Overtime field goal shocks Football at home against Cougars

MEQUON, Wis. – The offense was on display during Saturday's Northern Athletics Conference showdown and the records were falling, but in the end Concordia University Chicago's 44-yard field goal shocked Concordia University Wisconsin at Tomasini Stadium in overtime.

An amazing 1,199 yards were recorded on 184 plays and neither team led by more than a touchdown. A light rain didn't affect either team's offense, but CUC did rush for a NAC record 495 yards and accumulated a league record 683 yards of total offense.

CUC nearly won the game with 3:44 to play in regulation, but a failed extra point attempted knotted the scoreboard at 44-all. CUW twice had chances to steal the game from the Cougars, but a 42-yard missed field goal followed by a 31-yard blocked field goal set up overtime.

The Falcons (3-2, 2-1 NAC) recorded a first down on their initial play of the extra period before a heartbreaking interception gave the ball back to their opponent. CUC nearly squandered its chance at a victory after unsportsmanlike and holding penalties were called.

The final dagger for the Falcons was a Danny Colapietro 44-yard field goal that gave Cougars the victory and kept them in a first-place tie in the NAC standings.

CUW sophomore quarterback Austin Damaschke (Bristol, Wis.) was again the Falcons offensive leader as he threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, to go along with 84 rushing yards and a score. However, the highlights belonged to CUC's Andrew Maddox as he ran for a NAC record 355 rushing yards on 40 attempts. The shifty running back scored twice and averaged 8.9 yards per carry.

Freshman LaCurt Evans (Bloomingdale, Ill.) also showed flashes of speed for CUW's offense after rushing for 90 yards and a TD. The running back and return man also took a kickoff 93 yards to pay dirt in the third quarter.

In all, eight scoring ties and four lead changes displayed just how close the game really was. The first six scoring drives were exchanged evenly between the two teams during the opening half. Each team scored five times in the red zone and CUC (6-0, 3-0 NAC) finished 7-of-9 inside the 20-yard line, while CUW was 6-of-8.

The Cougars sustained scoring drives of double-figure plays on four possessions – 9.75 plays per scoring drive – while the Falcons scoring drives averaged 6.3 plays. The Cougars also set NAC records in first downs (35) and first downs by rushing (24).

Senior Matt Upson (New Berlin, Wis.) led all players with 17 total tackles – seven solo. Junior John Palese (West Bend, Wis.) finished with a game-high eight solo tackles, 12 total, and a fumble recovery.

CUC's defense was led by Robert Hammack's 12 tackles and Marty Beckman recorded 10 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss, forced and recovered a fumble.

CUW travels to NAC rival Lakeland College on Saturday, Oct. 20 for a 1 p.m. contest with the Cheese Bowl trophy on the line.