Concord Set To Open Season vs. Lenoir-Rhyne

Complete Game Notes
Lenoir-Rhyne Game Notes


The Mountain Lions, which ended their 2011 campaign by winning their first WVIAC title since 1990 and earning the school's first NCAA Division II playoff berth, will look to avenge last season's 26-6 opening-day loss to Lenoir-Rhyne.

With 15 starters and the majority of its coaching staff returning, Concord's 2012 season has the potential to end up being just as special as last year's record-setting campaign

MOUNTAIN LION FACTS
-Concord was ranked second in the WVIAC preseason coaches' poll. The ranking was the highest that Concord has been predicted to finish in the conference since being tabbed to
win the WVIAC in 1991.

-The Mountain Lions are 2-1 in their last three season-openers.

-Since 2008, Concord is 2-2 in their first home games of the year.

-CU boasts the WVIAC's top returning tackler (Jake Lilly), passing yards leader (Zack Grossi) and interception leader (Riyahd Richardson).

PRESEASON POLLS
Concord received three first-place votes and was predicted to finish in second place in the WVIAC this season in the conference's preseason coaches' poll. It's the highest that Concord has been predicted to finish in the conference since being tabbed to win the WVIAC in 1991. 

It may be a blessing in disguise that Concord was not picked to win the conference as no team that was the WVIAC's preseason No. 1 has won the league title since 2007.

Concord also received nine votes in the initial AFCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll. The Mountain Lions will play four teams that were either ranked, or received votes in the poll.

TITLES IN BUNCHES
History shows that when the Mountain Lions win\ one WVIAC title, more are soon to follow. Concord won five conference titles between 19976-81 and three titles between 1987-90. CU has won back-to-back titles twice (1976, 1977, 1978 and 1989, 1990). A list of Concord's WVIAC titles can be found on page three of the game notes.

TURNING THINGS AROUND
Concord has accomplished one of the greatest turnarounds in all of NCAA Division II since going winless (0-11) in 2008. Out of the 69 schools to finish with a losing record that season, Concord has had the sixth-best turnaround with 21 wins over the last three seasons. Only Colorado State-Pueblo (27), Kutztown (24), Bemidji State (23), West Alabama (23) and Humboldt State (22) have more wins since their respective losing seasons in 2008.

MAKING HISTORY
Senior QB Zack Grossi is coming off of a season in which he threw for 2,541 yards and 17 touchdowns. Grossi enters his senior season with 6,541 career passing yards, and 54 TDs, already ranking second in CU history in both categories. Grossi needs to throw for just 1,290 yards and two TDs to pass Mike Lazo for first place all-time for both records at Concord. As the lists on page three and four of the game notes indicate, another solid season would vault Grossi into the top-5 in WVIAC history in both categories.

EARLY RECOGNITION
Junior linebacker Jake Lilly, senior defensive lineman Josh Miller and junior cornerback Riyahd Richardson were named to the Beyond Sports College Network's 2012 Preseason All-American Team.

Grossi, senior offensive lineman Mitch Hairston, Lilly, Miller and Richardson were also named to the 20th Annual USA College Football NCAA Division II Preseason Northeastern Region All-Star Team.

THE ULTIMATE UTILITY MAN
Senior offensive lineman Cody Smith started at guard for Concord last season. This season he is moving over one spot on the line to take over at center for Brandon Link. Learning a new position in college is nothing new for Smith. As a freshman, Smith played middle linebacker before moving to the defensive line for his sophomore season. Smith was then switched to the offensive line for his junior year in 2011, starting nine games at guard.

A RARE FEAT
If Concord wins at least seven games in 2012, it will be just the third time in CU history that it 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
-Lilly earned first team All-WVIAC honors in 2011 by leading the WVIAC with 115 tackles to go with 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. The 115 tackles were the most for a Concord player since Tank Tunstalle's 131 stops in 2007.

