FOOTBALL: #3-AND-OUT

MOUNTAIN LIONS UPEND 3RD-RANKED SHEPHERD

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Concord's Football team did three things well in its WVIAC matchup against 3^rd-ranked Shepherd on Saturday afternoon at Callaghan Stadium:
1.  Taking care of the ball
2.  Forcing turnovers
3.  Making big plays.
 
As a result, Concord upset the unbeaten Rams, 28-14, ending a seven-game losing streak to Shepherd and moving into first place in the conference.
 
The Rams went into Saturday's contest at 4-0 and ranked 3^rd in the nation in the latest American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll.  Concord hadn't beaten Shepherd since a 20-19 triumph on November 8, 2003.
 
The Mountain Lions' defense limited the Rams to 204 total yards – 246 under their season average – and only one offensive touchdown.  Concord forced five turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
 
Meanwhile, Concord's offense piled up 461 yards, or 232 more than Shepherd had allowed per game this season.  The Mountain Lions forged a nearly eight-minute edge in time of possession, 33:54 to 26:06.
 
However, the contest did not start well.  On Concord's first possession of the day, Shepherd's Elijah Davis intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown for a 7-0 lead when just 4:17 after kickoff.
 

Concord answered on its next possession with a big play of its own.  Zack Grossi lobbed a deep pass over the middle, and Ryan Stewart hauled it in for a 61-yard touchdown.  John Scritchfield's extra-point kick was blocked and Shepherd held on to a 7-6 lead.
 

The Rams extended their advantage to 14-6 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Cooper to Justin Ford – on 4^th down and 12 – with 6:14 remaining in the 1^st quarter.
 
But Shepherd would score no more.

Following the Rams' TD, Concord embarked on 12-play, 72-yard, 6:02 drive that ended on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Grossi to Garrett Hammett (right).  The Mountain Lions tied the game at 14-14 when Brian Kennedy threw to fellow running back Chris Rodriguez for a two-point conversion.
 
Concord's defense forced its first takeaway when Riyadh Richardson intercepted a Cooper pass early in the 2^nd quarter.  That set the stage for a seven-play, 71-yard drive – featuring a 51-yard pass from Grossi to Randall Hawkins -- that resulted in a three-yard touchdown plunge by Kennedy.  Concord led 21-14 with 9:08 left before halftime.
 

CU maintained its narrow lead until the defense came up big again, when Joe Greenway recovered a Shepherd fumble at the Concord 38 in the closing seconds of the 3^rd quarter.  Three plays later, on 3^rd-and-1 at the 47, Rodriguez burst through a hole in Shepherd's packed, short-yardage defense and raced 53 yards for the clinching touchdown (left).
 
Aaron Martinez picked off Cooper to end Shepherd's next possession.  Later, with time running out, Richardson nabbed his second interception of the day and CU ran out the clock.
 
Concord offensive coordinator Dustin Ward balanced his play-calling, with 36 passes and 35 runs.  Grossi completed 22 of his passes for 306 yards; Hawkins caught ten of them for 128 yards, while Stewart had three catches for 91.
Rodriguez rushed 12 times for 87 yards – all in the 2^nd half – while Kennedy finished with 77 yards on 20 carries.
 
On defense, Jake Lilly – the WVIAC's leading tackler – had 12 stops, including three tackles for loss.  Greenway added nine tackles.  Richardson finished with six tackles, two interceptions and one pass break-up.
 

BOXSCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY

 
Up next for Concord (3-2, 3-0) is a visit to WVIAC rival Glenville State on Saturday, October 8^th.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Morris Stadium in Glenville, WV.

 

^{(photos by Jennifer Logan / statistics provided by CU SID GA Becky Brouse)}

 
 
 

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