GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Calvin's first-ever on-campus football game will go in the books as a rebounding success. The Knights defeated Concordia University (Wis.) 34-7 on Saturday at Calvin Soccer Stadium as the Knights improved to 2-0 on the young season.
Calvin had four games in its inaugural 2024 campaign but all four were played at Grand Rapids Christian High School. With the move of Calvin's 2025 home schedule to Calvin Soccer Stadium, Saturday offered the first opportunity for the young program to play on campus.
Nearly 3,000 fans were treated to a hard-hitting Calvin defense and a pulsating rushing attack as the Knights cruised to the win against a team it had fallen to 34-24 the year before.
Sophomore running back Hunter Hogan was the catalyst in the Calvin offense as he rushed for a Calvin single-game record 215 yards and two touchdowns. Hogan was a workhorse as he carried the ball 34 times while netting his second straight game of 100 rushing yards or more.
Hogan's first touchdown run came on a 17-yard first quarter scamper that helped the Knights build a 14-0 lead. His final touchdown came in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to climax a six-play, 82-yard drive. Hogan had a key 30-yard run up the middle that put the Knights in the red zone. On the following play, he burst through the middle, leaped outside with an acrobatic jump cut and beat the defense to the right pylon. The touchdown and ensuing point-after by sophomore Sal Ruffino gave Calvin a commanding fourth quarter lead. Ruffino concluded the Calvin scoring with a 19-yard field goal, his second field goal of the game as the Knights closed out the win.
Calvin came out of the gates strong, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives. Sophomore Jude Klunder scored the opening touchdown on a 26-yard fade down the left sideline from sophomore quarterback Thomas Vaccaro with just 5:10 elapsed in the game. After another Calvin defense stop, the Knight marched 66 yards in eight plays, capped off by Hogan's 17-yard touchdown run to build a 14-0 lead.
Calvin's defense was stout throughout the game with Concordia's only points coming off an interception deep in Calvin territory in the second quarter. The interception gave the Falcons (1-1) the ball on the Calvin five-yard line and they cashed in on a touchdown run by quarterback Roman Funk to make it 14-7.
The Knights responded with a key drive to end the first half as the Knights moved 75 yards in three minutes to grab a 21-7 lead with 29 seconds left on the clock. The drive was completed by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Vaccaro to Klunder with Klunder snaring a deflected ball originally tipped by a Concordia defensive back in the end zone.
The second half was fueled by the Calvin defense as the Knights pitched a shutout over the final 30 minutes. Junior Alexander Minnehan intercepted a pass on Concordia's opening drive of the second half. Minnehan's lengthy return off the pick set up a 31-yard field goal by Ruffino.
Hogan later recovered a muffed punt by Concordia near midfield but the Knights were unable to cash in on the opportunity.
Calvin's defense limited the Falcons to just 105 yards of offense in the second half and forced another punt, leading to Calvin's game-clinching 82-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter.
Vaccaro was 14 of 21 passing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Klunder caught a career-high eight balls for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Hogan had four catches for 40 yards. Sophomore Nick Earles (Greenville, Mich./Greenville HS) added 47 rushing yards in 11 carries for the Knights with Vaccaro scrambling for 37 yards.
Funk was 24 of 36 for 218 yards and a rushing touchdown for Concordia. Eight different Falcons caught a pass led by Nick Crowell with seven receptions for 47 yards. The Falcons were limited to just 44 yards on the ground by the Calvin defense however.
Sophomore Carson Schnurstein had another big game on defense for the Knights with 14 tackles including two for loss. Sophomore Trevor Martens had seven tackles with sophomore Caiden Bolduc contributing six. As a team, Calvin broke up five Concordia passes. Freshman Reed Vogeler also came up with a blocked field goal attempt by Concordia in the first quarter as he snuffed out a 32-yard Falcon attempt.
COACHES COMMENT: "A huge thanks to Calvin University, to Knight Nation, to our players, to our staff…to everyone who helped make this (on-campus) game possible today," said Calvin head coach Trent Figg. "From day one we have asked that God would put the right people in our program, and he has done just that and we are so grateful. I am incredibly proud of everyone that helped make today such a special day."
NEXT UP: Calvin travels to Heidelberg University next Saturday night for its final non-conference contest. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.