High-Scoring Saturday In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (10/29/22)---Concordia lost 38-35 to Augsburg in a high-scoring affair in Minneapolis. The Cobbers led by seven at the half, but then the Auggies recorded 17 consecutive points in the third and fourth quarters to earn the win.

The 73 total points put up by the two teams is the most in a single game for the Cobbers since the final game of the 2019 season.   

Sophomore quarterback Cooper Mattern had a monster game for the Concordia offense. He put up career numbers in passing yards, touchdowns, passes completed and total passes. Mattern was 35-for-58 for 320 yards and tossed four touchdown passes.

The 58 passing attempts is a new school record for passing attempts in a single game. The 35 completions are second most in program history and the four TD throws is tied for third most in program history.

Mattern was also the team's leading rusher. He ran the ball 14 times for 70 yards.

Mattern's favorite target on the day was sophomore wide receiver Owen Miller. Miller also had a career game as he caught 12 passes for 127 yards and corralled a pair of touchdown strikes. His 12 catches are tied for third most in a single game for a CC player.       

Senior Jake Evans also had two touchdown receptions and leads the team with six TD catches. Jackson Haire caught a career-high seven passes in the game and had 83 receiving yards.

Mitchell Sullivan led the Concordia defense with 9.0 tackles. The Cobber Black Shirts came away with a pair of fumble recoveries. Preston Johnson and Grant Schoen forced the fumbles. Noah Jenson had the lone sack on the day for CC and finished with 7.0 tackles.

The teams traded scores through the first two quarters. Augsburg broke on top first, but then Concordia countered with a Peyton Mortenson 2-yard run. The Auggies went up 14-7 before Evan caught his first TD pass at the start of the second quarter to tie the game for the second time.

The Cobbers took their first lead of the game when Evans made it back-to-back touchdown receptions. Augsburg tied the game at 21-21 on the very next possession, but then CC finished off the half by going on a 9-play, 44-yard drive that finished with a Miller TD grab with only 4-seconds remaining in the quarter.

Augsburg notched the only points of the third quarter on a 4-yard run with 1:48 left in the period. They tacked on a second touchdown with 10:48 left in the fourth, and added the eventual game-winning field goal midway through the final period of play.    

Augsburg held a slim 467-449 edge in total offensive yards. The Cobbers had the advantage in passing yards as they outgained the Auggies 320-273 through the air. Concordia only turned the ball over once in the game.

UP NEXT: Concordia will host Hamline on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. in the final game of conference play before MIAC Championship Crossover Week.