Huge rushing performances are nothing new for the #23 Concordia Cobbers. True to form, they enter this Saturday’s MIAC-opening matchup with the #6 St. John’s Johnnies fresh off of a 194 yard, 4 touchdown ground attack in last week’s non-conference game against Valley City State.
But that’s nothing compared to the day the typically more aeronautically gifted Johnnies had on the ground last weekend. Against a stout UW-Eau Claire defense, the Johnnies piled up 296 rushing yards as five different St. John’s rushers found the end zone. After a season in which the Johnnies struggled to move the ball by land or air, the 2009 offense is starting to remind fans of point-per-minute teams of the past.
And most importantly, the beleaguered St. John’s secondary—torched for numerous big plays, including almost 500 passing yards and 5 touchdowns, through the air in their first two games—should get a much needed breather against the Cobbers’ antiquated, land-based offense.
That’s not to say the Concordia offense will be a walk in the park for St. John’s. The Cobbers opened the season with an eye-opening 24-17 win over then-#8 Willamette. Typical of a big game against a talented opponent, the Cobbers completed just 6 passes while attempting 54 rushes. After Willamette scored a defensive touchdown in the game’s first minute, the Cobbers tallied the game’s next 24 points to take a 24-7 halftime lead. From that point on, they shortened the game with a relentless rushing attack and withstood a late Willamette rally for the win. Expect more of the same this weekend against St. John’s.
The Cobbers used the same recipe last season to beat the Johnnies 9-6, rushing 53 times while completing only 5 passes. While the blueprint remains the same, the Cobbers that will be carrying the mail this Saturday will be quite different. Four-time All-MIAC running back Cory Johnson and quarterback Jesse Nelson, the teams two leading rushers in 2008, have both graduated. Sharing the backfield in 2009 are senior quarterback Andrew Larson, a converted defensive back and the team’s third leading tackler last season, and senior running back Justin Brantner. Brantner carried the ball just 37 times a season ago, but has already totaled 135 yards rushing and three touchdowns this season.
The Cobber defense is reminiscent of an early-evening trip to Denny’s—there are seniors everywhere. The Cobbers start 9 seniors and 2 juniors and return 7 starters from the MIAC’s second stingiest defense in 2008. While the Cobbers’ top 5 tacklers from last season either graduated, or in the case of Larson moved to the offensive side of the ball, 3 of their 4 defenders with 3 or more quarterback sacks last season return to anchor a stout front seven. Junior free safety Zach Debeltz leads the team with 14 tackles and 3 interceptions on the young season.
While St. John’s and St. Thomas will always be the MIAC’s marquee rivalry, and the Johnnies and Bethel have played numerous high-stakes games over the past decade, there is something timeless about the Johnnies and Cobbers matching up on the gridiron. Concordia’s 39-30-6 record against St. John’s is the best of any conference opponent and the two schools have combined for 48 conference titles over the league’s 88-year history (30 for St. John’s, 18 for Concordia). Like most seasons, this year’s Cobber/Johnnie game will go a long way towards deciding who earns the MIAC crown.
The Cobbers notched the MIAC’s most impressive non-conference win by beating Willamette in their season opener, answering many questions about their inexperienced offense in the process. Defending champion St. John’s entered the season as the conference favorites yet again, and their two non-conference wins over teams from the nation’s toughest conference, the WIAC, has done nothing to change their expectations for the year. In what should be a wide-open MIAC, one of these teams will have an important win on their ledger after this weekend.
