ST. PAUL, Minn. - This Saturday at noon, Concordia-St. Paul (2-3, 1-3 NSIC) welcomes the University of Sioux Falls (2-3, 2-3 NSIC) to Sea Foam Stadium for Homecoming 2023.

For the Golden Bears, it's a chance to reach the .500 mark in week six for the first time since the 2019 season when CSP was 4-2 through six games, finishing with a winning record (6-5).

WEATHER OUTLOOK
Although it will be over 30 degrees cooler this Saturday than it was last Saturday in CSP's 37-34 win over UMary, Homecoming features just a four percent chance of rain with partly-to-mostly cloudy conditions, a light 9mph wind from the NW (left to right from the grandstand) and a high of 52 degrees.

HOMECOMING 2023 - HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES & GENERAL TICKET INFO
This Saturday's Homecoming game sees two Concordia football greats enter the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame with the induction of wide receiver Charles Gilbert (B.A. '12) and defensive lineman Eric Power (B.A. '07), who each helped the Golden Bears reach the Mineral Water Bowl during their football careers. Additionally, among the nine member Hall of Fame class is Tom Rubbelke, who served as Director of Athletics when Sea Foam Stadium was constructed. The nine members will be inducted prior to the football game with a brunch on campus, and will be honored as a group during halftime.

Fans are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets, leading to a better user experience entering Sea Foam Stadium. Fans with pre-purchased single-game tickets are directed to enter the stadium through the east entry behind the visitor bleachers at the stadium's entry adjacent to the north end of Fandrei Center. Single game tickets may also be purchased at this entry location. Fans who have already pre-purchased single-game tickets to the football game can still purchase Homecoming wristbands at a discounted price due to the ticket admission cost incorporated with the wristbands.

Fans who have pre-purchased Homecoming wristbands or are interested in purchasing Homecoming wristbands should visit the main CSP ticketing area located adjacent to the south side of Fandrei Center, or the southeastern corner of Sea Foam Stadium. Wristbands provide access to the football game as well as Comet's Carnival, which runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and features unlimited food, beverages and rides as well as two adult beverages in the Bear Garden, as well as the 5 p.m. volleyball match. Homecoming wristbands can still be purchased online through CSP Athletics main ticketing website.

Wristbands for those with pre-ordered tickets to the game or on the CSP Football Pass List:

• $15 for ages 13+, $10 for ages 3-12, and free under 3
• Day of: Check in at the entry south of Fandrei Center.  You will be able to purchase wristbands there.

Wristbands for everyone else:

• Pricing: Adults (13+) $30 | Children (3-12) $15

Purchase wristbands online (*recommended method*)

• Available here under "Comet's Carnival": (cspbears.com/tickets). On homecoming day, proceed to the south of Fandrei Center entry. You will pick up your wristbands there, which will get you into the game and Comet's Carnival. Make sure you have your QR code ready to scan
• --or--
• Purchase Day of: Go to the south side of Fandrei Center, and you can purchase wristbands there, which will get you into the game and Comet's Carnival.

Due to Comet's Carnival for Homecoming, there will not be an Alumni Tailgate.

Parking Lot H is for reserved and handicapped parking only. Lot E (located to the north of Fandrei Center) is open for general tailgating, fans are encouraged to arrive prior to 10 a.m. as space is limited. CAMPUS MAP

WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC football games will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, and supported by BlueFrame Technology.
 
Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
All home games will feature the play-by-play broadcasting provided by Dan Flanagan, the voice of the Golden Bears for over a decade. The St. Paul, Minnesota native studied broadcasting at Fordham University (N.Y.) where he was the voice of the Rams' football and basketball teams in the NCAA Division I Patriot League.
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
LISTEN TO THE COACHES SHOW
The Coaches Show with Shannon Currier is back on the Twin Cities airwaves for a fourth season, once again hosted by Wally Langfellow of Minnesota Score. The show airs following the Minnesota high school football game of the week, typically on Friday evenings in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. hour on KYCR 1440 AM radio, available in the Twin Cities metro area.
 
The show typically features two segments with Coach Currier along with a segment with Langfellow joined by a pair of student-athletes.This week's podcast guests are junior running back Jaylin Richardson and redshirt freshman linebacker Ben Rehl.
 
For fans who miss the show or are outside of the radio station's Twin Cities reach, the entire show is accessible via the CSP Bears Podcast, available in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play Music. It will typically be uploaded late Friday night (after the initial air time) or Saturday morning prior to the game. Search 'CSP Bears' into your favorite podcast provider!
 
