ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 19th-ranked Siena Heights football team lost a heartbreaker to No. 5 Concordia (Mich.) after the Cardinals scored the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left in regulation to take the 10-7 win. Kole Murlin led a stout Siena Heights defense with 15 tackles and two pass breakups in the losing effort.
THE BASICS
Final Score: CUAA 10, SHU 7
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Records: CUAA (5-0, 1-0 MSFA), SHU (4-1, 0-1 MSFA)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was a defensive battle throughout as neither offense was able to put any points on the board in the first quarter. The Saints broke the tie with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Knecht to Kaleb Jefferson that capped an eight-play, 62-yard drive with 9:34 remaining in the first half that put the Saints up 7-0. The score would remain that through the half and the third quarter.
Concordia got on the board with a 40-yard field goal by Wyatt Mast with 12:40 left in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals had another chance to score on their next drive as they drove the ball down to the Saints one-yard line. Trenton Morrow would sack CUAA quarterback Peter Morrison for a 12-yard loss to put Concordia back to the 18. Gabe Callery would tally an interception in the endzone on the next play to shut down the Cardinals scoring opportunity.
The CUAA defense made the stop on 3rd down to give the offense the ball back with 56 seconds left in the game. With just over 10 seconds left in the game, the Morrison hit Clay Coltson for a 32-yard touchdown reception with only nine seconds left on the clock to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game, 10-7.
TOP SAINTS
Offense
• Knecht finished 16-24 for 126 yards and a touchdown in the game.
• Jefferson had 15 carries for 66 yards along with his touchdown reception to register the only score for the Saints.
• Jalen Young led the SHU receivers with six catches for 49 yards.
Defense
• Nick Stalworth finished with seven tackles.
• Griffin Sobol had six tackles, 1.5 for loss, a sack, and a pass break up.
• Morrow had six tackles, one for loss, a sack, and an interception.
• Callery recorded six tackles and had the interception in the endzone.
Special Teams
• Caleb Meister punted nine times for 342 yards. He pinned Concordia (Mich.) inside the 20-yard line four times.
THE OPPOSITION
Offense
• Morrison was 24-42 for 283 yards and a touchdown through the air.
• Coltson caught four passes for 94 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown.
Defense
• Ryan Fish led the Cardinals with eight tackles.
• Alex Hinojosa tallied seven tackles, one for loss, and a sack.
• Reggie Thompson totaled three tackles and had an interception.
Special Teams
• Mast was 1-2 in field goals and a perfect 1-1 on extra-point attempts.
UP NEXT
The Saints return home to play Taylor (Ind.) next Saturday, October 12. The game is the 2019 Homecoming game for the Saints and will kickoff at 1:00 p.m., EST.
