2013 Siena Heights University Football
Siena Heights Saints (3-3, 0-2 MSFA Mideast) vs
Concordia Cardinals (1-5, 0-2 MSFA Mideast)
Saturday, Oct. 19 - 1 p.m. - Ann Arbor, Michigan
Live Coverage: Jerry Hayes (play-by-play), Zach Stultz (color commentary), Siena Heights Sports Network (SHUSAINTS.COM), WLEN 103.9 FM
For a complete PDF version of game notes, click HERE.
THE GAME
The Siena Heights football team will make its shortest road trip of the season with it visits Concordia for a 1 p.m. Mid-States Football Association Mideast League game at Ann Arbor Huron High School's Riverbank Stadium.
Last week, the Saints trailed 27-23 with 26 seconds left and then drove 54 yards in five plays for one final shot at the end zone before falling to defending NAIA champ Marian (Ind.).
On the game's final play, SHU lined up at the Knights' 23-yard-line as quarterback Travis Zajkowski heaved a pass into the end zone that was knocked away by Marian defense back Eric Price.
The Knights had taken the lead on a 22-yard touchdown run by running back Robert Gibson with 33 seconds left in the game.
SHU tight end Donovan Campbell made six catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns while running back Ja'Tice K. Shaw II had 18 carries for 106 yards and a score. Wide receiver Raphael Dunson added five receptions for 49 yards.
Both Zajkowski and Matt King saw time under center. Zajkowski completed 13 of 18 passes for 119 yards and one TD while King was 8 of 13 for 87 yards and a TD.
Punt returner Fred Butler had two punt returns for 41 yards with both returns setting up scoring drives.
On defense, defensive back Sederick A. Dunbar II had six tackles and linebacker Tyler Karcher made 5 1/2 stops. Linebacker Nate Pupel added a sack and forced fumble while defensive back DeShawn Gilbert made his fourth interception of the season.
Concordia suffered its fourth consecutive loss last week, dropping a 47-7 decision to Taylor (Ind.). The Cardinals scored their only touchdown with 4:34 left when quarterback Aaron Zalewski found wide receiver Corey Turner with a seven-yard touchdown pass.
Starting quarterback Beau Perry finished with eight carries for 36 yards and completed 9 of 33 passes for 67 yards and an INT. Zalewski went 3 of 4 for 47 yards.
Turner made four catches for 47 yards and fellow wide receiver Doug Dufrin contributed four receptions for 24 yards.
On defense, linebacker Takari Johnson finished with 10 tackles, including three for-loss, and a sack. Defensive lineman Tom Knott added 7 1/2 tackles (three for-loss), a forced fumble and a sack.
Defensive lineman added a forced fumble and defensive back Cortez Smith made a sack.
THE COACHES
Jim Lyall (Michigan '74) is in his third season as head coach for Siena Heights, where he now has a 7-9 varsity record. He is 110-101-1 all-time as a collegiate varsity football coach. During SHU's 2011 club season, Lyall went 8-1. He was previously the head coach at Adrian, where he compiled a 103-92-1 varsity slate.
Lonnie Pries (Concordia, Ill.) is in his first year as head coach for Concordia. He is 43-34 all-time as an eight-year varsity football coach, including a 1-5 mark for the Cardinals. He was previously head coach of NCAA Division III member Concordia (Ill.), compiling a 43-34 record while earning three Northern Athletics Conference Coach of the Year awards.
UP NEXT...
The Saints will make their second straight road trip when they travel to Upland, Ind., for an MSFA Mideast matchup against Taylor. The teams will take on one another on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.
The Trojans, who are currently 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the MSFA Mideast, will visit Robert Morris (Ill.) for a 1 p.m. contest on Oct. 19. Taylor received votes in the latest NAIA coaches' poll.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Concordia, the closest NAIA football school in proximity to Siena Heights, is off to a 1-5 overall record and 0-2 slate in MSFA Mideast play. The three-year-old varsity program earned its first victory on Sept. 14 when it claimed a 35-21 victory over NCAA Division III opponent Alfred State (N.Y.).
As a varsity squad, CUAA has a 1-25 record and 0-12 mark in MSFA Mideast competition. Concordia has two home venues: Ann Arbor Huron High School's Riverbank Stadium and Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium -- the Cardinal's lone win happened at EMU.
Since their first win, the Cardinals have dropped four straight contests by a combined score of 193-20. Opponents were MSFA teams Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), then-11th-ranked Saint Ambrose (Iowa), Saint Francis (Ill.) and Taylor (Ind.).
CUAA returned three All-MSFA Mideast honorable mentions from a year ago, including linebacker Takari Johnson, punter Tom Greenwood and defensive back Cortez Smith.
