Mattern's 4 TD Tosses Sparks 2nd Straight Comeback Win

ABERDEEN, S.D. (9/10/22)---For the second straight week, Concordia fell behind on the road. And for the second straight week, the Cobbers came roaring back to grab a hard-fought, non-conference victory.

Concordia scored 28 consecutive points in a span of 17-minutes, which erased a 7-0 deficit and propelled the team to a 42-13 victory over Presentation.

Sophomore quarterback Cooper Mattern threw for four touchdowns, and rushed for 146 yards as he helped the Cobber offense amass 594 yards of total offense in their second straight win over an NAIA opponent.

Concordia is now 2-0 on the season, marking the first time since the 2017 season that the Cobbers have opener the year with back-to-back wins.

Concordia conceded the opening touchdown of the game on the Saints' very first possession of the game, but then the CC Black Shirt defense stepped up and didn't allow another score for the rest of the game.

The Cobbers failed to score on their first three possessions of the game, but then rattled off a 5-play, 50-yard drive which was capped by Mattern's first TD strike of the game. Mattern found senior Jake Evans in the back of the end zone to tie the score at 7-7.

Concordia would score two more times in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead into halftime, and then add another touchdown on the very first drive of the second half to up the lead to 28-7.

Senior captain Peyton Mortenson notched his second in-close, hammering TD run of the year when he scored from 1-yard out at the 10:19 mark of the second quarter. Mattern then hooked up with Evans for the second time on a 4-yard pass midway through the second period.

Peter Narum then made a diving catch in the end zone at the 14:21 mark of the third period to stake CC to a 28-7 lead. The Saints would then come up with a 52-yard "Pick 6", before Mattern closed out his scoring tosses with a 9-yard, scramble special that ended with freshman Eric Cockhill recording his first collegiate touchdown.

Fellow freshman Zavier Carroll would come up with the only score of the fourth quarter. He drove home a 7-yard run with 7:10 left to play in the game. The score was also Carroll's first collegiate TD.

Concordia finished the game with 400 rushing yards and 194 yards through the air. Besides the 146 rushing yards from Mattern, Mortenson had 132 yards on 28 carries which earned him his third career 100-yard rushing game.

Junior Colin Conteh had a career-high 48 rushing yards, and Carroll added 45 more.

Mattern was 25-for-36 through the air and had 194 passing yards. Narum had a team-high six catches for 65 yards. Cockhill had four receptions, while Evans, Carroll and Owen Miller all caught three passes.

The Cobber defense limited Presentation to 244 yards, and only 60 rushing yards.

Senior defensive back Marshall King led the team with 8.0 total tackles. Stuart DeMerit had the lone INT of the game for Concordia, and Mitchell Sullivan was credited with a fumble recovery.

UP NEXT: Concordia will have their yearly bye next Saturday, and will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 24 when they host Gustavus in the home, and MIAC, opener at 1 p.m.

CONCORDIA vs. PRESENTATION TOUCHDOWNS