Football Preview: Red Devils Eye Bounce-Back Win at CUC

EUREKA, Ill. – The Red Devils hit the road this Saturday for a NACC matchup against Concordia Chicago. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Concordia Stadium in River Forest, Ill., as Eureka looks to bounce back after last weekend's loss against Aurora.

Fans can follow along via a live audio broadcast on EC 103.1 with Matthew Swan and Drew Danehl on the call. Live stats and a live stream will also be available through eurekareddevils.com.

Eureka (2-2, 1-1 NACC) will be looking to bounce back after a difficult 66-0 loss to Aurora last Saturday. Despite the scoreline, the Red Devils showed flashes offensively on the ground, with Aaron Locus and Ronnie Sanders combining for 57 rushing yards on just 12 rushing attempts. Freshman Jovon Gibson led the defense with 11 tackles, while Simor Price notched his first career interception.

This weekend also marks a chance for redemption against the Cougars. Concordia Chicago defeated Eureka in a 31-27 thriller last season, spoiling the Red Devils' Homecoming game. Historically, Eureka leads the all-time series 27-18, including a 13-9 mark in River Forest.

CUC BREAKDOWN: Concordia Chicago (2-2, 0-2 NACC) enters Saturday looking for its first conference win of the year. The Cougars opened the season with back-to-back non-conference victories but have since dropped consecutive NACC contests to St. Norbert and Wisconsin Lutheran.

Last week, CUC fell 28-6 at Wisconsin Lutheran. The Cougars managed 242 yards of total offense, with Joron Brown pacing the rushing attack at 84 yards on 16 carries. Quarterback Jakob Redmond completed 9-of-16 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, finding Ja'Shawn Hall for a 12-yard score late in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Kadin Stroer led with 10 tackles, while Jahmari Jackson tallied a sack and two tackles for loss.

On the season, CUC is averaging 21.5 points and 325.8 yards per game. Brown leads the Cougars with 409 rushing yards and five touchdowns, while Colton Bosch has thrown for 631 passing yards and five touchdowns. Kevon Lawson is the top target for the Cougars with 257 yards and two TDs on the season.

RED DEVIL SPOTLIGHT: Eureka enters Week 5 averaging 266.5 yards per game, 115.5 on the ground and 151.0 through the air. Quarterback Daryus Warren has thrown for 580 yards and six touchdowns, highlighted by a four-touchdown outing in the win over Rockford in Week 3. Sanders leads the rushing attack with 216 yards and two scores, while DeVayne Isom has been dangerous as both a return man and a receiver with 353 all-purpose yards.

Defensively, freshman Jovon Gibson has been a consistent playmaker, leading the team with 34 tackles, while Ethan Paulat leads the team with three sacks. As a unit, Eureka has forced six turnovers and recorded nine sacks through four games.

NACC LEADERS:

• CUC's Joron Brown is 3rd in the NACC in rushing yards (409) and 3rd in rushing touchdowns (5), while Eureka's Ronnie Sanders is 5th in rushing yards (216) and tied for 7th in rushing TDs (2).
• CUC quarterback Colton Bosch is 5th in passing yards (631) and tied for 7th in passing TDs (5). Eureka's Daryus Warren ranks 7th in passing yards (580) and is tied for 4th in passing TDs (6).
• CUC receiver Kevon Lawson sits 5th in receiving yards (257) and is tied for 4th in receiving TDs (2), while teammate Jaxon Martinus is 15th in receiving yards (144) and also tied for 4th in receiving TDs (2).
• Eureka's DeVayne Isom is 5th in average kick return yards (21.2).
• Defensively, CUC's Kadin Stroer ranks 2nd in the NACC in tackles (41), while Eureka's Jovon Gibson is 6th (34). Eureka's Ethan Paulat and Will Watkins are tied for 16th in tackles (24). Paulat is also tied for 3rd in the league with 3 sacks, while Watkins ranks 11th in tackles-for-loss (4.5).

LOOKING AHEAD: Eureka will return home next Saturday, Oct. 11, to host Benedictine for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at McKinzie Field, where the Red Devils will also honor their Hall of Fame inductees at halftime.