Johnson has been Concordia's most notable performer in 2013. He leads the NAIA with 15.7 tackles per game while rating second in total tackles-for-loss (15). Johnson is also tied for ninth in total sacks (9 1/2). He has a total of 70 1/2 tackles; he also has a fumble recovery.
Other key performers on defense include cornerback Lawrence Harris, who is tied for 13th in the NAIA with three interceptions, and defensive end Tom Knott, who is tied for 18th with 4 1/2 total sacks.
Knott has compiled 7 1/2 tackles for loss, defensive tackle Trey Runions has two forced fumbles, and linebacker Gabe Cox and safety Nick Holshoe have been credited with 37 1/2 and 36 tackles, respectively. Smith has 10 1/2 tackles and an interception.
The CUAA offense has struggled quite a bit, averaging only 218.5 yards per game. The Cardinals rate in bottom three of three major team offense categories: points, yards, and rushing yards.
Tyler Steele has been the primary quarterback for Concordia, completing 95 of 180 passes for 916 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions. Teammate Beau Perry has also seen some time under center and has gone 30 of 77 for 281 yards, two TDs and one INT.
Targets in the passing game include wide receiver Corey Turner, who has 26 catches for 324 yards and two scores. Running back Ashton Hundley has contributed 50 carries for 71 yards and 17 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.
In the NAIA team rankings, the Cardinals are tied for 13th in sacks per game (2.7) while rating tied for 15th in total sacks (16).
LAST TIME WE MET
The Saints earned their first MSFA Mideast win with a 31-14 decision over Concordia on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, at Riverbank Stadium.
Quarterbacks Matt King and Travis Zajkowski combined for three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Lyle VanFleteren as the Saints outscored the Cardinals, 31-7, after giving up the game's first score.
King was 6 of 13 for 79 yards and one TD before Zajkowski took over in the second half with a 7-of-14, 94-yard performance. Zajkowski threw for two touchdowns.
Also for the SHU offense, running back Julius Taylor Jr. had 23 carries for 107 yards and three receptions for 14 yards while wide receiver Raphael Dunson finished with three catches for 48 yards and six carries for 45 yards and one TD.
Defensively, linebacker Trent Bragg made 4 1/2 tackles and forced one fumble. Defensive lineman Robert Becker also had a forced fumble while linebacker Derek J. Head recovered one.
Linebacker Tyler Karcher added 2 1/2 tackles-for-loss and an interception and defensive back DeShawn Gilbert was credited with two pass breakups.
On the game's second play from scrimmage, Concordia wide receiver Kelvin Woods rushed for a 62-yard touchdown and, just like that, the Saint trailed 47 seconds in.
The Saints finally answered late in the first quarter with a seven-play, 63-yard drive. Running back Drew Milligan put the team in position with an 18-yard reception and 10-yard run before Dunson scampered to paydirt from nine yards out.
SHU took the lead with 9:56 left in the second when King found VanFleteren for a 16-yard score. A 20-yard field goal by Jonah Harter extended the visitors' lead to 17-7 before intermission.
The Cardinals looked poised to threaten late when quarterback Tyler Steele threw to Woods for a 39-yard touchdown, helping Concordia trim its deficit to 17-14, but the Saints ran off the final 14 points.
A six-yard touchdown reception by VanFleteren capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive for the Saints as SHU grabbed a 24-14 advantage. The score was Zajkowski's first collegiate touchdown pass.
Concordia then went three-and-out and then failed on a fake-punt attempt. Two players later, Zajkowski tossed a 28-yard score to Reggie Blackmon and the Saints went up, 31-14, with 12:19 left in the game.
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Back-to-back shutouts earned the Saints some national recognition, moving them into the Top 25, but that momentum has quickly worn off after back-to-back losses. SHU does have some time to right the ship and make another run into the NAIA rankings; it all starts with Saturday's matchup with Concordia.
After that, Siena Heights will take on a trio of teams that have been ranked during the past two seasons: Taylor (Ind.), 20th-ranked Saint Francis (Ill.) and Robert Morris (Ill.). The Saints earned victories over the Trojans and Eagles in 2012, but have not yet faced the Fighting Saints of Saint Francis.
NOT GETTING ANY EASIER
As time passes, it's quite apparent that SHU was hit with a trio of extremely tough matchups -- each of which could have went the way of the Blue and Gold. The Saints' first opponent, Grand View (Iowa), which escaped Adrian with a 24-21 victory, is now ranked third in the NAIA.
Saint Francis (Ind.), which knocked off the Saints two weeks ago, is now No. 4. Meanwhile, Marian (Ind.) came into O'Laughlin as the defending national champ.
