The highly anticipated top 10 showdown between seventh ranked Central and 10th ranked Coe was everything it was expected to be as there were 65 combined points, and 999 combined yards, but three Central College turnovers cost the Dutch their first loss of the season 37-28 at Coe.

The analysis is quite simple, according to Central coach Jeff McMartin, who said afterwards “They stopped us and we didn’t stop them”. Central saw a 28-20 halftime lead wash away in the second-half drizzle as Coe scored 17 unanswered points to secure the victory and an early advantage in the conference race.

For the second consecutive week, Central sophomore running back Ross Doehrmann had a career day with 157 yards and quarterback Nate Snead also rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another. He ran for 99 yards on 16 carries while completing 10 of 19 passes for 202 yards. But Snead was picked off twice late in the second half and Central missed a pivotal scoring opportunity on the first play of the fourth quarter. Coe took its first lead, 30-28, on a 19-yard Brad Boyle scoring pass late in the third quarter. Central countered with a 34-yard kickoff return by Mike Furlong and two plays later, Snead hit Furlong with a 42-yard pass. But as Furlong raced for a score, the ball was knocked loose by a trailing defender near the goal line and bounced out of the end zone for a touchback.

The Kohawks rolled up 533 yards total offense, just four shy of the most ever surrendered by a Central defense.

It was a tale of two halves as Central found the end zone on four of their seven possessions in the first half. But in the second half, the Dutch punted twice, fumbled, missed a 35-yard field goal, then suffered two late interceptions as they tried to rally.

Central, which saw its 13-game regular-season winning streak ended and suffered its first loss to Coe since 2005, is 3-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Central is back on the road next Saturday, traveling to Mount Vernon to meet Cornell College