September 29, 20196 yr The #5 Concordia Cardinals go to 4-0 with a victory over #9 St Xavier Cougars. This was the most exciting game of the season for the Cards so far. It did not start well for the team from Michigan. The vaunted Cougar offense started the game as advertised. After CUAA went three and out on the first possession of the game, the Cougar offense started rolling. RB Vance McShane ran and caught passes to move the ball down the field. He capped off the 6-play drive with a 28 yard TD run, 7-0 St. Xavier. The Cougars did the old "rinse and repeat" throughout the 1st quarter. After shutting down the Cardinal offense again, the Cougar offense got its second opportunity and McShane scored on another 28-yard TD run. By the end of the 1st Quarter St. Xavier had a 21-0 lead and all the momentum. The Cardinal defense could not stop them and the Cardinal offense could not get on track. But that was the story of the first quarter. In the 2nd Quarter, the Cardinal defense began to shut down the Cougars offense and the Cardinal offense began to click. The Cardinal defense came up with two interceptions in the quarter while the offense score three times by the end of the quarter to tie the game 21-21 at the half. The fortunes continued for CUAA in the 2nd half scoring twice in the third quarter to take a 35-21. Here's where the game got interesting. The Cougars sustained a long drive with the first possession of the 4th quarter. After 19 plays the Cougars got as far as the Cardinals 3-yard line. On the 20th play of the drive and on 4th down, The Cougars QB threw into the end zone where Amaan Payne intercepted the pass and ran it out to the 9-yard line. On the next play CUAA RB Omar Sinclair went up the middle cut outside and raced 91 yards for the TD. The kick made it 42-21 for CUAA. They scored 42 straight points against the Cougars. The St. Xavier offense then went to work on their next possession scoring on a 30-yard pass play. Kick was good for a 42-28 score. Concordia had to punt on its next possession giving the Cougars excellent field position following the 9-yard effort. The Cougar QB then carried his team down the field with his arm for another TD to make it 42-35. Concordia again had to punt on 4th down so St. Xavier had another chance to tie the score. With the help of a CUAA penalty and several Cougar pass receptions the ball game came down to 4th down at the Cardinals 23 yard line. QB Alex Martinez threw to his receiver who got his hands on the ball but the Concordia defender was able to knock the ball out for an incompletion and a turn-over on downs. Concordia ran the clock out in victory formation for a very exciting victory, 42-35. My take-away is that CUAA has found the offense they were missing in the first two games. On his second start, QB Peter Morrison was 23 of 34 for 272 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Rod Dailey had 9 receptions for 127 yards and 1 TD. Donovan Johnson added 4 receptions for 61 yards and a TD. RB Omar Sinclair ran for 146 yards in 15 rushes, 2 TDs and one run of 91 yards. This was a very satisfying victory in which the players and the coaches stepped up after a first quarter that saw them in a 21-point hole. CUAA hosts Siena Heights University next week for their Homecoming game.
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