CAPTAINS / HONORARY CAPTAINS
CSP head coach Shannon Currier and the Golden Bear coaching staff have continued the program's tradition of selecting rotating weekly game captains for the fifth season in a row. Captains are selected by the coaching staff based on performance on the field and off, as a leader in practice and in day-to-day activities.
 
This week's game captains are junior quarterback Conner Cordts (3x), junior running back Jaylin Richardson, junior safety Cyrus McClure (4x) and sophomore linebacker Richard Wauer (5x).

This week's honorary captains are the football program's newest two inductees in the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame: wide receiver Charles Gilbert (B.A. '12) and defensive lineman Eric Power (B.A. '07), who each helped the Golden Bears reach the Mineral Water Bowl during their football careers.

SERIES HISTORY: USF 14, CSP 2
The Golden Bears and Cougars meet for the 17th time this Saturday with six of those contests coming during CSP's Comet-era (pre-1999) when both programs were NAIA members. During the early years of Concordia football, the Comets and Cougars met four years in a row from 1971 to 1974 with CSP winning 24-16 in the first-ever meeting before Sioux Falls won the next three encounters, adding wins in 1982 and 1983.

The series was re-opened in 2012 when Sioux Falls joined the NSIC, and the teams have met every year since. Concordia's 41-17 win at Sea Foam Stadium in 2019 snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Cougars, but Sioux Falls has responded with wins in 2021 and 2022, combining for 94 points in the process.

Concordia is 1-4 against USF at Sea Foam Stadium, where the Golden Bears also hold a 3-10 record in homecoming games since moving back to campus in 2009. CSP is also 1-5 against USF under head coach Shannon Currier.

Last year, Concordia put up 306 passing yards and topped 400 yards of total offense against a Cougar defense that entered week three limiting opponents to -11 rushing yards and 149 yards of total offense per week. CSP rushed for 105 yards and averaged 4.6 per carry and averaged 17.0 yards per completion en route to the 300-plus passing performance for 411 yards of total offense.

USF countered with 250 rushing yards and 268 passing, amassing 518 yards of total offense, putting up 8.0 yards per play, however. USF also got out to a 20-0 lead, and while CSP cut the margin to 20-10 early in the third quarter and 27-16 with 10:18 to go in the third, CSP wasn't able to keep pace with the Cougars.

Conner Cordts produced his first career 300-yard passing performance, competing 18-46 for 306 yards and three touchdowns, while also setting new career-bests with 59 rushing and 365 yards of total offense. He was only sacked once against a team that had 13 sacks in the first two weeks. He completed touchdowns of 32 (Troy Ellison), 75 (Joey Farley), and 64 (Jaire Moore) yards and CSP's receivers compiled 186 yards after the catch on the evening. Farley led 11 different targets and 10 different players who caught passes from Cordts with 3-81 while Ellison made his debut with 2-48 including the long TD.

Cordts led the team in rushing (8-59) and was aided by Jaylin Richardson's 9-34 and Gayflor Flomo's 4-13.

Adam Mullen led the Cougar offense at 15-22 passing for 268 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Ethan Wittenburg for 5-128 and a TD. Thuro Reisdorfer led the ground attack with 19-159 and two rushing touchdowns including 3-32 receiving.

CORDTS CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Junior quarterback Conner Cordts has moved into eighth on Concordia's all-time passing yards list with 3,700, surpassing three players last week: James Peterson (2009-13) with 3,553; Mitch Brecke (2008-09) with 3,624; and Jared Russo (2010-14) with 3,673. 

In 22 career games, Cordts has passed for 3,700 yards (324-613-14) and 22 touchdowns while adding 468 rushing yards and five more scores. He has 4,168 career total offense yards between his rushing and passing and accounted for 27 total touchdowns.

In 2023, Cordts is off to a strong start through the first five weeks, with 735 passing yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 152 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a career-high 4.5 yards per carry.

Last year as a sophomore, Cordts had his breakout season with career-highs in passing yards (2,108), passing touchdowns (12), rushing yards (234) and rushing touchdowns (3) with 2,342 yards of total offense.

RICHARDSON ROLLING IN THE RUN GAME
Junior running back Jaylin Richardson, who topped the 1,000 career rushing yards milestone earlier this season, produced his second 100-yard rushing performance of the year and third of his career with 21 carries for 172 yards, missing his career-high in rushing by three yards. He also went over 200 all-purpose yards for the second time, finishing with 204 yards, missing his career-high by three.

