Concord Heads to Emory & Henry for Season Opener

2021 Concord Stats - 2021 Emory & Henry Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team begins the 2022 season with a non-conference matchup at Emory & Henry 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Fred Selfe Stadium in Emory, Virginia.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Emory & Henry Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics as well as live streaming video for Saturday's contest. Additionally, live audio can be heard locally on 90.7 WEHC and streaming online at the link below. 

Live Audio
Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Emory & Henry leads 20-10-1 

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
1981: Concord 48 - Emory & Henry 0
1980: Concord 37 - Emory & Henry 7
1979: Concord 30 - Emory & Henry 0
1978: Concord 41 - Emory & Henry 7
1977: Concord 14 - Emory & Henry 3

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2021 Overall Record: 4-6
2021 MEC Record: 4-6
Home Record: 3-2
Away Record: 1-4

ON A HIGH NOTE
Concord played in six games decided by four points or less as it went 3-3 in such games. Despite all the close games, the Maroon and Gray finished the year by winning consecutive games against Alderson Broaddus and UNC-Pembroke. One of the three wins by four points or less came in a 28-25 triumph over UNCP. With consecutive wins to end last year, Concord will go for a third straight win for the first time since September 2015. The four wins posted by the Mountain Lions last year were the most since a 5-5 mark in 2015.

QB1
Senior Jack Mangel returns at quarterback for CU. Mangel became the first all-conference quarterback for the program since 2014 as he finished with 2,846 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Athens, Georgia native set the single-season program record for completions with 251. Mangel's passing yardage total ranked third in Concord history for a single season. He also finished second in the MEC in passing yards behind Notre Dame's Chris Brimm. Additionally, Mangel had four games of at least 350 yards passing, including 402 yards to open the season at Glenville State. His career high was 429 yards at Fairmont State in early October. Mangel's 36 completions at Glenville State last season were a single-game program record.

ROUGH AND ROWDY
The five projected starting offensive linemen for Concord in Saturday's contest have combined for 51 games played at Concord. Fifth-year senior lineman Davis Roberson has appeared in 28 career games while fifth-year senior Josh Ramos, fifth-year senior Saul Robles and junior Bo Rowland have all played in 11 games during their careers at Concord. While Ramos has never missed a start at CU, the Fontana, California native is slated to make his first start at center this week. The fifth projected starter is Pace University transfer and junior offensive lineman Kelechi Okoro.

EXPERIENCE COUNTS
Ten of the 11 projected starters on CU's defense for the season opener are either juniors, seniors or graduate students in the classroom. In the middle of that defense are graduate linebackers Tylen Fowler and Ty Maust. Fowler is the most veteran player on the Concord defense with 30 career appearances and 22 starts. Graduate defensive lineman Nathan Lease is close behind with 29 career games played. Meanwhile, graduate defensive back Rashon Lusane (68 tackles) and Maust (62) rank fourth and fifth among MEC tacklers from last season who are back on their respective rosters this season. Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Dajor Davenport finished top 10 in the MEC in sacks last season with seven. Other notable experienced players on CU's defense are graduate defensive back Phillip Russell (32 games between Faulkner and Jacksonville State) and graduate defensive back John Merica (22 starts at West Virginia Wesleyan).

REPLACING AN ALL-AMERICAN
The Mountain Lions must fill in the gap left by All-American wide receiver Tywan Pearce who hauled in 81 of Mangel's completions for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Jarod Bowie has been limited to five career games with the Covid-19 shortened spring 2021 season and a season-ending injury last year. However, the former West Virginia High School State Player of the Year has 35 receptions for 484 yards and three touchdowns in his career. Bowie opened up last fall with a 15-catch, 204-yard performance at Glenville State. Fifth-year senior wide receiver Zion Barnette reeled in 16 catches for 246 yards and two touchdowns in four games last year. Presbyterian transfer junior wide receiver Mack Simmons and junior college transfer junior wide receiver Cayden Chambers are expected to see their first start in the Maroon and Gray Saturday as well.

UTILITY MAN
Senior running back Kris Copeland did a little bit of everything last season as he ran for 573 yards on just 96 carries, an average of six yards per tote, and was the third-leading receiver with 35 receptions for 269 yards. Copeland produced two 100-yard rushing games last season against West Liberty and West Virginia State. Copeland is listed as a receiver on the current CU depth chart with Tusculum transfers junior running back Thurlow Wilkins and senior running back Gerard Hearst listed as the two ball carriers for the Mountain Lions.

NON-CONFERENCE CLASH
The Maroon and Gray will go for their first non-conference win since a 2017 victory at home against UNC-Pembroke—before the Braves became an MEC member in football. Saturday will be Concord's first out-of-league game since a 2019 trip to Michigan to play Hillsdale. Senior defensive lineman Noah Overstreet recorded two tackles for loss in his lone non-conference game in 2019. The only current CU players to suit up in a non-MEC game are Barnette—as a defensive back—Fowler, Lease, Overstreet and Roberson and fifth-year senior defensive back Davon Williams.

LONG TIME COMING
Saturday will be the 32^nd all-time meeting between Concord and Emory & Henry. But, the two schools that are separated by just 91 miles will meet for the first time since 1981. The Mountain Lions trail in the all-time series, 20-10-1. Concord won the last meeting 41 years ago, 48-0. Concord has won five straight games in the series, 1977-1981. And the last E&H win came in 1976, a 10-6 setback for the Mountain Lions. The schools met annually between 1974-81. CU also had another long-running series with Emory & Henry, meeting each year from 1951-1967.

EMORY & HENRY AT A GLANCE
2021 Overall Record: 6-4
2021 Home Record: 4-2
2021 Away Record: 2-2

SCOUTING THE WASPS
The Wasps are making the transition from Division III to Division II and are a member of the South Atlantic Conference. Emory & Henry averaged 438 yards of offense last season with 250 coming on the ground. The E&H rushing attack this season is expected to be led by University of Richmond transfer Grayson Overstreet. University of Charleston transfer Kyle Short threw for 15 touchdowns last season and aired it out for 1,694 yards. Former Concord tight end Brent Butler made the move to linebacker last season and led the Wasps in tackles with 67. Zyquis Law and Addison Knicely both had three interceptions in 2021. The E&H defense is led by Concord alumnus Tommy Buzzo who is in his fourth year as the defensive coordinator.