Concord Wraps Up Season Versus UNC-Pembroke on Senior Day

Concord Stats - UNC-Pembroke Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team welcomes UNC-Pembroke to Callaghan Stadium for Senior Day 1:00 p.m. Saturday in the final Mountain East Conference game of the season for the both sides.

LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason Reed and Steve Cox will have live radio play-by-play coverage on 94.5 "Willie" FM and streaming online at www.mywillie.com
Stats: Live in-game statistics will be available for Saturday's contest. 
Video: Live streaming video will be provided Saturday through the Concord Sports Information Department. 

RECORDS
CU is 3-6 after a victory at Alderson-Broaddus, 23-10, Saturday.

UNC-Pembroke comes in at 6-4 after a 45-7 setback versus nationally-ranked Notre Dame over the weekend.

THE SENIOR GAME
Head coach Dave Walker and the program will honor the team's seniors prior to Saturday's game. Among those that will go through the recognition period are fifth-year senior wide receiver Tywan Pearce, fifth-year senior linebacker Dwain Porterfield, fifth-year senior defensive back Davion Green, fifth-year senior defensive lineman JT Turner, fifth-year senior defensive back T.J. Stokes as well as sixth-year seniors, defensive back Jonathan Roebuck and offensive lineman Nathan Toney. Pearce is the career leader in receptions at Concord with 221 and is 164 yards away from 3,000 for his career. Porterfield is Concord's active leader in tackles with 162. Turner has been a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in his career. Roebuck is the active career leader in games played as he will strap on the Maroon and Gray for the 42^nd time Saturday afternoon. He also has five career interceptions, including one run back for a score against UNC-Pembroke in 2017. His fellow sixth-year senior, Toney, has been on the field for 38 games since 2017.

RUNNING INTO A WALL
The Mountain Lions stifled Alderson-Broaddus Saturday as it held the Battlers to 149 yards of total offense and 11 first down, both season lows. Additionally, Concord's defense did not allow an offensive touchdown for the second consecutive game. Since allowing a late fourth-quarter touchdown versus West Virginia State, the Maroon and Gray defense has gone over 63 minutes not allowing an offensive touchdown. The last time Concord's defense went more than five quarters without allowing a touchdown was in 2017 during the entire UVa.-Wise game in a 7-0 win and the first quarter of the following game versus Notre Dame. In 2013, CU held Charleston without a touchdown in a double overtime game and did not allow a score to UVa.-Wise the following week until the fourth quarter, a string of seven quarters.

STEPPING IN, STEPPING UP
With Concord limited at the skill positions due to injuries, the Mountain Lions received jolts on offense from a pair of freshmen at Alderson-Broaddus. After carrying the ball two times through the first eight games of the season, freshman running back Kevon Young-Warren took seven handoffs on Saturday and found the end zone twice in the first half to get CU out to a 20-3 lead. The Martinsburg, West Virginia native became the first Concord running back with a two touchdown game since Josh Maxwell in the final game of the 2018 season. Meanwhile, freshman wide receiver Bryce Klinger hauled in a career-tying five receptions for a personal-high 69 yards.

SPECIAL(IST) DAY
Sophomore kicker Giovanni Christiano connected on three of his four field goals at A-B as the Lakewood, Florida native tied a program record for most field goals in a single game, hitting from 39 yards and 33 yards twice. Christiano became the first CU kicker with three field goals in the same game since Luke Walls during the middle of the 2019 season. Freshman punter Mikey Rago averaged 40.8 yards per punt against Alderson-Broaddus which was the second-best average for the Daleville, Virginia native this season. On kickoffs, Christiano booted a career-best three touchbacks Saturday. Meanwhile with 42 points this season, Christiano is one point away from moving into the top 10 in points by a kicker for a season single in program history.

SINGLE-SEASON SUPERLATIVES
Some more single-season record watches to look out for Saturday is junior quarterback Jack Mangel trying to become the third CU quarterback with a 3,000-yard season. Mangel goes into Saturday with 2,637 yards for the season. Brian Novak (3,739/2014) and Zack Grossi (3,216/2010) are the other two quarterbacks with 3,000-yard passing seasons in program history. Mangel already broke the program record for completions in a season as he sits on 229 in 2021. With three sacks, senior defensive lineman Dajor Davenport would become the fourth player in program history with a 10-sack season. Davenport is tied for seventh in sacks this season in the MEC. Pearce is 110 yards away from a 1,200-yard receiving season. Only two previous players in program history have achieved the feat, most recently Thomas Mayo in 2010.

GUNSLINGING GURUS
Saturday will be a matchup of the top two quarterbacks in the MEC, in terms of passing yards. Mangel leads the MEC in passing yards per game at 293 while UNCP signal caller Josh Jones is tossing for 263.9 yards per game this fall. Mangel has five games of at least 250 yards passing this season with Jones also having five such games. Two weeks ago, Jones threw for a season-best 389 yards at West Liberty. One key difference in the defenses the two quarterbacks will face Saturday is the Mountain Lions are third in the MEC in passing defense, allowing 196 yards per game. UNC-Pembroke gives up 239 yards per game through the air, ninth in the conference. CU has only given up 252 passing yards in the last two games combined, but will be tested Saturday against Jones and a wide receiving corps that has seven players with at least 15 catches this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6- Years since Concord has won on Senior Day, a 55-7 win over West Virginia State in 2015.

42- Games since CU held an opponent under 100 yards passing before Saturday as it limited UNC-Pembroke to 48 yards in the season finale in 2016.

837- Combined yards of offense between Concord and UNCP the last time the teams met, a 48-34 win for UNCP in 2018.

UNC-PEMBROKE AT A GLANCE
Like Concord, the Braves have been involved in several one-possession games season. UNCP has a record of 3-2 in games decided by seven points or less while CU is 2-4 in such games. As previously mentioned the pass completions has been evenly distributed by Jones this season, but Rodney Smith and Trey Dixon have combined for 71 receptions, 900 yards and seven of Jones' 15 touchdowns. In the rushing game, Joseph Early has scampered for 464 yards and six touchdowns. While the Braves are vulnerable to allowing some yards through the air, the secondary has 11 interceptions, second most in the MEC. Dante Bowlding has three interceptions while Sean Hill and Devin Jones each add two.