Concord Knocks Off #23 Lenoir-Rhyne 18-10

Box Score
Despite the one-score final deficit, Concord (1-0) controlled the contest for virtually all four quarters. The victory marked the second time in as many seasons that Concord has defeated Lenoir-Rhyne in its season opener; CU defeated LRU 24-21 at home last season.

Leading the defensive effort was senior linebacker Jake Lilly, who forced four fumbles in addition to making a game-high 13 tackles. In addition to making five tackles, junior linebacker Gary Saylor forced one fumble and recovered another which resulted in Saylor making a 28-yard scamper for the defensive touchdown.

Senior safety Josh Clark also had a hand in two turnovers with one fumble recovery and one interception.

Senior safety Davon Marion totaled nine tackles while the trio of freshman defensive lineman Darryl Johnson, sophomore defensive lineman Anthony Pyle and sophomore linebacker Austin Dotson added eight stops each.

Offensively, redshirt freshman quarterback Brian Novak completed 11-of-19 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the first start of his collegiate career. Novak was also the Mountain Lions' second-leading rusher with 36 yards on seven attempts. Sophomore running back Calvinaugh Jones led CU on the ground with 48 yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Tiko Henderson caught a career-high five passes for 59 yards. Junior wide receiver Darrick Williams added 60 yards on three receptions, while sophomore fullback Shaun Workinger scored CU's only offensive touchdown of the night with a 13-yard reception in the second quarter.

Concord controlled the opening half thanks to a defensive effort that forced four Lenoir-Rhyne turnovers in the opening 30 minutes, all of which were off of fumbles. Lilly forced three fumbles with Saylor causing the final turnover. Mike Carey, Johnson, Clark and senior cornerback Riyahd Richardson all recovered fumbles.

After missing field goal attempts on two of their first five possessions, the Mountain Lions finally registered its first points of the season when Andy Ellington converted a 34-yard field goal to put CU up 3-0 on Lenoir-Rhyne with 11:31 remaining in the second quarter.

Concord's defense forced a Lenoir-Rhyne punt on the ensuing possession, giving the Mountain Lion offense the ball on their own 46-yard line. CU proceeded to go on a seven-play 54-yard drive that was capped off with a 13-yard touchdown pass by Novak to Workinger on fourth and one. A successful two-point conversion put CU up 11-0 with 5:42 remaining in the half.

The two teams then traded possessions before heading into halftime with Concord firmly in control 11-0. Concord out gained Lenoir-Rhyne in the first half 145-105 in total yards while holding a time of possession advantage of 19:11 – 10:49.

Lenoir-Rhyne finally managed to break through the Concord defense with a 37-yard field goal by Zach Neumann on the opening series of the second half, cutting CU's lead to eight points at 11-3 at the 10:11 mark in the third quarter.

However, the Concord defense would not be phased. On Lenoir-Rhyne's next possession, the Mountain Lions took advantage of another fumble when Gary Saylor pounced on the ball and took off for the Lenoir-Rhyne end zone to put the Maroon and Gray up 18-3 late in the third quarter.

The 15-point advantage was more than enough for the relentless Concord defense which closed out the game by holding the Bears scoreless for over 14 minutes in the fourth quarter as the Maroon and Gray rolled to its first victory of the season. The Bears scored a late touchdown with eight seconds left and recovered an onside kick, but were unable to pull off a Hail Mary attempt on the game's final play.

In a game where field position was invaluable, sophomore punter Andrew Huska did a great job shifting the field, averaging 41.8 yards per punt with two of his five attempts landing inside the 20. Three of Huska's punts went for over 50 yards.

Concord will look to improve its record to 2-0 when it hosts Mountain East Conference rival West Virginia State at on Sept. 14. Kickoff at Callaghan Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.