ATHENS, W.Va. – Behind a strong effort from all three units—offense, defense and special teams—the Concord University football team defeated West Liberty 46-33 Saturday afternoon in Mountain East Conference play at Callaghan Stadium.
The Mountain Lions (2-7, 2-6 MEC) scored two special touchdowns, tallied 408 yards of offense and forced four turnovers in the game. The first two touchdowns for the Maroon and Gray were products of a turnover and a special teams play. Just over two minutes into the game, senior linebacker
Zach Malone forced his first fumble of the afternoon and junior defensive lineman
Ryan Gatrell pounced on the ball.
Two plays later, freshman running back
Kris Copeland scampered 31 yards for a touchdown to put Concord up 8-0 after a two-point conversion from junior wide receiver
Brandon Plyler to sophomore defensive back
Jonathan Roebuck.
On the ensuing WLU (3-6, 3-6 MEC) drive, a bad snap on a punt was recovered in the end zone by sophomore defensive back
Cameron Fannon to give a 15-0 advantage with less than four minutes played in the game.
The teams combined for 35 points in the first quarter as the final CU touchdown of the opening 15 minutes was scored by senior defensive back
Chaudlier Shepherd. It was Shepherd's second career punt return touchdown as he ran the ball back 74 yards for a score.
Freshman kicker
Luke Walls remained perfect on field goals—6-for-6—on the season after converting a 29-yard try with 13:17 left in the first half. The Mountain Lions took a 25-20 edge into halftime.
West Liberty grabbed its only lead of the game after the Mountain Lions fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half. The Hilltoppers were able to go ahead 27-25 with 14:20 left in the third quarter. However, the next 21 points in the contest belonged to CU.
Sophomore wide receiver
Tywan Pearce got open down the sideline and he raced 43 yards for a touchdown on a pass from junior quarterback
Kyle Akin. The next Concord score was its longest play from scrimmage in 2018. After catching a pass in the flat, sophomore wide receiver
Isaiah Bowman shedded two West Liberty defenders and raced 80 yards for a Concord touchdown at the 3:12 mark of the third quarter.
The final touchdown of the game for the Mountain Lions was capped after a methodical drive that drained 7:59 of the fourth-quarter clock and covered 91 yards. Freshman running back
Josh Maxwell plunged in from a yard out to give CU a 46-27 lead with 7:46 left in the game.
WLU scored late in the contest as Concord went onto to by 13 points.
Malone forced two of the fumbles in the game while snaring a fourth-quarter interception. The Charleston, West Virginia native also had a team-high nine tackles.
Senior defensive lineman
Justin Noble added eight tackles, a sack, a pass break-up, and kept West Liberty from connecting on a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter with a blocked kick.
Akin finished the game 11-for-18 through the air for 259 yards to go along with two touchdowns. Maxwell was the leading rusher for the Mountain Lions as he toted the ball 16 times for 87 yards and his fourth touchdown of the season.
WLU's Zach Phillips threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted once and also sacked three times.
Concord takes to the road for the final time in 2018 when it visits Fairmont State 1:00 p.m. next Saturday.
