Concord Returns Home to Face West Virginia Wesleyan

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ATHENS, W.Va. -  The Concond Univeristy football team earned a hard-nosed 23-7 win at Urbana to elevate its record to 2-1 overall and in the Mountain East Conference.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics as well as live streaming video of the game. There's several other way to follow CU on Saturday including on the radio, on television or online. To access any of the live coverage options, follow the link below or at the top of the page or by clicking here.

Stats: Live Gameday Stats
Audio: Jason "Moose" Reed and Steve Cox will have complete audio play-by-play of Saturday's game on 97.3 FM locally or online at www.mywillie.com
TV: A.J. Good and Will King will be calling the game on WVVA-TV and can also be seen on wvva.com/live
Online: Fans can log on concord.edu/mltv to catch a complete live stream of Saturday's game.

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
• A week after giving up 201 yards to Fairmont State, the Mountain Lions held UU to 202 yards of offense.

• It was the first time since 2013 that Concord had held consecutive opponents to less than 225 yards of offense.

• The Maroon and Gray forced two turnovers on the day as senior defensive back LaKeem Goode and junior linebacker Denis Ikic both intercepted their first career passes at Concord.

• This season, the CU rush defense has stymied its opponent allowing just 81.7 yards per game on the ground which is ranked 17th among all Division II defenses.

• Concord is slotted 23rd in scoring defense, surrendering 15.3 points per game and five offensive touchdowns.

• In fact, over the last eight quarters of play the Mountain Lions have only allowed one offensive touchdown, a late fourth-quarter score to Fairmont State.

• As a total defense, the Mountain Lions have given up 282 yards per game, placing them 25th nationally.

• The senior linebacking duo of Austin Dotson and Cade Rogers have spearheaded the run defense for Concord, having combined for 43 tackles this season.

• Against Urbana, sophomore punter Garrett Lee landed three punt inside the UU 15-yard line which was a career single-game best for the Pembroke, Virginia native.

• Lee also converted a 22-yard run on a fake punt to later set up a field goal by senior kicker Andy Ellington.

• It was the first time the Mountain Lions had converted a fake field goal or punt since last season against Charleston.

• Senior running back Shaun Workinger receiving a career-best 25 carries, picking up 73 yards on the ground.

• Senior wide receiver Ryan Stewart went over the 100 reception milestone for his career by snarring six catches for 30 yards.

• Stewart now has 102 catches in his Concord career.

• As the Mountain Lions prepare for West Virignia Wesleyan, junior quarterback Brian Novak is closing on a trio of career achievements.

• For starters, the College Park, Maryland native needs one completions for 400 career completions.

• Additionally, 58 more yards through the air and four passing touchdowns would give Novak 6,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in his storied Concord career.

• Novak would be one of three quarterbacks in CU history to amass 400 completions, 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns joining Zack Grossi and Mike Lazo.

• The Mountain Lions carry a four -game winning streak over the Bobcats and a 17-14 all-time edge against WVWC into week four of the season.

• CU has won the last two meetings with West Virginia Wesleyan by a combined 77 points (38.5 points per game).

• A season ago, Concord won 61-12 at West Virginia Wesleyan and was victorious 49-21 at home in 2013.

• However, CU has done it winning in two very different fashions.

• Two years ago at home, the Maroon and Gray ran for a mind-boggling 403 yards on the ground as senior running back Calvinaugh Jones had 106 yards and a touchdown rushing.

• Junior running back Sam Wright rushed for a career-high two touchdwons as well.

• Last season, Concord also asserted its authority in the rushing game as both Jones (120) and sophomore running back Jamal Petty (112) both rushed for over 100 yards, the only time in 2014 that both rushers collected 100 or more yards on the ground.

• Addtionally, Petty had his first career multi-rushing touchdown game at WVWC in 2014.

• But, Novak also threw for 269 through the air as he hooked up with sophomore wide receiver Jermeil Douse and Stewart for touchdown passes.

• Novak's top target last year in Buckhannon, West Virginia was sophomore wide receiver TJ Smith who had seven catches for 113 yards.

• The seven catches for Smith was a previous career high for the Charleston, South Carolina native until he opened this season with eight receptions at West Liberty.

• Defensively, the Mountain Lions have forced four turnovers against the Bobcats the last two years with senior defensive back Derrick Johnson and senior linebacker Brandon Martinez snagging an interception each in last year's meeting.

SCOUTING WESLEYAN
• Saturday's game will be a match up of old teammates as Concord's Garin Justice and WVWC's George Shehl.

• The two played for West Virginia from 2002-2005.

• Shehl was the Mountaineers' holder on extra points and field goals while Justice held down the left tackle spot along the offensive line during WVU's Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in 2006.

• The Bobcats are led by redshirt freshman Luke Casey, a Rhode Island transfer.

• Casey has tossed six touchdowns this season to go along with 672 yards passing.

• Zach Schademan has caught three of the touchdown passes from Casey this season and is just one of six receivers in the MEC to catch three or more touchdowns this season, a list that includes CU's Douse.

• West Virginia Wesleyan has surrendered 629 yards of offense per game this season including 287 rushing yards per contest.

A CONCORD WIN WOULD...
•  A Concord win over West Virginia Wesleyan would be the fifth straight for CU in the series.

•  A Concord win would extend its home-winning streak to 10 straight games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
26.8- Concord's average margin of victory against MEC opponents since the start of 2013.

6.7- Average number of yards gained by Jones in 54 carries and three career games versus West Virginia Wesleyan.

3.0- Average number of yards gained by WVWC on 110 offensive plays the last two seasons against Concord.

UP NEXT
The Mountian Lions will have a short turnaround with a Thursday night contest at Charleston 7:00 p.m. October 1.