Concord Looks to Stay Unbeaten in Homecoming Tilt Versus Fairmont State

Concord Stats - Fairmont State Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team plays Fairmont State 1:00 p.m. Saturday in a Homecoming matchup at Callaghan Stadium as it looks to remain unbeaten this season.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics and live streaming video of Saturday's game. For those wanting to listen to the audio of the game, Fairmont State's radio crew of Travis Jones and Duane Cochran will have the call. 

Live Audio
Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY vs. Fairmont State: FSU leads 41-33-1

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
October 2, 2021: Fairmont State 31 - Concord 27 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
October 19, 2019: Fairmont State 56 - Concord 27 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 3, 2018: Fairmont State 56 - Concord 17 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
November 4, 2017: Fairmont State 35 - Concord 0 (Athens, W.Va.)
September 10, 2016: Fairmont State 28 - Concord 0 (Fairmont, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 4-0
MEC Record: 3-0
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 3-0

HOLD EM OFF
The Mountain Lions built a 23-9 fourth-quarter lead at Frostburg State Saturday before having to survive two FSU touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game as the Bobcats came up short on the point after try to give Concord a 23-22 win on the game's final play. Three of the four CU wins this season have been by one possession. This comes one season after the Maroon and Gray was 3-4 in games decided by seven points or less. CU outgained Frostburg State 490-310 in the win, and overcame a turnover margin of minus-3.

ELITE PERFORMANCE
Junior wide receiver Jarod Bowie is the reigning MEC Offensive Player of the Week heading into the second home game of the season. Bowie rolled up 221 receiving yards on 13 catches and a second-quarter touchdown in Saturday's win. Bowie leads the conference in receptions (32) and yards (575), and is third in Division II in receiving yards and fifth in receptions. Additionally, Bowie is the only Division II pass catcher this season to have multiple 200-yard receiver games after he had 206 yards at West Virginia Wesleyan the previous week. The Martinsburg, West Virginia native has also caught a touchdown in four consecutive games to begin the season. 2021 All-American receiver Tywan Pearce had a streak of four consecutive games with a score last fall.

TWO-MINUTE DRILL
In three of four games this season, junior quarterback Jack Mangel has marched the CU offense down the field in the final possession of the first half. Mangel covered 81 yards in 1:26 at Emory & Henry to give Concord a 20-17 lead at halftime. Two games ago at WVWC, Mangel drove the Mountain Lions 80 yards in 47 seconds to push CU's lead to 34-17 lead at halftime. And this past week, Concord needed just 29 seconds to go 60 yards capped by a 31-yard Hail Mary catch by Bowie on the first half's final play. Mangel has tossed for 211 yards in the final two minutes of those three games, and has not missed a pass going 13-for-13. And counting the Glenville State contest when CU missed a field goal to end the half, Mangel is 16-for-18 with 232 yards in the final two minutes of first halves this year.

MOVE THE CHAINS
Concord entered Saturday's game converting just 36.8 percent on third down (14-for-38). However, the Mountain Lions were 10-of-16 on third down versus Frostburg State. The 10 third-down conversions were the most for the Maroon and Gray since making 11 third-down attempts versus Fairmont State in 2015. CU also collected 29 first downs at Frostburg State which were the most for a Concord team since moving the sticks 33 times versus West Liberty in 2010. CU's 95 first downs are first in the MEC, and eighth in Division II. Concord's 44.4 percent on third down leads the MEC. Fairmont State's 41.7 percent on third down is third. CU is second in the MEC in third-down defense (31.0) while FSU is 10^th, allowing opponents to convert 46.8 percent.

LIFE IN THE BACKFIELD
Concord's defense tallied three sacks at Frostburg State as graduate linebacker Ty Maust had his first sack of the season as did graduate defensive lineman Sayrend Musgrove while graduate defensive back Phillip Russell had a sack for the second straight week. Maust had a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss versus the Bobcats while Musgrove had 1.5 TFLs. Concord's 12 sacks are second in the MEC while its 29 TFLs are tied for fourth in the conference. Fairmont State has given up the third most sacks in the conference (10). Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Dajor Davenport and graduate linebacker Tylen Fowler are tied for eighth in the MEC in TFLs this season with 4.5.

SECRET WEAPON
While a lot of attention has been given to Mangel and the CU aerial attack this season—Mangel is 11^th in Division II in passing yards (1,111) and 16^th in completion percentage (64.8)—junior running back Thurlow  Wilkins is quietly putting together a stellar season. Since being limited to 48 yards at Emory & Henry, Wilkins has rushed for at least 85 yards in the other three games. In his only career home game, Wilkins scampered for 102 yards and two scores against Glenville State. Wilkins is fourth in the conference in rushing (326). Meanwhile, senior running back Kris Copeland is sixth in the MEC in rushing per carry (6.3) on 22 carries in 2022.

TAKE THE TOP OFF
Last year's game against Fairmont State featured seven touchdowns with FSU clipping the Mountain Lions, 31-27. Of the seven touchdowns scored, five were plays of at least 40 yards. Included in that was Mangel hitting Pearce for the longest pass play in program history, an 89-yard strike just 34 seconds in the game. Mangel also had touchdown tosses of 41 yards and 74 yards—both to Pearce. Mangel threw for a career-best 429 yards in the game, and Pearce set the MEC single-game record for receiving yards with 288. Bowie had a 40-plus yard play of 41 as he snared two receptions for 79 yards before leaving with injury.

TOP TACKLERS
Saturday's matchup will feature three of the top five tacklers in the MEC this season. Fairmont State's Devin Jackson is tied for second in the conference in tackles with 39 while CU's Maust is just two off the pace with 37 and ranks fourth. Though Fairmont State's Brocton Blair did not play last week versus UNC-Pembroke, he has racked up 35 tackles in three games. Maust has totaled at least eight tackles in all four games this season, and dating back to last season has eight or more stops in seven straight games. Over that span, he also has two sacks and 4.5 TFLs.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5- Concord seeks to end a five-game losing streak against Fairmont State.

23-22- The Frostburg State win was the first time in program history that a game finished 23-22.

950- Combined yards of offense last season between Concord (493) and Fairmont State (457).

FAIRMONT STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 1-3
MEC Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-1
Away Record: 0-2

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING FALCONS
After two near misses, Fairmont State picked up its first win of the season Saturday with a two-point victory over UNC-Pembroke on FSU's Homecoming. FSU had previously lost to Charleston, in four overtimes, this season and dropped 34-29 game at West Virginia State. FSU quarterback Mike Floria threw for 265 yards and four touchdowns versus Concord last season. Two of three catches for JoShawn Lewis last season went for a touchdown versus CU. Lewis leads the Fighting Falcons in receptions (17) and is second in yards (140).