ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University football team eased its way to a 38-9 win over West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference game at Callaghan Stadium.
CU (1-8, 1-7 MEC) started fasted as it needed just 1:52 and four plays to score on the game's opening possession as senior quarterback
Jack Mangel found sixth-year wide receiver
Kris Copeland in stride for a 41-yard touchdown pass.
After a lengthy kickoff return by West Virginia Wesleyan (0-8, 0-7 MEC), the Bobcats used the short field to set up a 47-yard field goal at the 11:05 mark of the first quarter.
From there, the Mountain Lions controlled the remainder of the first half.
Sophomore running back
TJ Finney capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive at the end of the first quarter with a two-yard touchdown plunge. At the halfway point of the second quarter, Mangel led Concord on its longest drive of the afternoon—a 10-play, 77 yard drive that chewed up more than five minutes of the second quarter.
The drive ended with a pass in the back of the endzone from 20 yards away as senior wide receiver
Alvin Howard ran underneath his sixth score of the season. Copeland's second score of the afternoon, a 21-yard strike from Mangel, extended the CU lead to 28-3 with 3:37 remaining before halftime.
The Concord special teams was responsible for the final points of the first half. After a WVWC three-and-out, freshman wide receiver
Justin Martell came free on the ensuing punt and blocked the ball out-of-bounds at the eight-yard line to set up a short 21-yard field goal from graduate kicker/punter
Josh Hutley.
After a quiet third quarter from both offenses, the Mountain Lions capped their scoring on a long run by Finney.
Wesleyan drove the ball inside the Concord 10-yard line in the fourth quarter, but a pass breakup on the goal line on fourth down kept WVWC out of the endzone. Two plays later, Finney sprung free for an 88-yard rushing touchdown—the longest rushing play in program history—with 4:44 remaining.
The Bobcats did score a touchdown with 19 seconds remaining in the game for the final margin.
Finney rushed 26 times for 226 yards and added two touchdowns. Finney entered Saturday with just 62 rushing yards on the year. As a team, CU ran for 270 yards, the highest total since last year's Charleston game.
Mangel finished with 270 yards through the air on 22-for-32 passing and three first-half scores. Copeland reeled in a career-best 13 receptions for 148 yards and his third multi-touchdown game of the year. Howard added four catches for 61 yards and a score.
Defensively, CU held Wesleyan to 21 first-half plays and just 34 through three quarters. The Mountain Lions forced four WVWC three-and-outs.
Concord collected a season-best five sacks while recording a season-high 10 tackles for loss. Junior linebacker
Jamari Smith netted seven tackles, two TFLs, a sack and a forced fumble. Two of the four tackles for freshman linebacker
Brodee Rice were for loss. And graduate defensive lineman
Vonte Pannell added two TFLs and a sack.
The Mountain Lions rolled up a season-high 540 yards of offense (270 rushing, 270 passing).
Concord welcomes Notre Dame 1:00 p.m. November 4 for Senior Day at Callaghan Stadium.
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