2016 Concord Stats -
2016 Wesleyan Stats -
Live Stats -
Live Audio -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team opens up its season 7:00 p.m. Thursday night at Callaghan Stadium as it welcomes West Virginia Wesleyan to Athens in a Mountain East Conference contest.
It will be the first time Concord is hosting a Thursday night home game since 2010 when it started the season at home against Southern Virginia, winning 72-21.
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason "Moose" Reed and
Steve Cox will be on-air at 94.5 "Willie" FM for the game. The game can be heard on live streaming as well at
www.mywillie.com or by accessing the link at the top of the page.
Stats: The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics for the contest. Those can also be access at the top of the page or by clicking "Stats"
Video: The Concord University Sports Information Department will also live video stream the Thursday night's game. It can be accessed by clicking at the top of the page or on "Video."
NEW FACES
The biggest storyline for CU during the offseason was the number of new personnel, both players and coaches, that arrived on campus.
Head coach
Paul Price brought in a new offensive coordinator
Don Mahoney, a former offensive line coach at Power 5 Division I schools.
Quarterbacks coach
Josh Zettergren also joined the staff from Tennessee-Martin.
Running backs coach
Logan Nemeth came from the defensive side while incumbents
Pat Mahoney (tight ends coach) and
Cody Shirley (wide receivers) make up the offensive office.
With the sudden passing of late defensive coordinator Pat Dawson, Price brings aboard two new defensive assistants.
Price hired
Avery Hawkins to coach the defensive backs in July while
Adam Martiny was welcomed aboard in August to tutor the defensive line.
Max Lilly, a former student assistant, assumes the role of assistant defensive line coach.
After a year hiatus, Price resumes coaching the linebackers and will also call the defense with the transition year.
Three new quarteracks, including junior college transfers
Jake Gibson and
Jake Pruitt, were brought in to fill the void of graduating and record-setting quarterback
Brian Novak.
The projected starting offensive line features three new starters, freshman
Eric Festa, redshirt freshman and converted tight end
Nathan Toney and junior
Jack Skidmore.
Only junior
Derek Dressler and senior
Chris Norman have started games on the CU offensive line.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Mountain Lion defense is stockpiled with experience starting with senior defensive backs
Jeremiah Johnson and
Chaudlier Shepherd who have combined to play in 65 games.
Junior linebacker
Zach Malone racked up the 10th-most tackles in a single season at Concord with 108 last season.
Junior defensive
Justin Noble had a breakout season, despite missing the final two games, as he tallied 50 tackles and three sacks.
The returning sack leader for CU is also back in junior defensive lineman
Colton Neal.
The West Columbia, West Virginia native amassed 4.5 sacks with only 15 total tackles.
Concord's active leading rusher senior running back
Jamal Petty returns to the backfield after missing the 2016 season.
Petty enters the season with 907 yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his career.
Senior tight end
Jordan Bryant has played in 30 games in his career, the most for any CU offensive player.
BEATING THE BOBCATS
The Maroon and Gray enters this particular matchup against WVWC riding a six-game win streak versus Wesleyan that dates back to 2010.
The success against the Bobcats is the longest streak for CU against a specific opponent since winning seven straight against both Fairmont State and West Virginia State from 2009-2015.
The average margin of victory for Concord in those six games is 19.8 points, but three of the six have been decided by 10 points or less including a 20-17 win for the Mountain Lions last season on the road at Cebe Ross Field in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Down 17-13 in the fourth quarter, Concord marched 90 yards over 4:09 of the final period to grab a three-point victory last season.
The 90-yard scoring drive was the longest of the season for the Mountain Lions who had only three more drives for the season of at least 80 yards.
Senior wide receiver
Paul Jones caught the winning score for the Mountain Lions.
Sophomore wide receiver
Brandon Plyler hauled in the other two scores for Concord in the win as the Fort Mill, South Carolina native notched his first career multi-score game.
CAREER DAYS
Even though Petty did not play in last year's road affair, the Bellflower, California native had an excellent two seasons at Callaghan Stadium versus Wesleyan.
Petty rolled up 170 yards on the ground against WVWC while also scoring a touchdown.
Three years ago as a redshirt freshman, Petty scampered for 115 yards and two touchdowns on the road against the Bobcats.
Of Petty's three career 100-yard games, two have come at the hands of Wesleyan.
In all three instances, Petty was playing the back-up running back role behind Calvinaugh Jones.
Additionally, in his career the senior rusher is averaging 142.5 yards per game against WVWC.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Entering Thursday night's contest, the Mountain Lions have won five straight home openers and seven of eight.
The only time Price has lost a home opener as either the head coach or an assistant was 2011 against Lenoir-Rhyne.
In that stretch, Concord has beaten West Liberty (2016), Fairmont State (2015), Glenville State (2014), West Virginia State (2013), Lenoir-Rhyne (2012), Southern Virginia (2010) and L-R again in 2009.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1- CU had the MEC's top pass defense last season, only team to allow less 200 yards per game.
6- Concord had six games decided by a touchdown or less last season.
11- Petty's next rushing touchdown would give him 10 for his career, becoming the 11th player in program history 10 or more rushing scores.
WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
The Bobcats are led by second-year head coach Del Smith who played for Price when CU's second-year head man was an assistant at WVWC.
Wesleyan lost MEC Offensive Plyaer of the Year Michael Anderson who led the conference in rushing with nearly 1,500 yards a season ago.
The Orange and Black-clad Bobcats also lost top tackle Kevin Pharaon and All-MEC defensive back Jabari Weems.
However, Wesleyan returns quarterback Ryan Deal who threw for 2,214 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior season.
A pair of defensive backs, Chad Pinson and Nate Simmons combined for 120 tackles, six tackles for loss and three interceptions last season as the duo highlights the defense in 2017.
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