-1 MIAC)

DATE: September 26, 2015
LOCATION: Northfield, Minn. (Manitou Field)
GAME TIME: 1 p.m.
RADIO: 1660-AM in the F-M area

Live Video: St. Olaf Gameday

Live Stats: St. Olaf Gameday

Live Audio: MN Sports Network

Cobbers vs. Oles Series History:
Series started: 1921
Cobbers lead overall series: 38-25-2
Series Synopsis: Concordia has won three straight against St. Olaf and five of the past six "Lefse Bowl" games. The Cobbers have also won two straight against the Oles on the road and are 6-4 in their last ten games at St. Olaf dating back to 1997....CC head coach Terry Horan is 9-5 vs. St. Olaf in his first 13 years….the longest win streak for either team happened at the very beginning of the series  where the Oles won the first six games...the series took an extended break between 1952-73 because the Oles were not a part of the MIAC during those years. The series resumed in 1974 and that is when the tradition of the Lefse Bowl and Troll Trophy started.
 
History of the Lefse Bowl and Troll Trophy

Cobber vs. Ole Complete Series History (pdf)

Cobber Football in the Fargo-Moorhead Media:
- Fargo Forum
Cobbers looking to retain Troll Trophy

Last Year: St. Olaf 14 at Concordia 52

Concordia raced to a 28-0 lead, racked up a season-high 52 points and held the ball for over 35 minutes for the fourth straight game of the season as they beat St. Olaf 52-14 to keep possession of the Troll Trophy.

The Cobbers set the tone for the game on the opening kickoff when freshman Jason Montonye sped down the left sideline and went 75 yards before being tackles at the Ole 10-yard line. Griffin Neal put the Cobbers on the board three plays later when he plunged over from two yards out.

Concordia would then score on four of their next five possessions in the first half to grab a 31-17 halftime lead. The Cobbers outscored St. Olaf 21-7 in the second half of play.

Concordia quarterback Griffin Neal scored on the opening drive with his legs and then threw for a pair of TD's later in the game. He was an efficient 22-for-29 for 272 passing yards. Both of Neal's touchdown passes against St. Olaf came in the third quarter and came after short completions and then long runs from the receiver.

The Cobbers offense has racked over 400 total offensive yards in all four games this year. CC also held a 26-12 edge in first downs and a 73-52 advantage in total plays.  

The Cobber Black Shirt defense held St. Olaf to 34 rushing yards. The Oles tried to get back into the game by throwing the ball for most of the final three quarters. St. Olaf rushed the ball a total of 13 times and had 39 passing attempts. 

Stat Central:

- 2015 Concordia Statistics

- 2015 St. Olaf Statistics

- 2015 MIAC Statistics

- 2015 Concordia NCAA Team/Individual Rankings

- 2015 St. Olaf NCAA Team/Individual Rankings

Pick 6 - 6 Items To Help You Take It To The House:
1. Magic Number to 100.
It is still at just ONE. Head coach Terry Horan is seeking his 100th win in his career. The Cobbers head man has a career mark of 99-48 now in his 15th season at Concordia.
2. Out of the Gates Strong.
Concordia does it's damage at the beginning of games and right after halftime. The Cobbers have outscored their opponents 28-7 in the first quarter and 20-7 in the third quarter.
3. First Start for Herzog.
Sophomore Michael Herzog has been an integral part of he Cobber offense as a fullback. He will not take the reins under center as Alex Grove is battling a knee injury. Herzog stepped in last week and almost played the role of hero but a penalty negated his hail mary toss.
4. Fourth and Long.
When the signal is given for 4th down, there is reason to be confident the Cobbers will move the chains. A perfect 9-for-9 on 4th down this season, tops in the nation with that many attempts without a failed try, the Cobbers went 5-for-5 last week against St. John's including three successful conversions on one drive. 
5. Sophomores Stepping Up.
D-G-F product Chad Johnson has been taking a majority of the carries for the Cobbers in the backfield. With the absence of Rick Hutchinson, Johnson has ran for 164 yards on 28 carries with a pair of touchdown scampers. 
6. Red Zone Efficiency On Both Sides of the Ball.  
Concordia leads the MIAC in red zone scoring percentage. Of the 11 times the Cobbers have marched their way into opposing team's 20-yard line, they have put points on the board ten times for a red zone percentage of 91% which is also 34th in the nation. They have scored touchdowns on nine of the 11 drives. The Cobber black-shirt crew is also stout when teams get inside the red zone. Tied for 12th in the country, the Cobber defense has only allowed teams to score 6-of-12 times when they get inside the 20-yard line. 

Scouting the Oles:
St. Olaf is coming off a back-to-back losses. The Oles dropped a 34-16 contest to non-conference opponent Luther before opening up MIAC play last week against Bethel - a game they lost 49-3. The team was picked to finish last in the conference in the MIAC season poll. 

The Oles rank last in the conference in both offense and defense. St. Olaf gives up 35 points per game while scoring just 11.7 points. They are led under center by senior Nate Penz, who has thrown for 377 yards (46-of-92) and a pair of touchdowns this season. Penz's favorite target is sophomore receiver Troy Peterson, who has hauled in 14 receptions for 103 yards.

In the backfield the Oles utilize the duo of Connor McCormick and J.J. Strnad. McCormick, native to perennial football power Caldeonia, is slated in as a wide receiver on the depth chart, but he leads St. Olaf with 192 yards rushing on 25 carries. Strnad is second on the team in rushing with 17 carries for 148 yards.

St. Olaf returns a second-team All-MIAC selection in junior linebacker Colten Yahn. Yahn has been kept in check by his opponents thus far, recording 18 tackles this season, good for 5th on the team. 

What the Oles do boast is the top-rated pass defense in the conference. Surrendering just 91.7 yards through the air per game, St. Olaf's top two defensive backs are junior Coleman Foley and senior Brice Peterson. Peterson leads the Ole defense with 29 tackles and followed closely behind by Foley with 28 tackles. The tandem is also among the top in the conference in tackles. Peterson is second with 9.7 tackles per game while Foley is third with 9.3.

Miscellaneous Stats: 
- The Oles are the least penalized team in the league. St. Olaf has only been flagged for eight penalties this year which is the fewest in the conference.
- St. Olaf has the top kick returning game in the conference. The tandem of Tyler Vajdic and Spencer Malick have accumulated over 300 yards together returning kickoffs. Malick has brought back seven kicks for 172 yards while Vajdic has brought back six for 126 yards. The adverse of that statistic is their defense has given up the most touchdowns in the conference (14).
- 3rd Down Doom. The Oles are 8th in the MIAC in third down conversions. Having just completed 16-of-44 (36%) attempts. They are only ahead of St. John's. St. Olaf is also 1-for-3 on 4th down tries.      

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: The Ground Game
St. Olaf gives up a conference worst 323 rushing yards per game. Look for fullback Chad Johnson and running back Jason Montonye to run rampid on Saturday afternoon. It may make Michael Herzog's first start under center a more comfortable transition from quarterback to fullback as Herzog has been taking snaps at fullback for the first three games. 

Defense: #8 LB Derek Rachel
Rachel is one of the unknown players for the Cobber Black Shirts as he plays alongside Erik Bye and Levi Hintermeister who rank among the top ten in the conference's tackle leaders. With the primary focus being on slowing down the duo of Bye and Hintermeister, look for Rachel to step up and have a big game for the Cobbers. The senior linebacker is currently fifth on the team in tackles with 15 this season.  

Coach Horan Preview Interview: