KEY LINKS: WEEKLY GAME NOTES | WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS | UMD AUDIO FEED
ST. PAUL, Minn. - This Saturday at 6 p.m., the Concordia University, St. Paul football team (1-1) will play host to the second-ranked team in the nation, Minnesota Duluth (2-0) at Sea Foam Stadium. The game will also be Day of Heroes, which is Concordia's award-winning fourth-annual Military Appreciation Day, expanded to honor police officers and fire fighters along with military personnel.
The event begins with a 4:30 p.m. tailgate in the Bear Den outside of Sea Foam Stadium near the ticket booth and main entrance. Festivities include two honorary captains, former Concordia football players Aaron Cawthorn (2003-06) and Joe LaBuda (1980-83). The honorary captains will be joined for the pre-game coin toss by Concordia president Rev. Tom Ries, Ramsey County Sheriff Matt Bostrom and Minnesota's Governor, Mark Dayton.
On display outside the stadium will be police, sheriff, fire and military vehicles including a K-9 unit.
The National Anthem will be played by the 34th Infantry Division Red Bull Band from Rosemount, Minn. with the colors presented by the JROTC from Minnesota Transitions Charter School, General Colin L. Powell's Leadership Academy in Minneapolis.
Fireworks and a flyover will put an exclamation point on a pre-game that is dedicated to the nation's true heroes in uniform.
The game is an NSIC North-South Divisional game as the Golden Bears look to snap a three game skid against UMD. The Golden Bears have not scored against the Bulldogs since the 2005 season and have not defeated UMD since 2004. Concordia is 2-2 all-time against the Bulldogs in St. Paul, but UMD has never played at Sea Foam Stadium.
The two teams last met in 2009 in Duluth with UMD taking a decisive 56-0 victory. Only
Zach Moore and
Philip Barlow competed in the game according to official statitsics.
Concordia's defense will have their hands full, a week after allowing 303 yards rushing at Minnesota Crookston, they'll face the top rushing attack in the Northern Sun as the Bulldogs average 262.5 yards per game on the ground. The Golden Bears will look to a return to form when they shut down U-Mary in week one to just one rushing yard.
The Golden Bear offense has the skill players to hang with anyone, expect them to utilize their weapons accordingly. But the big story of Concordia's early season offensive surge has been the presence of sophomore running back
Tre Spears (Chicago, Ill. ), who leads the NSIC in rushing with over 300 yards including a career-high 187 last week with a touchdown.
For a detailed preview, view
Concordia's weekly game notes.
