Sept. 8, 2007

Chicago Routs Concordia 41-10 in Season Opener

RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- In his first game as the Maroons' starting quarterback, junior John Kiernan (Joliet, Ill./ Joliet Catholic) threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more as the University of Chicago football team kicked off its 2007 campaign with a 41-10 win over host Concordia University Chicago.

Kiernan completed 12 of 24 attempts for 158 yards without an interception and rushed for 124 yards on 15 carries. He led a Chicago offensive attack which amassed 466 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.

Freshman wide receiver Clay Wolff (St. Louis, Mo./ Christian Brothers) reached the end zone on the Maroons' first two possessions. He scored on a 31-yard reverse on Chicago's seventh play from scrimmage, then caught a 29-yard pass from Kiernan on the first play of the Maroons' next drive.

Concordia Chicago (1-1) got on the board late in the first quarter when a 1-yard pass from Jason Weeks to Maurice Tisdale capped a nine-play, 41-yard drive.

In the second quarter, Chicago sandwiched a pair of Kiernan rushing touchdowns around a Concordia field goal, giving the Maroons a commanding 28-10 advantage at the half.

Kiernan scored on a 26-yard scamper at the 12:49 mark of the second quarter before running in from 46 yards out with 3:00 to go in the first half.

The Maroons added a pair of touchdowns in the second half en route to their second straight season-opening victory and seventh in the past eight years.

Kiernan connected with senior wideout Mike Albian (Darien, Ill./ Montini) on a 24-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to cap the Maroons' longest scoring drive, an eight-play, 71-yard march. Albian caught six passes for 80 yards on the day.

Freshman running back Thomas Parks (Crown Point, Ind./ Crown Point) scored the game's final touchdown on a 27-yard run with 2:27 left in the game. Parks gained 129 yards on 13 carries without losing a yard.

Chicago rushed for 308 yards on 49 attempts for an average of 6.3 yards per carry.

With seven tackles, including three tackles-for-loss and a sack, junior linebacker Mike DeNoma (Loveland, Ohio/ Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) helped Chicago hold the Cougars to 181 yards of total offense.

Box Score