Not a Good Start for the Vikings

It wasn’t a very good day for the Dana Vikings’ football team as they kicked off their home opener Saturday against the Concordia Bulldogs. The Viking offense was held scoreless as Dana fell 38-2.

The Vikings’ special teams came up big in the first quarter of the game as a bad snap by the Bulldogs’ punt team led to a safety to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, these were Dana’s only points of the game. The Bulldogs went on to score on their next possession and then blocked a punt for a touchdown to give them a 14-2 lead with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter. Concordia’s star running back JaMaine Lewis tacked on another score before the end of the quarter on a 66-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 21-2 lead. 

The Vikings had a couple of breaks that could have put them right back in the game.

A couple of Bulldog turnovers set up the Vikings’ offense in the red zone. Both series ended in Dana turnovers, however, and another long touchdown run by Concordia gave the visitors a 28-2 halftime lead.

The Vikings’ defense came out strong in the third, holding the Bulldogs’ offense scoreless in the third quarter and giving the offense chance to get back in the game. Quarterback Marcus Sladek (Omaha, Neb.) tried to lead his team back by taking them down into scoring position until a 11 play, 71-yard drive ended in another Bulldog interception in the end zone. Sladek ended the day 32 of 54 passing with 280 yards and four interceptions.

The Bulldogs kicked a field goal early in the fourth quarter and put up another touchdown in the final period for the 38-2 win.

After the game, Dana Head Coach Bill Danenhauer said, “It was a tough game to be a part of. We shot ourselves in the foot every chance we had to get back into this game.”

Next Saturday the Vikings will take on Hastings College (2-0) in Hastings, Neb., at 1 p.m.   

Shad Beam, sports information director, (402) 426-7389, sbeam@dana.edu