Concord Faces Undefeated Frostburg State

Concord Stats - Frostburg State Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team plays a second-straight home game as it welcomes Frostburg State to Callaghan Stadium 1:00 p.m. Saturday for a Mountain East Conference game.

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

RECORDS
Concord evened its record at 1-1 with a 28-25 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in the home opener.

Frostburg State is receiving votes in the AFCA Division II National Poll at 3-0 overall and is 2-0 in the MEC.

DYNAMIC DUO
Fifth-year senior wide receiver Tywan Pearce recorded his third straight 100-yard receiving game by totaling 107 yards on seven receptions and scoring two touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan. Pearce moved up the career receiving yards' list at CU as he stands 46 yards away from 2,000 for his career. The North Kissimmee, Florida native is sixth on the all-time list after passing Howie Castillo. Sophomore wide receiver Jarod Bowie was quieted by Wesleyan as he made four catches for 40 yards. Still, Bowie ranks ninth in Division II in receiving yards per game at 122. Pearce is 19^th at 104.0 yards per game, making Bowie and Pearce one of two sets of teammates in Division II averaging 100 or more receiving yards per game, joining University of Mary's Danny Kittner and Luke Little. With Bowie and Pearce's exploits, junior quarterback Jack Mangel is fifth in the country in yards per game at 335.0.

THE ERASERS
The Mountain Lions were able to jump out to a 14-0 lead on West Virginia Wesleyan thanks to a defense that was flying around and forcing consecutive WVWC three-and-outs. Junior defensive lineman Noah Overstreet accounted for a sack on one of the two series as he got his first career start at nose tackle. Meanwhile, senior linebacker Tylen Fowler registered 2.5 tackles for loss in the win. Fowler and Overstreet have combined for 5.5 of Concord's 13 team TFLs this season. Junior linebacker Jordan Jones also got in for his first career sack against the Bobcats. It was the first two-sack game for CU's defense since a November 2019 win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

UTILITY MAN
Just a game after freshman running back Justin Lee totaled 125 all-purpose yards at Glenville State (70 rushing, 55 receiving), junior wide receiver Kris Copeland saw time out wide and in the backfield with Mangel. The Summerville, South Carolina native needed just 10 touches (six rushes, four receptions) to account for 128 all-purpose yards (70 rushing, 58 receiving). It's the second time in Copeland's career that he has had at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, done in his first career game at Wesleyan in 2018. Copeland is the first CU player to average 10 or more yards per offensive touch with at least 10 combined carries or catches since Calvinaugh Jones averaged 14 yards per touch on 17 carries and two receptions (260 rushing, six receiving) against UVa.-Wise in 2015.

MOVE THE CHAINS
After collecting 24 first downs at Glenville State, CU amassed 20 more first downs against West Virginia Wesleyan. The Mountain Lions are averaging the most first downs in the MEC at 22. Even having only played two games to most teams' three in the MEC, Concord still ranks sixth in the league in first downs at 44 with 33 coming through the air. It's the first time with consecutive 20-first down games for the Maroon and Gray since the final two games of the 2018 season against Fairmont State and Urbana. And while Frostburg poses the league's stingy third-down defense—allowing opponents to make just under 27 percent of third down tries—the Bobcats are giving up the second-most first downs in the MEC at 22 per game.

PUNCH THAT BALL OUT
Freshman defensive lineman DJ Thomas recovered a fumble in the second quarter against West Virginia Wesleyan to mark the 16^th straight game that the Mountain Lions have forced a turnover dating back to the 2018 season. CU is tied for seventh nationally in fumbles recovered this season at five. An opportunistic defense will be looking to force and recover fumbles against a Frostburg State that has rushed the ball the most in the MEC through three weeks with 132 attempts. However, the Bobcats have turned the ball via the fumble just twice in three games. Two seasons ago versus FSU, the Mountain Lions got a fumble recovery from fifth-year senior defensive lineman JT Turner after the force from senior defensive back Zion Barnette.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Concord and Frostburg State have moved the ball in different ways this season. CU is the only team in the MEC averaging over 300 passing yards early in 2021. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are third in the conference with 142.3 rushing yards per game. The Mountain Lions are seventh in stopping the run in the MEC this season, giving up 130 yards per game. But, FSU has had trouble stopping teams through the air, allowing 262.7 passing yards which is 11^th in the MEC. Though the Mountain Lions have allowed some yards on the ground, Concord is second in the MEC in red zone defense allowing just five scores in nine trips to Glenville State and West Virginia Wesleyan. Similarly, Frostburg State has used an aggressive pass rush and interceptions to counter the pass defense woes. FSU's 14 sacks are the most in the MEC and its five interceptions rank second.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
9- Number of starters from the 2019 game against Frostburg State that remain on CU's roster ahead of this year's game.

10- Touchdown passes for Mangel in his first three games at CU, the most for a quarterback to start a career in program history.

162- Pearce's career receptions which are seventh among active Division II players

FROSTBURG STATE AT A GLANCE
The Bobcats outlasted Charleston in double overtime, 30-24, to remain undefeated this season. Frostburg State defeated Concord at Callaghan Stadium during the second week of the 2019 season, 52-14, as Gavin Lavat rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns. In 2021, the powerful Lavat is second in the MEC in rushing yards with 253 and two scores. Frostburg State also owns wins this season over Kentucky Wesleyan and West Virginia State. Malik Morris ranks fifth in the MEC in receiving yards per game at 80.3. Hauns White, Carl Igweh and Payton Payne have combined for five of the 14 sacks for the Bobcats this season. Quarterback Graham Walker has thrown five touchdowns, but also has six interceptions.