MANKATO, Minn. – The Concord University football team fell in the NCAA Division II semifinal 47-13 at Minnesota State-Mankato Saturday afternoon at Blakeslee Stadium.
After Concord (13-1, 11-0 MEC) was unable to generate a score on its opening drive, the Mavericks drove the field and scored the first touchdown of the game. Some CU miscues allowed Minnesota State-Mankato (14-0, 11-0 NSIC) to score the first 22 points of the contest.
Concord found the endzone on a rushing touchdown from senior running back
Ben Nester as he raced  in from five yards away. Nester's touchdown was set up by a 41-yard pass from sophomore quarterback
Brian Novak to junior athlete
Jermeil Douse.
Minnesota State-Mankato added a rushing touchdown by quarterback Nick Pieruccini with less than a minute remaining in the first half. The Mavericks took a 30-7 lead into the locker room.
The Mavericks scored 17 straight points to start the second half while also draining away the second half clock. Nester scored CU's lone touchdown of the second half as he lined up in the wildcat formation on first-and-goal with 12:15 left in the game.
Junior running back
Calvinaugh Jones finished the game with 70 rushing yards while also snagging a career-high 76 receiving yards. Douse concluded the final game of the season with 90 receiving yards on just three catches.
Redshirt freshman defensive back
Jeremiah Johnson and junior defensive back
Derrick Johnson made nine and eight tackles respectively.
Despite the loss, the 2014 Concord team will go down as the best team in school history to-date. Led by head coach
Garin Justice, the Mountain Lions won the school's first Mountain East Conference title and 12
th league title overall. CU posted the most wins in school history (13), won the program's first ever playoff game and captured the Super Region One title.
Offensively, Concord will return eight of its starters to next year's squad that finished among the national leaders in total offense and total points in 2014, including All-American Jones. Starting offensive lineman
Josh Cottle,
Rustin Mayorga and
Cody Parker donned the Maroon and Gray for the final time Saturday while defensive lineman
Silas Agyemang, defensive back
Mike Carey, defensive lineman
Keith Ferguson, defensive lineman
Will Greathouse, defensive lineman
Anthony Pyle and linebacker
Gary Saylor all started and played their final game at Concord Saturday.
The senior class at CU finishes their home career with a 20-4 record and 36-12 overall, the most wins in a four-year period at Concord.
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