Concord Takes to Road for National Semifinal with No.1 Minnesota State-Mankato

Concord Stats - Minnesota State Mankato State Stats - Live Video - Live Audio - Live Stats - NCAA Postseason Stats - NCAA Division Playoff Bracket - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team won the Super Region One championship by defeating Bloomsburg 32-26 at Callaghan Stadium last week. Now a national semifinal contest against Minnesota State-Mankato awaits CU with a spot in the national championship game for the winner.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Minnesota State-Mankato Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics for Saturday's game. Jason Reed and Steve Cox will have full play-by-play radio coverage of the game that can heard locally at 97.3 FM WAMN "Willie." ESPN3.com will also have the game online and on the WatchESPN app. For full live coverage, access the links at the top of the page or click here.

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
• The Mountain Lions were able to win their first ever Super Region One championship by beating Bloomsburg.

• A couple of late defensive stands lifted Concord to the six-point win including an interception by junior Derrick Johnson with less than 1:30 left in the contest to seal the win for Concord.

• For Johnson, it was his seventh interception of the season, the second most by a Mountain Lion in a single season.

• In just one season in Athens, Johnson has made an impact on the Concord record books as he sits one interception shy of entering the all-time career interceptions list at CU.

• Turning to a player that has already had a great influence on the rise of Concord football to the national stage, junior running back Calvinaugh Jones was named an AFCA All-American Tuesday afternoon as he has racked up 1,664 rushing yards and 12 touchdows for the Mountain Lions.

• Jones became the first Concord to earn All-America honors since 2002.

• By rushing for 197 yards versus MSU-Mankato, Jones can pass fellow CU All-American Chris Hairston (1992) for the most rushing yards in a single season.  

• Against Bloomsburg, the Concord special teams made itself known as junior athlete Jermeil Douse returned a punt for a touchdown from 81 yards, marking the second time Douse has found the endzone this season on a punt.

• The CU special teamers have now scored a touchdown in five straight games (four blocks, one kickoff return and one punt return).

• The six touchdowns have been accounted for by five different players (Douse, punt return vs. Bloomsburg; junior wide receiver Tiko Henderson, kickoff return at Shepherd; senior running back Ben Nester, punt block at UVa.-Wise; senior defensive back Mike Carey, field goal block vs. West Chester and redshirt freshman defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, two field goal blocks at Shepherd and vs. Notre Dame.)

• After finishing in the top five nationally in total offense during the regular season, the Mountain Lion offense has continued to hum along in the postseason.

• CU is third in points per game (41.5), eighth in total offense (462.5) and eighth in passing offense (286.5) among the 24 teams to play at least one postseason game this year.

• A big reason for Concord's offensive success this season, both regular and postseason, has been the play of its offensive line.

• After giving up 16 sacks in the regular season, second best in the Mountain East Conference, the offensive line has given up just one sack in two playoff games.

• Individually speaking for Concord, Jones is third in rushing yards per game (147.0) while he tied for the Division II playoff lead in rushing touchdowns (four).

• Sophomore quarterback Brian Novak has the highest passer rating (197.7) among quarterbacks that have played at least two playoff games this year.

• Concord's kickers have left a positive impression in the statistics this postseason as redshirt freshman punter Garrett Lee is first among playoff punters in net punting averaging 46.1 yards per boot.

• In fact two of Lee's best games of the entire season have come in the playoffs after averaging 51.3 yard per punt against WCU and 47.2 versus Bloomsburg.

• Junior kicker Andy Ellington is also second in made field goals this postseason, having successfully connected on five.

• De. Johnson has been one of the best defensive players in the nation throughout the postseason as he ranks 10th in total tackles (22) and is also just one of seven players to have at least two interceptions this postseason.

• J. Johnson is tied for the Division II lead in pass breakups during the playoffs, averaging 2.5 a game.

• Saturday's matchup will pit one of the best offenses in the nation against one of the best defenses in the nation.

• During the regular season, Minnesota State-Mankato was one of Division II's best defense as they allowed 12.8 points per contest.

• In the postseason, the Mavericks have given up 19.0 points a game.

• MSU-Mankato is seventh in total defense (341.5 yards).

• Concord has already seen top of the nation's top defenses this season in Bloomsburg and Shepherd.

• Shepherd only gave up 13.8 points per game, however, the Maroon and Gray scored 29 points on the second-best scoring defense nationally.

• Bloomsburg allowed just 15.4 points per game, sixth-best in Division II, but the Mountain Lions found the endzone four times in scoring 32 points.

• On defense, the Mavericks are led by Josh Gordon, who was an AFCA All-American selection as he has racked up 20 tackles for loss (TFLs) and 16.5 sacks this season.

• The Mavericks offense is paced by running back Connor Thomas who has amassed 1,215 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

• MSU-Mankato also has two quarterbacks who have thrown for over 1,000 yards in Ricky Lloyd (1,452 and Nick Pieruccini.

• Concord will be playing just its second game against a team in the central time zone when they matchup with MSU-Mankato.

• The Mountain Lions previously lost to Troy, which is in Alabama.

A CONCORD WIN WOULD...
• A Concord win would put CU in its first ever national championship game.

• A Concord win would give CU its first win against a time from the central time zone.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
61- Points CU scored against Shepherd and Bloomsburg, two defenses that allowed a combined 28 points per game.

2- Number of All-Americans playing in Saturday's game. CU's Jones and MSU-Mankato's Josh Gordon.

+34- Differential off of points off turnovers. Concord has scored 165 points off turnovers while its opponent has 131.