STILL AMONG THE TOUGHEST
The Siena Heights defense can still lay claim to being one of the tougher units to score upon in the NAIA. The team is currently ranked 10th in the entire NAIA in points allowed per game (18.3), trailing only Grand View (Iowa) within the conference. The Vikings are rated fifth in the nation (14.8).
Linebacker Tyler Karcher is the squad's leading tackler with 42 1/2 stops. The next three leading tacklers include defensive back Sederick A. Dunbar II (32 1/2), linebacker Trenton Bragg (32) and defensive back DeShawn Gilbert (25 1/2).
Dunbar has also compiled two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while Gilbert has four interceptions and six credited pass breakups. Gilbert's four picks has him tied for fifth in the NAIA rankings. He is also tied for the MSFA lead with Marian's Eric Price in passes defended (10).
Defensive lineman Kyle Connors holds the team lead in sacks (3) while Karcher holds the team lead in tackles-for-loss (5).
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Among those players in NAIA Football who are listed as tight ends, Donovan Campbell leads the crowd in total receptions. Campbell, who is tied for 13th in the NAIA with 37 receptions, is also the leading pass-catcher among tight ends. The next closest tight end is Bobby Tisch of Dakota State (S.D.); Tisch has made 28 grabs.
Campbell continues to lead the Siena Heights receiving corps. His 37 receptions have totaled 479 yards and eight touchdowns. In two varsity seasons, Campbell has accumulated 78 catches for 993 yards and 14 scores. He is nine yards from becoming the first Saint to eclipse the 1,000-yards-receiving plateau and now 22 catches for the 100-reception mark.
Campbell is also 26th in the NAIA in receiving yards. In the MSFA, he is sixth in receptions per game and eighth in receiving yards per game.
PASSING ATTACK
Quarterbacks Matt King and Travis Zajkowski and a pair of receivers -- tight end Donovan Campbell and wide-out Reggie Blackmon -- have certainly provided the Saints with a much-improved passing attack thus far in 2013.
Last season, Siena Heights totaled 137 completed passes for 1,461 yards and a 119.06 rating. The Saints are well ahead of the pace needed to break those marks; currently, they have 107 completions for 1,355 yards and a 149.17 rating. The passing rating has the team ranked 10th in NAIA pass efficiency. The Saints are third in the MSFA behind Saint Francis, Ill. (171.8) and Saint Ambrose, Iowa (154.2).
SHU's completion percentage has improved to 64.1 percent (56.4 last year) and its yards-per-game average has jumped from 146.1 to 225.8. Also, the Saints had 12 touchdown passes in 2012; so far in 2013, they have 11.
King has seen the bulk of playing time under center, completing 74 of 113 throws for 940 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. His 150.5 passing efficiency rating has him ranked 11th in the NAIA.
Wide receiver Reggie Blackmon has come on lately himself and now totals 17 catches for 257 yards and three TDs while multi-threat Raphael Dunson has 14 receptions for 138 yards and running back-turned-slot receiver Drew Milligan has 12 grabs for 117 yards.
FREDDY B.
Cornerback Fred Butler saw his first action of the season as a punt returner last week against Marian (Ind.). He delivered with a pair of returns to set up two scoring drives in the second half -- the first was a school-record 25-yard jaunt to the Marian 11-yard-line that set up a 10-yard scoring strike from quarterback Travis Zajkowski to tight end Donovan Campbell.
Butler's second return got the Saints to the MU 39 and helped set up a go-ahead 21-yard field goal by kicker Victor Bodrie, giving the Saints a 23-20 fourth-quarter lead.
GO FOUR IT
SHU has outperformed opponents on fourth-down plays in 2013, converting 6 of 13 opportunities. Opponents have gone 2 of 8.
FOLLOW THE MARCH
All Siena Heights football games will be webcast on the Siena Heights Sports Network, which can be accessed via the Stretch Internet link on WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM. Live stats can be followed online at WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM.
SHSN will provide live video for each Saint home game. Play-by-play will be called by Jerry Hayes while Doug Goodnough will provide color commentary. Zach Stultz is the producer. Games will be archived in Stretch's on-demand feature.
SHSN and WLEN 103.9 FM have also enjoyed a three-year partnership. All games will be audio-streamed online at WLEN.COM while select games will be broadcast live on the radio.
HAVE AN AWESOME FRICKIN' THURSDAY
Frickers Restaurant of Adrian will replay Siena Heights football games every Thursday at 8 p.m. at its establishment. Frickers is a supporter of Siena Heights Athletics, providing food to the press box for every SHU Football home game.
