Concord Stats -
Fairmont State Stats -
Live Audio -
Live Stats -
Live Video -
WVVA Broadcast -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - After two straight games on the road, the Concord University football team returns to Callaghan Stadium for Homecoming against Fairmont State 1:00 p.m. Saturday in a Mountain East Conference contest.
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason Reed and
Steve Cox will have live radio play-by-play of Saturday's contest starting with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m. on 94.5 "Willie" FM and online at
www.mywillie.com
Stats: The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live in-game statistics.
Video: Live streamign video will also be avaialable Saturday courtesy of CU Sports Information.
TV: WVVA-TV out of Bluefield, West Virginia will be broadcasting the game live with Nick Dugan and Dave Miller on the call. The game is also streamed on
www.wvva.com/live
RECORDS
The Mountain Lions are 0-6 overall and 0-5 against conference opponents this season.
Meanwhile, FSU enters the game with a mark of 1-5, both on the season and in the MEC.
TAG TEAM
At West Liberty, junior wide receiver
Tywan Pearce caught four passes for 100 yards while senior wide receiver
Brandon Plyler went over 130 career receptions against the Hilltoppers. Plyler also caught a touchdown in the game for the 15
th of his career to move him into eighth all-time at Concord in touchdown receptions. The duo of Pearce and Plyler have been on a hot streak recently. Pearce has 210 yards receiving in his last two games, including his first two career 100-yard performances. For Plyler, he has 306 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his last three games. Plyler (456 yards) and Pearce (377 yards) rank seventh and 10
th in the MEC in receiving yards this season. Only two other schools in the MEC have two players ranked in the top 10 in receiving yards—Charleston's Mike Strachan and Tremaine Ross and Fairmont State's Andre Hall and Javon Hayes.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Besides his strength in the passing game for the Mountain Lions, Pearce had 111 kickoff return yards on four returns Saturday at West Liberty. Pearce became the first CU player with 100 or more kickoff return yards in a game since
Chaudlier Shepherd versus UNC-Pembroke in 2017. Additionally, Pearce moved from fifth to third in all-time kickoff return yards at Concord and now has 1,305 for his career. The 2017 All-MEC First Teamer as a kick return specialist needs 52 yards to move into first all-time in program history in kickoff return yards. Torrince Ruth is second all-time with 1,338 yards while Bill Bussey is first with 1,356. Pearce's 60 career kick returns trail only Ruth's 62 for first in program history.
THE START OF SOMETHING
Though Concord lost to Fairmont State 56-17 last season, sophomore running back
Joshua Maxwell had quite the day against the Fighting Falcons. Maxwell recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game as he broke loose for 111 yards on just 13 career—an average of 8.5 yards per carry. Maxwell came back the next game to rush for 176 yards in the season finale against Urbana. With 104 rushing yards against Frostburg State—the MEC's number one scoring defense—Maxwell had three 100-yard rushing performances in a four-game span dating back to last season that started against FSU.
CLOSE CALLS ON HOMECOMING
Over the last three seasons, the Mountain Lions have been unable to come out victorious on Homecoming, but CU has found itself in tight battles in each instance. In 2016, Notre Dame used a late touchdown to sneak out of Athens with a 14-10 win after Concord had gone ahead 10-7 with 12 minutes left in the game. Concord was unable to overcome a 33-7 halftime deficit against West Virginia State as CU lost 47-29, despite Pearce and Plyler both catching a touchdown pass. Down 41-15 going to the fourth quarter against Glenville State on Homecoming last season, the Mountain Lions charged back with 20 unanswered points on the strength of two rushing touchdowns by junior wide receiver
Isaiah Bowman and a pick six by junior defensive lineman
Alec Henderson. However, Glenville State stopped Concord just outside the red zone late in the game to hang on for the 41-35 win.
FUMBLE FRENZY
With its seventh recovered fumble of the season at West Liberty, the Mountain Lions tied Glenville State and Notre Dame for first in the MEC in fumbles gained this season. CU has now recovered at least one fumble in five of six games this season and eight of the last nine contests dating back to 2018. Junior defensive back
Imani Moore is still tied for second in the conference with his two fumble recoveries—both at Glenville State. Sophomore linebacker
Tylen Fowler, sophomore defensive lineman
Nathan Lease, junior linebacker
Dwain Porterfield and junior defensive lineman
JT Turner each have a fumble recovery this season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4- Catches needed by Plyler to move into fourth all-time at Concord. He currently has 131.
27.7- Return averge on kickoffs by Pearce last week at West Liberty.
71- Return yards between Henderson's interception (32) and senior defensive lineman
Ryan Gatrell's fumble recovery (39) on Homecoming last season.
FAIRMONT STATE AT A GLANCE
In four of the five losses this season for the Fighting Falcons, they have led in the fourth quarter including letting a 28-9 fourth-quarter lead slip away in a double overtime loss to Frostburg State. Despite its record, Fairmont State leads the MEC in yards per game with 508. Quarterback Takwan Crews-Naylor is second in conference in passing yards with 1,690 to go with 15 touchdowns. But, Crews-Naylor has also thrown eight interceptions including five in a 22-15 loss against Glenville State. Hayes has 546 receiving yards and five touchdowns with Hall just behind with 496 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Trevon Shorts is tied for sixth in the MEC in tackles with 51.
