Senior quarterback James McNear compiled 425 yards of total offense as he passed for 294 and three touchdowns while rushing for 131 yards to lead Concordia University (9-2, 6-1 NSIC) past Winona State (8-3, 6-1 NSIC) 35-21 on Saturday afternoon at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The win for Concordia gives them a share of their second NSIC championship with Winona State. Their previous title was shared with the Warriors during the 2003 season.
The Golden Bears enjoyed a 21-0 lead behind a dominant defensive effort through most of the first three quarters before Winona State put together a late run that fell short. The CU offensive attack buried the Warriors with a 7:27 scoring drive that took 15 plays, spanning 84 yards. It was capped off when junior Aaron Cawthorn fumbled on the one-yard line right into the hands of senior Montez Bridgefourth in the end zone to put CU ahead 35-14 with 4:08 remaining in the game.
Concordia rushed for 287 yards on 51 attempts, and they improve to 8-0 on the season when eclipsing the 200-yard mark. The run defense was equally impressive, shutting down the high-powered Warrior offense to just 45 rushing yards on 20 attempts.
The Golden Bears outgained the Warriors 581-346 in total offense, and the CU offense ran 91 plays and controlled the ball for 38:38, winning the time of possession war by 17:16. The defense kept the ball away from senior Harlon Hill candidate Bryan Hynes and the Warrior passing attack for much of the afternoon.
Concordia wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard, as they took the opening drive 85 yards on 12 plays, scoring on a screen pass from McNear to Cawthorn that was blocked perfectly by fullback John Robinson and tackle Ya'tarrie Brown, who cleared the way for Cawthorn to dive over the pylon for a touchdown. The drive lasted 4:57 and allowed the Golden Bears to set the tone for the afternoon.
Neither team was able to score the rest of the quarter, but Concordia snapped that drought when senior Brian Holmes hammered his way into the end zone to give Concordia a 14-0 lead. The Holmes touchdown finished off a 12-play, 69-yard drive that covered 4:43.
The score remained 14-0 going into halftime with Concordia dictating virtually everything that happened on the gridiron in the first 30 minutes. The defense held Winona State to just 27 rushing yards and 58 passing yards, as cornerback Russhon Armstrong and the CU secondary bottled up Hynes to just one reception for 12 yards through the first two quarters. WSU quarterback Drew Aber completed 6-12 passes for 58 yards, while Carey Rottman's meager 19 rushing yards led the Warriors.
For Concordia, McNear ran the offense to perfection, as the Golden Bears controlled the ball for 19:53 in the half compared to WSU's 10:07. McNear's 60 rushing yards on nine attempts led the team, while his efficient 13-21 passing for 133 yards and a TD kept the chains moving. CU picked up 16 first downs to Winona State's 6. The Bears converted 6-9 first downs in the half under McNear's leadership.
Concordia continued to dominate in the third quarter, and sophomore Antwon Williams hauled in a 19-yard touchdown from McNear at the 7:28 mark to put CU ahead 21-0.
But Winona State was not ready to drop their first Northern Sun contest of the year, as they rallied for a late third-quarter score to bring the game back to 21-7 on a four-yard Derek Malone touchdown run to cap off an efficient eight-play, 89-yard drive that took just 2:05 off the clock.
McNear, as he has done all season, answered the call, leading the Golden Bears on a nine-play, 91-yard drive that resulted in a Tyrone Ruffin touchdown reception from 10 yards out with 12:40 to play in the game. That touchdown gave Concordia a commanding 28-7 lead.
The Warriors responded quickly, as they needed just three plays to sprint 84 yards for another touchdown, bringing the score back within two touchdowns at 28-14 when Aber connected with Scott Peters for a 45-yard touchdown.
But the offense took over, marching to the end zone on a drive that spanned nearly half of the fourth quarter, draining time off the clock before adding to their lead. The Bridgefourth touchdown all but ended WSU's hopes of an undefeated season in league play and hopes of another NCAA tournament bid.
Aber wasn't done, as he connected for his second touchdown to Peters, this time from 23 yards out. The ensuing onside kickoff was recovered by the Warriors, but they grabbed the ball one yard early and were flagged, turning the ball and the game over to the Golden Bears.
McNear finished the game completing 26-40 for 294 yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions while dazzling the Metrodome audience as he danced his way to 131 rushing yards on 16 attempts with a long of 26.
Cawthorn and Holmes smashed through the Warrior defensive front, as they combined fro 136 yards on 33 carries. Cawthorn carried 18 times for 75 yards, while Holmes ran the ball 15 times for 61 yards and a score. Cawthorn also had three receptions for 17 yards, including his 13-yard TD reception.
Ruffin and Williams continually came up with clutch receptions. Ruffin was McNear's big-play target, as he scorched the WSU defense for 106 receiving yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Williams had nine receptions for 79 yards and one score. Bridgefourth, junior Jason Simmons and senior tight end Nate Harrington also pulled in key first-down receptions to help bury the Warriors.
Armstrong led the CU defense, as he blanketed Hynes for most of the afternoon while recording eight tackles, seven solo, and hauling in a clutch third-quarter interception.
The defensive line was also busy, as they continually harassed Aber, knocking him to the turf numerous times and forcing countless bad passes. Senior Vince Almeda recorded a pair of sacks, while junior defensive tackle Eric Power and junior linebacker Brad Scherer recorded one sack apiece for the tenacious Golden Bear defense. The team stopped Winona State for nine tackles for loss led by Almeda, junior Brandon Sullivan, and Scherer, who all had two.
Adrian Mitchell and Travis Johansen each came up with key pass breakups as well. Mitchell nearly intercepting Aber, while Johansen's hit on Malone knocked the ball loose, nearly forcing a fumble that was ruled incomplete.
The special teams played well, as sophomore Miles Coffin put all three of his punts inside the 20 to help pin the Warriors deep in their own territory. Junior kicker Brody Johnson drilled all five of his extra point attempts.
Concordia was just as brilliant in the second half, as they finished the game 14-19 on third downs and converted their only fourth-down try while scoring five touchdowns in five trips to the red zone. They finished with 32 first downs compared to WSU's 22.
The Warriors finished with a solid 301 passing yards for the day, most of that coming in the fourth quarter when WSU trailed by either two or three touchdowns. Aber finished completing 20-30 for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Peters was the top receiver with 112 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions, while Hynes led the team with seven receptions for 96 yards - but only four catches for 33 yards in the first three quarters.
Rottman led WSU's ground game with a mere 25 rushing yards in the game, just six coming in the second half and zero in the fourth quarter.
The win secures a postseason contest for the Golden Bears, who entered the weekend with the 12th ranking in the Northwest Region. If they can move into the 10th spot, they will qualify for the NCAA Tournament. With a victory over the 11th-ranked Warriors, the Bears would only need one other team ahead of them to fall in the rankings in order to receive a birth in the tournament.
Even if Concordia does not secure their first-ever tournament birth, they are assured an invitation to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo., which pits the Northern Sun against the MIAA.
The NCAA tournament pairings will be announced tomorrow (Sunday) on ESPNews at 12 p.m. (noon).
