Game Time...Northwestern College is set to host unbeaten Concordia this weekend in GPAC play. Kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 17, is set for 1pm. The Raiders, coming off their scheduled bye week, are 2-1 in the GPAC; Concordia is a perfect 4-0 this season.
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The Rivalry...Northwestern holds a 28-14 lead in the all-time series, dating back to 1960 (the first year of Raider football as a four-year institution). The Raiders have won the last three meetings and are 8-2 in the last 10 games against Concordia. Northwestern defeated the Bulldogs 20-14 last year in Seward, Neb. and has not lost to their GPAC rival at home since 2002. Six of the last 10 games in the rivalry have been decided by 10 points or less.Â
By the Numbers...
  *47 of the 95 football programs within the NAIA have started their 2020-21 season
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Team Stats (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
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Concordia:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
      Offense PPG: 26.3 (6th)                  Defense PPG: 11.8 (1st / 5th)      12/13 PAT
      Offense YPG: 395 (4th)                   Defense YPG: 253 (1st / 8th)       3/6 FG
      Rush YPG: 165 (5th)                         Rush YPG vs: 96 (2nd)                  39 yards/punt attempt
      Pass YPG: 230 (5th)                         Pass YPG vs: 157 (1st / 10th)       21.9 yards / kick return
      3rd Down %: 42% (4th)                   3rd Down % vs: 27% (1st)              2.4 yards / punt return
      Sacks Allowed: 9 (6th)                     Sacks: 17 (1st / 1st)
      Turnover Margin: +2 (4/2)
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Northwestern:
        Offense PPG: 43 (3rd / 8th)       Defense PPG: 33.7 (6th)    15/18 PAT
      Offense YPG: 545 (1st / 2nd)       Defense YPG: 473 (8th)     2/3 FG
      Rush YPG: 175 (3rd)            Rush YPG vs: 196 (8th)     35 yards/punt attempt (7th
      Pass YPG: 370 (1st / 1st)         Pass YPG vs: 277 (8th)     18 yards / kick return (7th)
      3rd Down %: 42% (5th)          3rd Down % vs: 58% (9th)   19 yards / punt return (1st / 5th)
      Sacks Allowed: 5 (3rd)           Sacks: 0 (10th)
      Turnover Margin: -6 (2/8)
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Individual Leaders (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Concordia
    Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (16-18, 4th year as head coach, 14th w/ program)
    Passing: Blake Culbert – 68/129 (53%), 920 yards (3rd/7th), 5 td, 0 int, 1 300-yd passing game
    Rushing: Jonah Weyand – 65 rushes, 384 yards, 5.9 avg, 7 TD (2nd/2nd), 2 100-yd games
    Receiving: Korrell Koehlmoos – 16 catches, 345 yards (4th/8th), 2 TD, 3 100-yd games
    Defense: Payton Kidder - 20 tackles, 1 QB sack
                  Chase Hammons - 11 tackles, 5 QB sacks (1st / 1st)
    Northwestern
    Head Coach: Matt McCarty (32-14, 5th year)
    Passing: Tyson Kooima – 46/75 (61%), 1,009 yards (1st/1st), 10 TD, 3 INT, 1 400-yard game
                                          -35 att, 211 rush yds (6th), TD (1 100-yard game)
    Rushing: Konner McQuillan – 22 rushes, 100 yards, 4.5 avg, 2 TD
    Receiving: Cade Moser – 16 catches (4th), 367yds (2nd/4th), 4 TD (6th)
                    Shane Solberg - 14 catches (8th), 325yds (3rd/9th), 4 TD (6th)
    Defense: Noah Van't Hof - 29 tackles (2nd)
                    Parker Fryar – 28 tackles (3rd)
                  Brett Moser - 20 tacklesÂ
Schedule / Results from 2020
Concordia (4-0, 4-0 GPAC)
9/12 at Doane, W, 24-7
9/19 vs. Hastings, W, 34-28 (OT)
9/26 at Briar Cliff, W, 24-9
10/3 vs. Jamestown, W, 23-3
Northwestern (2-1, 2-1 GPAC)
9/12 at Morningside, L, 31-45
9/19 vs. Dakota Wesleyan, W, 50-16
10/3 at Dordt, W, 48-40
Rankings...
Concordia was picked seventh in the GPAC preseason poll while Northwetsern was picked second. The Bulldogs were not ranked at the end of the 2019 season, Northwestern finished 10th in the NAIA poll. (There has been no NAIA Coaches' poll this fall). Based on the current Massey Ratings, Concordia is 30th and the Raiders are eighth.
Key Match-Ups:
Northwestern's Offense (1st in GPAC, 8th overall) vs Concordia Defense (1st in GPAC, 5th overall)
  -Northwestern comes into the weekend averaging a GPAC-best 545 yards of offense and averages 43ppg; Concordia's defense is tops in the GPAC, giving up just 11.8ppg and 253 ypg.
Northwestern passing attack vs Concordia pass rush
  -The Raiders sport the best passing offense in the NAIA (370ypg) and have given up 5 sacks; Concordia has been especially stingy against the pass, allowing a mere 157 yards per game; they lead the NAIA with 17 sacks
Raider rush defense vs Concordia rush offense
  -The Raiders defense vs the run is eight in the GPAC and will have to deal with a Bulldogs rushing attack that ranks fifth in the GPAC (165ypg), led by Jonah Weyand with 128ypg, second best in the NAIA
Other Notes...
  Concordia:
      -the Bulldogs are one of 11 unbeaten teams left in the NAIA and 1 of two GPAC teams (Morningside)
      -the 4-0 start is just the third (since 2001); Bulldogs did so in 2001 and 2013.
      -QB Blake Culbert threw for a career-best 361 yards vs Jamestown, the second highest total in program history
      -RB Jonah Weyand received NAIA/GPAC player of the week honors after his team's week two win vs Hastings
      -Lane Napier, a returning All-American, ranks third on the team in tackles despite missing the last game
      -Bulldogs finished the 2019 season with a 3-7 overall record, 3-6 in the GPAC
      -return 10 starters (5 offense, 3 defense, 2 ST)
  Northwestern:
      -QB Tyson Kooima earned NAIA / GPAC Player of the Week after the win vs Dordt
      -Already the career passing yards leader, Kooima needs three passing TD's to be the program's all-time leader; Kooima has 82 passing TD's, two in back of
            Curtis Krull (84, 1970-73)
      -Shane Solberg is the program's leader in; career yards, touchdowns, catches and holds the top two spots in receiving yards in a season
      -Solberg has 16 games with 100+ receiving yards, 2 this season
      -Cade Moser has six games w/ 100+ receiving yards, 2 this season
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