Concord Set For Season Finale at WV Wesleyan

Full Game Notes


Concord enters the season finale having won two consecutive games and four of its past five contests. Last week, the Mountain Lions shut down the West Liberty offense en route to a 21-3 victory.

The Bobcats have dropped four of their last five games including last week's 28-23 loss at home against Charleston.

MOUNTAIN LION FACTS
Concord defeated Wesleyan, 48-40, at home in last year's regular-season finale to win the WVIAC Championship. CU is 1-2 in its last three final regular season contests.

The Concord defense continues to climb the rankings of Division II. The Mountain Lions enter their final game ranked sixth in pass defense, 14th in total defense and 15th in scoring defense.

Jake Lilly's 116 tackles are already the third-highest single-season total by a Concord player since 2000 while Ansel Ponder's and Randall Hawkins' 52 receptions are tied for the eighth-most receptions since 2000.

SCOUTING CONCORD
Concord has held its last three WVIAC opponents to 10 in or fewer points.

Opponents have scored just 68 points (6.8 points per game) against the Mountain Lions in the second half of games this season.

Concord's offense has outgained the opposition in total yards in five of its last seven games.

Concord's nationally-ranked defense gives up just 295.8 yards of total offense per game (159.7 passing yards / 136.1 rushing yards) and an average of 17.3 points per contest.

The Mountain Lions' offensive attack averages 20.7 points and 299.9 yards of total offense per game (196.4 passing yards / 103.5 rushing yards).

Senior QB Evin Dusold has thrown just one interception in 106 pass attempts this season while completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 741 yards and seven TDs.

The freshmen running back duo of Calvinaugh Jones and Jocorey Robins have  combined to run for 761 yards (Jones: 611, Robins: 150). Sophomore FB Ben Nester has run for six TDs.

Senior WR's Ansel Ponder and Randall Hawkins are both tied for the team-lead in receptions with 54. Ponder has the edge over Hawkins in both yards (658-479) and touchdowns (6-2). Six of sophomore WR Darrick Williams' 17 receptions this season have came in CU's past three games.

Junior LB Jake Lilly leads the WVIAC and ranks fourth in the nation with 116 tackles. He has also added 12 TFL's, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

DB Riyahd Richardson is closing out his junior season in fantastic fashion having intercepted passes in three straight games. He leads the team with four INTs.

Sophomore S Davon Marion is second on the team with 79 tackles, three INTs and nine passes defended.

Senior LB Howard Jordan will finish off a fantastic career at Concord this weekend. He's having a career-year with 75 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, three sacks one forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Senior P Brad Cox has made a strong case for All-WVIAC honors with 17 punts inside the 20, 12 punts of at least 50 yards and an average of 40.1 yards a punt.

A RARE FEAT
If Concord beats the Bobcats, it will be just the third time in CU history that the program has won at least seven games in a season for three consecutive years. Concord has previously accomplished this task from 1976-78 and 1987-89.

FIVE TO WATCH ON DEFENSE
Jake Lilly recorded a game-best 11 tackles in last week's win. Even though WV Wesleyan runs a pass first offense, Lilly should still be a factor.

Riyahd Richardson continues to rack up interceptions. The junior preseason All-America selection has four interceptions in his last five games and leads the WVIAC in passes defended.

Davon Marion is not only the Concord's leading tackler, but he's also one of its top turnover machines, having intercepted three passes, forced two fumbles and recovering one fumble.

Howard Jordan had produced his third sack of the season last week, more QB pressure this week would be a great help to the CU secondary.

CB Nate Pollard and the rest of the CU secondary will be tested early and often.

FIVE TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
Ansel Ponder has left a definite impression in his one year at Concord. He leads the team in yards, touchdowns, yards per game, yards per catch and is tied for the team-high in receptions. Ponder needs just 17 yards to break into the top-10 single season receiving yards leaders in Concord history.

Evin Dusold has avoided making many crucial mistakes in his time as Concord's starting QB. Dusold, who is also a threat with his feet, has a 7-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Randall Hawkins enters his final collegiate game ranked seventh in career receptions for the Mountain Lions with 104 grabs in less than two full seasons. He needs a 10-catch day to reach sixth place.

Ben Nester has five touchdowns in his last five games and six total scores on the season. He added his sixth touchdown of the season in last week's win against West Liberty.

Calvinaugh Jones is the team's leading rusher with 611 yards and has also shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield with six catches in the last three games.

SCOUTING WV WESLEYAN
(Courtesy of West Virginia Wesleyan Sports Information)
Wesleyan ranks third in the country with 33 sacks through 10 games. They also rank first in tackles for a loss with 91.

Jesse Robertson leads Division-II in solo tackles with 72. Robertson has 280 career tackles, to sit seventh all time at Wesleyan.

Jonas Celian is 14th in D-II with 9.5 sacks on the year. Celian will leave Buckhannon as the school's all-time sacks leader with 39 for his career.

Brian Vukela is second in Division-II with 22 tackles for loss on the year. Vukela, the end opposite Celian, is third all-time is sacks with 22 for his career.

The Bobcats are 144th out of 156 teams in Division II in third down conversions, managing just 47 conversions in 166 attempts (28.3%). Wesleyan is 143rd in yards penalized per game, averaging 91.9 yards per contest.

Stephon Knox is 14th in the country in average kickoff return yards at 27.9 per return.

Lavaughn Hughes is first in yards per punt return at 29.1 and also leads D-II with three punt return touchdowns. Hughes holds single game (183) and season (407) punt return yards records and needs 20 more yards to set the school's career record.

FIVE TO WATCH ON DEFENSE
The West Virginia Wesleyan defensive attack is led by DE Brian Vukela, who leads the WVIAC with 22 TFLs. Vukela also has 10 sacks on the season.

LB Jesse Robertson is the Bobcats leading tackler with 98 stops and 18 TFLs.

DE Jonas Celian has also spent a lot of time in the offensive backfield with 10 sacks this season.

DB's Stephen Knox and James Williamson are tied for the team-lead in interceptions with two picks each.

FIVE TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
QB's Nate Montana leads Wesleyan passing attack. He leads the WVIAC in passing yards per game at 285.1. For the season he has 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.

WR Lavaughn Hughes is a big play threat. He has 828 yards receiving this season and six touchdown catches. Hughes has also scored three punt return scores and averages 29.1 yards per return.

Malcolm Yowk is Wesleyan's top running back and third leading receiver. Yowk has 392 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards this year.

Six of WR Chase Blackwell's 55 catches this year have gone for touchdowns. He ranks second for Wesleyan with 583 yards.

Donte Boston has 354 yards and one TD on 23 catches.