-Richardson was a first team All-WVIAC honoree in 2011 after leading the conference with 16 passes defended (four interceptions / 12 pass break-ups) and making 58 tackles which included eight tackles for a loss. Richardson also returned 21 punts for 219 yards.

-Miller and senior DL Silas Agyemang both had six sacks last season.

-Sophomore safety Davon Marion is back and healthy. In 2010,
Marion was an All-WVIAC choice after playing in 10 games and making 61 tackles with two tackles for a loss, two INTs, one fumble recovery and one pass break-up.

FIVE TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
-Grossi passed for over 300 yards in a game four times and threw for at least two touchdowns in a game four times in 2011 He concluded the year with a QB efficiency rating of 123.5 after throwing for 17 touchdowns and 2,541 yards on 210 completions.

-Sophomore WR Ryan Stewart had 44 receptions for a team-high 831 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman.

-Senior WR Randal Hawkins led Concord in receptions as a junior with 52 catches, totaling 590 yards while finding the end zone twice.

-Junior RB Chris Rodriguez is Concord's most experienced RB. He ran for 542 yards and three scores as a backup for the now-graduated Brian Kennedy in 2011.

-Senior WR Ansel Ponder comes to Concord after graduating early from Western Michigan after making 74 receptions for 605 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons at WMU. 2012 will be Ponder's last season of eligibility.

SCOUTING LENOIR-RHYNE
Lenoir-Rhyne comes into Callaghan Stadium with high expectations. The Bears were predicted to repeat as South Atlantic Conference Champions this season. Last season, Lenoir-Rhyne finished the year 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the SAC. One of those wins was a 26-6 victory over Concord in Athens.

The Bears return 14 starters on offense and defense from its 2011 championship team including three preseason All-Americans (Brandon Martin, Demetrius Green and Michael Green).

Head coach Mike Houston returns for his second season in charge of the LRU program.

The Bears missed being ranked in the first AFCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll of the season by one point.

FIVE TO WATCH ON DEFENSE
-Senior LB Demetrius Green is the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Year. One of the best players in LRU's region, Green finished last season with 77 tackles (eight for a loss), 3.5 sacks and one interception.

-Senior DL Brandon Martin is a two-time first team All-SAC
honoree. In 2011, Martin finished with a team-high 5.5 quarterback sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss. Martin has totaled 14 sacks in the past two years.

-Junior DB Michael Green is a threat both on defense and as a returner. Green is coming off of a season in which he had 63 tackles and three interceptions on defense while averaging 18 yards per punt return, including two returns for a touchdown. Green also had four passes defended.

-Sophomore DL B.J. Woodley finished second on the team with four sacks as a freshman. He also forced one fumble last season.

-Senior LB Chris Carter recorded seven tackles for a loss in nine games played last year.

FIVE TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
-Sophomore FB Isaiah Whitaker is a preseason All-SAC selection. Whitaker is Lenoir\Rhyne's top returning rusher after recording 815 yards on the ground last season to go with six touchdowns.

-Junior RB Corron Boston was LRU's third leading rusher a
season ago, totaling 564 yards on 77 attempts for a stellar 7.3 yards per carry. Boston also scored five touchdowns last year.

-Senior QB Reuben Haynes only played in four games last season, but he is the only QB on the Bears' 2012 roster that saw action in a live game last season. Haynes was  10-for-17 for 132 yards and one touchdown last year while also rushing for 83 yards on 14 attempts.

-Lenoir-Rhyne will not throw the ball much, but when they do the Bears' QBs will target 6-2 senior WR Arits Gilmore. Gilmore was LRU's second-leading wide out last season, making 16 receptions for 167 yards in eight games.

-Last season, four Lenoir-Rhyne players registered at least 50 rushing attempts on the season. Junior RB Graham Duncan figures to be one of the players to get plenty of touches this season after rushing for 28 yards on nine attempts (3.1 ypc) and scoring one touchdown in seven games played.

UP NEXT
Concord will remain home in week two, when No. 8 Winston-Salem State comes to Athens for a 1 p.m. kickoff of on Sat. Sept. 8.