Richardson is off to a strong start in 2023 with 422 rushing yards (3rd, NSIC & 27th, DII), averaging 5.1 per carry while adding 9-97 as a receiver, combining for three total touchdowns which all came during week one against Upper Iowa (16-108, 2 TD rushing & 2-34, 1 TD receiving). His 104.8 all-purpose yards per game ranks fourth in the NSIC and 62nd nationally.

As a Golden Bear, Richardson has compiled 1,882 all-purpose yards including 262-1,243 rushing (4.7 avg), 47-426 receiving and nine total touchdowns in 21 games played.

He's been aided by a strong running back tandem in sophomore Daniel Hornacek who is averaging a blistering 7.6 yards per carry with 212 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns, adding 5-37 as a receiver. Hornacek and Richardson teamed up as 100-yard rushers in a 43-20 week one win over Upper Iowa with Hornacek rushing for 100yards on 10 carries against the Peacocks.

The Golden Bear offense has rushed for at least 100 yards in all five games including road contests at notable run-stopping squads Winona State (29-109) and #5 Minnesota State (35-120). In CSP's two wins, the Golden Bears have rushed for 281 yards and four touchdowns against Upper Iowa, and 295 yards with five touchdowns against UMary.

DAHLMAN POSTS MASSIVE PUNTING DAY
In week three against Augustana, junior Parker Dahlman countered one of the best returners in the country by averaging a school-record 54.0 yards on five punts, the second-best single game punt average in DII football in a 2023 game. In the game, the special teams punt coverage unit carried a strong 43.8 net punting average, too. He holds three of the top-six single-game punting averages in school history with a minimum of two punts, and the first, third and fourth-highest single-game punt averages with a minimum of three punts.

On the year, his 43.3 average leads the NSIC and ranks 12th in NCAA Division II and is ahead of the school record pace of 41.32 held by Sam Maedke (2017). Dahlman also carries a 40.1 career punting average, putting him nearly a yard ahead of the current record of 39.32 held by Jake Shepley (2017-21), who was primarily a wide receiver during his time at CSP. 

EUE EUE EUE!
Two-time All-NSIC First Team senior transfer kicker Payton Eue has made an immediate impact on the Golden Bear special teams, converting his first five field goal attempts to start his Golden Bear career and making 6-of-7 through five weeks with his only miss from 56-yards which would have been his first career 50-plus yard make. He has converted four times from 20-29 yards, once from 30-39, and holds a long of 41 as part of a three-field goal performance against Augustana in week three. His 3-for-3 performance against the Vikings puts him in a 13-way tie for second-most field goals made in a game at Concordia, and he's one of five players to achieve the feat since the program began in 1969.

His 28 points on the year leads Concordia in scoring and he also averages 61.1 yards on kickoffs, delivering 27 percent (6-22) for touchbacks.

On the year, Eue ranks 16th in the country and leads the NSIC with an 85.7 percent field goal rate (6-7) and ranks 21st in the nation and second in the league with 1.20 field goals made per game.

As a college kicker, including his time at Northern State, Eue has converted 38-of-54 field goals in 39 games, hitting season longs of 48 (2019), 50 (2021), 49 (2022), and 41 (2023) and has compiled 204 career points, including his 90-99 on PATs.

He holds Northern State's career record with 32 field goals made, season record with 14 field goals made (2021) and PATs in a season with 49 in 2021 (49-52). 

ENKE & ELLISON'S BIG GAMES
Wide receivers Drew Enke and Troy Ellison have each posted big individual performances this year, with Ellison producing 10 catches for 85 yards in the season-opening win over Upper Iowa, adding 2-21 rushing and a 58-yard punt return for a 164-yard all-purpose performance, while Enke had a career day against Augustana in week three with seven catches for 163 yards.

The duo are CSP's top receiving threats so far in 2023, with Enke leading the team in receiving yards (225) on 13 catches, averaging a team-best 17.3 per catch while Ellison leads the team with 23 receptions, adding 185 yards and a score. Ellison also has 7-66 rushing (9.4 avg) and a TD, 4-72 on punt returns (18.0 avg) and 7-116 on kickoff returns, trailing only Jaylin Richardson (524) with 439 all-purpose yards.

Junior Rene Zaldivar has also added 7-54 receiving and has scored a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.

