Concord Set to Host First Ever Playoff Game Versus West Chester

Concord Stats - West Chester Stats - Live Audio - Live Video - Live Stats - NCAA Division II Playoff Bracket - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - Coming off a thrilling overtime victory over Shepherd and a week off to prepare, the Concord University football team will host its first ever NCAA Division II playoff game at Callaghan Stadium when it welcomes in West Chester for a 12:00 p.m. start Saturday.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics as well as live streaming video for Saturday's contest. Jason "Moose" Reed and Steve Cox will have full radio play-by-play on 97.3 FM locally and the audio will be live streamed. To access any of the live coverage options, follow the links at the top of the page or click here.

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
• The Mountain Lions received a bye week in the playoffs by virtue of being selected as the number one team in Super Region One. Concord was the only team to finished with an undefeated record in the region at 11-0.

• CU was able to escape the regular-season finale against Shepherd with a 29-20 victory.

• After junior kicker Andy Ellington converted  a 43-yard field goal on Concord's possession in overtime, sophomore defensive lineman Darryl Johnson blocked SU's game-tying field goal attempt and redshirt freshman defensive back Jeremiah Johnson returned the kick for a touchdown to catapault CU to a win and unblemished regular season.

• Concord completed its first 11-win season since 1980 with the win.

• Since the Mountain Lions last took the field in Shepherdstown, West Virginia,  several players were recognized by the Mountain East Conference when the all-conference squads were released November 18.

• Junior running back Calvinaugh Jones was named the MEC Offensive Player fo the Year after leading the conference in rushing with 1,352 yards.

• Jones became the third CU player in the last four years to be named league player of the year after Jake Lilly and Joe Greenway were named defensive players of the year in 2012 and 2011 respectively.However, Jones is the first Concord offensive player to earn league player of the year since Chris Hairston in 1991.

• Head coach Garin Justice was named MEC coach of the year, marking the second time in Justice's brief four-year tenure  he has been selected as conference coach of the year.

• Freshman wide receiver TJ Smith was tabbed as the MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year after finishing with 46 catches for 987 yards and 12 touchdowns, all Concord team-best.

• Eight other Mountain Lions were named to the All-MEC first team in senior defensive back Mike Carey, junior kicker Andy Ellington, senior defensive lineman Will Greathouse, redshirt freshman defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, senior offensive lineman Rustin Mayorga, sophomore offensive lineman Coleman Osborne, sophomore quarterback Brian Novak and junior running back Shaun Workinger.

• Saturday will serve as Concord's first true home playoff game. However, the Mountain Lions have hosted in the past, just away from Athens.

• In 1981, CU played Elon at Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield, West Virginia where they fell 37-8.

• Concord is appearing in the playoffs for the second time in the last four years.

• In 2011, the Mountain Lions went on the road to Kutztown where they lost 17-14.

• Just two current Concord players played in the 2011 playoffs as junior wide receiver Ryan Stewart hauled in eight catches for 111 yards while senior defensive lineman Silas Agyemang made six tackles and recorded one sack.

• The Mountain Lions have a chance to make history Saturday.

• Concord is 0-8 all-time in postseason games with seven of those contestes being played at the NAIA level before transititioning to NCAA Division II in 1993.

• Furthermore, the Mountain Lions to claim their first 12-win season by defeating West Chester.

• Concord has notched three double-digit win seasons in school history (10- 1987, 11-1980 and 10 - 1978), but has never won 12 games in a season.

• Novak has the opportunity to make set some more school records in Saturday's contest.

• With two touchdowns passes against Shepherd, Novak set the single-season school record for scoring passes (30).

• By throwing for 62 yards against West Chester, the College Park, Maryland native can become the second Concord signal caller in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, joining Zack Grossi who accomplished the feat in 2010.

• Novak's top target this season, Smith inched closer to the 1,000-receiving yard plateau agains Shepherd and now needs 13 yards to become CU's first 1,000-yard receiver since Thomas Mayo to eclipse the century mark in reception yards.

• Heading into Saturday's game, the Concord defense has a streak of 14 games with at least one sack with 13 of the 14 games being multi-sack games.

• Against one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, CU had two sacks versus Shepherd.

• Junior linebacker Austin Dotson, Greathouse, junior linebacker Nick Ortiz and junior linebacker Cade Rogers were all credited with sacks against Shepherd.

• Concord is also riding a streak of three straight games with a special teams touchdowns.

• Against UVa.-Wise, senior running back Ben Nester returned a blocked punt; versus Notre Dame J. Johnson returned a blocked field goal and at Shepherd junior wide receiver Tiko Henderson returned a kickoff and J. Johnson returned the game-clinching blocked kick.

• WCU advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 43-20 home win over Slippery Rock.

• West Chester is led by sixth-year quarterback Sean McCartney who has thrown for 3,403 yards and 39 touchdowns.

• Running back Brandon Monk has amassed 1,174 rushing yards.

• Defensively, the Golden Rams are led by Mike Labor who has made 90 stops with 13 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles this season.

A CONCORD WIN WOULD...
•  A Concord win would give the Mountain Lions their first playoff win in school history

•  A Concord win would give CU its first ever 12-win season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
62- Number of yards needed by Novak to surpass 3,000 yards passing on the seson.

0- Concord will be attempting to win its first ever playoff game at any competing level.

22-  The first time in the Garin Justice in which Concord and its opponent have combined for at least 20 wins.