Concord Opens Season with Road Test at West Liberty

Live Stats - Live Audio - Complete Game Notes - AFCA Poll - D2Football.com Poll

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team will begin defense of its 2014 Mountain East Conference title when it opens the season 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 5 at West Liberty.

LIVE COVERAGE
The West Liberty Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics for Saturday's contest. Jason "Moose" Reed and 2015 Concord Hall of Fame inductee will have live play-by-play coverage of the Concord-West Liberty matchup beginning with the pregame show at 12:30 p.m. To access the live coverage links, follow the links at the top of the page or click here.

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
• A season ago, the Mountain Lions went 10-0 against league competition en route to its first MEC crown and first conference championship since 2011.

• CU set several school and individual single-season records as it not only won the MEC title, but also the NCAA Super Region One Championship that earned the Maroon and Gray a spot in the NCAA Division II semifinals.

• Junior quarterback Brian Novak set two separate single-season records as the College Park, Maryland native threw for 3,739 yards and 33 touchdowns which broke the single-season marks set by former CU signal caller Zack Grossi.

• Senior running back Calvinaugh Jones became the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American since Freddie Ford in 1994.

• Jones rushed for 1,734 yards, just 126 yards off the single-season record set by Chris Hairston in 1992.

• Sophomore wide receiver TJ Smith was the first 1,000-yard wideout for CU since 2010 as Smith amassed 1,157 yards through the air while scoring 13 touchdowns, one score away from tying the all-time single-season mark.

• All three help were key to help the Mountain Lions average 42.4 points per game and 476.4 yards per game, both first in the conference.

• Concord also had the third best overall defense in the MEC, giving up 377.6 yards per game.

• CU will begin the 2015 season ranked ninth in AFCA poll while it finds itself 16th in the d2football.com poll.

• At the end of the 2014 season, the Mountain Lions were pegged fifth in the AFCA poll and 10th in the d2football.com poll.

• In 2015, the Mountain Lions will play all 10 MEC schools, five home games and five away games with the Maroon and Gray's bye week coming in the final week of the season.

• This season will mark the first time, since Concord made the move from NAIA to NCAA Divison II prior to the 1994 season, that CU has opened up on the road against a conference foe.

• Concord has a three-game winning streak in season openers including back-to-back victories over Lenoir-Rhyne in 2012 and 2013 and a 54-27 triumph against Glenville State last season.

• Since the 2009 season, the Mountain Lions are 5-1 in season openers.

• Last season against WLU, Concord came away with a 61-24 home victory over the Hilltoppers as CU outscored WLU 38-10 in the first half.

• Novak finished the game with 223 yards passing and two touchdowns.

• Additionally, Jones racked up 111 yards on the ground.

• In his last two games against the Hilltoppers, Jones has ran for 111 and 132 yards, respectively.

• Sophomore running back Jamal Petty assisted in the ground game versus West Liberty in 2014 with a then-career high 92 yards rushing to go along with two touchdowns.

• A season ago against WLU, sophomore wide receiver Jermeil Douse had a breakout game as he piled up 143 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns (one receiving, one punt return.)

• As the Concord special teams did all season long in 2014, the specialists played a big role in CU's win over the Hilltoppers.

• Not only did Douse have a punt return for a touchdown, but the senior wide receiver Tiko Henderson also blocked a punt that was recovered by senior linebacker Cade Rogers in the endzone for CU's fourth touchdown of the game.
• Concord's kickers also had an outstanding day against WLU in 2014.

• Sophomore punter Garrett Lee got off two punt totaling 102 yards including a career-high 63 yards launch.

• Senior kicker Andy Ellington also connected on two field goals including a 42-yard boot.

• Defensively, senior defensive lineman Ervin Moore finished with eight tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in the 37-point downing of WLU.

• Moore enters 2015 with 15 career sacks and can become only the second player to record 20 sacks in a career with five more quarterback takedowns.

• Senior linebacker Austin Dotson added seven tackles and one sack while sophomore defensive back Chaudlier Shepherd racked up six tackles in the win.

• Over his last 15 games against MEC opponents, Jones has rushed for at least 100 yards in 13 consecutive games.

• Additionally, Jones started the 2014 season by running for 100 or more yards in eight straight games.

• The next interception for senior defensive back Derrick Johnson will vault him into the top 10 all-time on the career interceptions list at Concord.  

• In his first season at CU in 2014, Johnson had a team-high seven picks

• Head coach Garin Justice will begin his fifth at the helm of the Concord program, putting together a mark of 35-12.

SCOUTING WEST LIBERTY
• West Liberty will return its quarterback Dakota Conwell who scored 25 touchdowns in 2014 (23 passing, two rushing).

• The Hilltoppers also return one of Conwell's top targets a season ago in Anton McCallum.

• McCallum totaled 534 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

• Last year, WLU finished the season with a 6-5 record overall and was 6-4 against MEC opponents on its way to an eighth-place finish in the league.

• West Liberty is seeking to start the season 1-0 for the first time since 2007.

• WLU owns a 32-28 edge in the all-time series against CU.

A CONCORD WIN WOULD...
•  A Concord win would give the Mountain Lions five straight wins over WLU.

•  A Concord win would give head coach Garin Justice a 5-0 mark against the Hilltoppers, the first team Justice would have such a mark against.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
226-  Passing yards needed by Novak to move past Tyler Hull for sixth on the all-time careert list at CU.

9-  Receptions need by senior wide receiver Ryan Stewart to reach 100 for his Concord career.

40-  Ellington has kicked at least one field of 40 or more yards in each of his three career games against WLU.

UP NEXT
Concord will open up its home schedule against Fairmont State 12:00 p.m. Saturday, September 12.