Concordia has had 12 different players record a reception on the season with 14 players targeted in the pass game and eight players have at least three catches on the year with CSP's four touchdown passes being distributed to four different targets.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
The Golden Bears have been coming up with big stops throughout the early part of the season and while safety Cyrus McClure leads the team with 30 tackles, it's been a team effort as 13 different players have double-digit tackles through five games, 10 players have at least 15 stops and six players have 20 or more tackles. A mark of a strong defense, two of Concordia's top tacklers are defensive linemen with defensive end Kendis Ledbetter ranking third on the defense with 23 tackles, adding a team-high 5.0 TFLs and second on the team with three sacks, and defensive tackle Koffi Gbekle is tied for seventh with 19 tackles including a team-leading 3.5 sacks.

Additionally, linebackers Ben Rehl (2nd, 26 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks), Jawon Carr (5th, 20 tackles), and Brayden Hilgemann (4th, 21 tackles) continue to pile up tackles. Rehl is coming off of a break-out performance with career-highs 12 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in a 37-34 win over UMary in week five.

Early season turnovers have been Anthony Ukofia with an interception and fumble recovery in the season opening 43-20 win over Upper Iowa, with McClure forcing the same fumble and breaking up the pass that led to Ukofia's INT, while linebackers Hilgemann and Abe Schwinn each have an interception. In week five, Ledbetter had a strip-sack that popped the ball loose as it bounced to the 2-yard line where McKinley Neville recovered, setting up a short 2-yard touchdown run for the offense.

PROVIDING PROTECTION
The Golden Bear offensive line, led by left side returning starters Jake Edwards (LT) and Taylon Hensley (LG), along with experienced players Jac Carver (RG), CJ Picazo (RG), Robby Carrillo (RT) and first-year starter Caydon Christensen (C) have teamed up to allow just three sacks through five games against some of the top teams in the Northern Sun. CSP ranks sixth in the country and second in the NSIC with just 0.6 sacks allowed per game while the run game ranks 36th in the country and fourth in the NSIC with 182.4 rushing yards per game.

The Golden Bears are averaging 5.3 per carry and 182.4 yards per game on the ground, as well, including a pair of 100-yard rushers in Jaylin Richardson (2) and Daniel Hornacek (1) who have combined for three 100-yard rushing performances individually. As a team, CSP has rushed for at least 100 yards in every game, including in road games at Winona State (29-112) and #5 Minnesota State (35-120) while piling up 281 yards and four touchdowns in the 43-20 season opening win over Upper Iowa and 295 yards and five touchdowns in a 37-34 win over UMary in week five.

Combined with the defense which has produced 13.0 sacks by eight different players including six defensive linemen, the offensive line has only surrendered three opposing sacks for a +10 margin in quarterback sacks as the line play has continued to improve on both sides.

ABOUT THE COUGARS
Sioux Falls is off to a 2-3 start overall and in NSIC play, coming off a 49-29 loss to crosstown rival Augustana in the Key to the City trophy game between the two schools located just blocks apart. Sioux Falls has scored at least 26 points in every game except when they put up a season-low seven points in week four against Minot State, a shutout victory for the Cougars. USF is averaging 26.4 points and allowing 32.4 points per game on the year, adding 171.0 rushing and 200.6 passing per contest. Opposing teams have been beating USF on the ground, compiling 206.0 rushing yards per game while adding balance with 218.2 passing yards per game.

The Cougars, who have yet to make or attempt a field goal this year, are 15-19 in the red zone with 15 touchdowns and have converted 8-16 fourth downs through five games.

Camden Dean engineers the offense with high efficiency, ranking third in the country with 73.3 completion percentage while splitting reps under center with Adam Mullen (60.0%). Dean has completed 74-101 for 768 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions while Mullen is 27-45 for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Dean is also the team's second leading rusher (46-260) including five rushing touchdowns, behind Dylan Rudningen's 401 yards, 6.3 average and six touchdowns.

Their top target has been Carter Slykhuis with 31 catches, over six per game, for 331 yards and two scores. Mark Leonard is the only other player with more than 10 catches and 100 yards with 18-194 as 14 different players have caught passes with 15 being targeted.

The Cougar defense has only compiled 2.0 sacks on the year while giving up 11.0 and has a 35.0 to 22.0 deficit in tackles for loss, as well. Eli Schlangen leads the team with 28 tackles while Matt Goehring has 25 tackles and 2.0 TFLs. Amaurii Grosskopf has 14 tackles, 5.0 TFLs and a sack, as well. Connor Aldrich has been the top turnover creator with an interception, forced fumble, fumble recovery and 15 total tackles.

The Cougars are coming off of an 8-3 season, tying for fourth in the NSIC overall and producing a 3-3 record in the final year of NSIC South Division play. They were picked tied for seventh in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll with Northern State, and will play their lone non-conference game in week nine at #4 Pittsburg State (Kan.).