Concord Stats -
Wheeling Stats -
Live Audio -
Live Stats -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team celebrates Senior Day 12:00 p.m. Saturday at Callaghan Stadium as Concord welcomes Wheeling University for a Mountain East Conference game in the season finale for both teams.
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason Reed and
Steve Cox will have live radio play-by-play coverage of Saturday's game starting with the pre-game show at 11:45 a.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 of Saturday's game.
Video: Live streaming video with audio of Reed and Cox's call will be available.
RECORDS
Concord enters the game with a mark of 1-9 overall and 1-8 in conference. Wheeling comes to town looking for its first win of the season with a record of 0-10 overall and 0-9 versus MEC foes.
THE SENIOR GAME
Ten Mountain Lions take to Callaghan Stadium one final time Saturday afternoon. The group includes quarterback
Kyle Akin, offensive lineman
Keener Burke, kicker
Bryce Deeringer, defensive lineman
Ryan Gatrell, linebacker
Jalen Hairston, defensive back
Ke'Shawn Hall, defensive lineman De'Anthony Muse, wide receiver
Brandon Plyler, defensive back
Jakil Sarhim and defensive lineman
Bennie White.
A transfer from UT-Martin, Akin will be making his 19
th appearance in the Maroon and Gray. Akin's 2,853 passing yards are eighth in program history while his 239 completions in the last two seasons are seventh. Akin has thrown 21 touchdowns—tied for ninth at Concord. Burke is a legacy Mountain Lion following in the steps of his father, Scott. The Weber City, Virginia native has played in 12 games over the last three seasons along the offensive line. Deeringer has served as CU's kickoff specialist this season. Gatrell was instrumental in Concord's 28-24 win over West Virginia Wesleyan earlier this season as he recovered two fumbles. Gatrell will appear in his 36
th career game and is tied for second in program history in fumble recoveries with five. A graduate transfer from the University of Charleston, Hairston had his best game in a Concord jersey in his return to the Capital city Thursday night as he registered eight tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack.
Hall enters his final game in the Maroon and Gray as CU's active leader in tackles with 180 from his safety spot. A year after recording 69 tackles, Hall needs two tackles to reach 50 in 2019 to go with his two interceptions. Like Hairston, Muse is finishing his athletic eligibility as a graduate transfer from the University of Richmond. The Roanoke, Virginia native has 43 tackles and is second on the team in tackles for loss with six this season. Because of a season-ending injury, Plyler will not suit up on Saturday. However, the Fort Mill, South Carolina native will end his career ranked fourth in receptions (149), seventh in yards (1,841) and eighth in touchdowns (17) in program history. Sarhim has also been sidelined this season with some injuries, but has 11 pass break-ups in 19 career games. White has been a utility player on the CU defense playing both defensive line and linebacker over his career. This season, White has seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.
SINGLE SEASON RECORDS
Junior wide receiver
Tywan Pearce is tied for third in the MEC in receptions this season with 57, which is also a single-season high for Pearce. The North Kissimmee, Florida native needs 77 yards to set his career high in receiving for a single season. In 2018, Pearce caught 51 passes for 710 yards and a team-best seven touchdowns. Over on the defensive side of the ball, Hairston can continue a streak of a CU player having three forced fumbles in a single season. Currently, the Collinsville, Virginia native is the only Concord defender with multiple forced fumbles this season. In 2016 and 2018, former All-MEC First Team selection
Zach Malone had three forced fumbles while
Ty Walker forced three fumbles in 2017.
CAREER NIGHTS
Speaking of Hairston's career night at Charleston, he was just one of a few CU players with personal highs in the game. Freshman running back
Derek Kincaid ran the ball a career-best 15 times while also catching his first career touchdown—Kincaid scored his first career rushing touchdown at Glenville State in September. Junior linebacker
Dillon Howie paced Concord with a team-best nine tackles which was also a single-game high. Hairston followed with his career-best eight tackles. Sophomore linebacker
Grant Mohler came through with a single-game best six tackles to go with his first career tackle for loss.
FIXING FOR A TURNOVER
While the Mountain Lions lead the MEC—and are fourth in Division II in fumbles recovered—with 14, Concord ranks in a tie for ninth in interceptions in the conference with seven. CU, though, has intercepted a pass in each of the last two games with Hall and junior defensive back
Imani Moore both grabbing their second interceptions of the season against Wesleyan and Charleston, respectively. Concord has only intercepted two passes in a game once this season, against West Virginia State. Wheeling comes to town having thrown a league-high 21 interceptions—the only team in the MEC with 20 or more picks on the season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4- Number of CU defensive players with multiple fumble recoveries this season
5- Receptions needed by Pearce to reach 125 for his career
147- Yards needed by Akin to reach 3,000 for his career
WHEELING AT A GLANCE
In their first year of varsity football, the Cardinals have played in just two games decided by 10 points or less. Wheeling lost to West Liberty, 33-30, to open the season, and let a 14-0 halftime lead at Glenville State slip away as the Pioneers won 24-14 two weeks ago. Despite his 19 interceptions, quarterback Tucker Strachan has thrown for 2,075 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jaquaun Davidson and Ryan LaFollette have combined for over 1,200 yards receiving. Defensive back Rich White is ninth in the MEC in tackles with 78 and is tied for second in the league with 12 pass break-ups this season. White is part of a secondary that leads the conference in pass defense, surrendering just 187.6 yards per game through the air.
