Concord Readies for Home Contest Against West Virginia State

Concord Stats - West Virginia State Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team plays host to West Virginia State 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Callaghan Stadium in a Mountain East Conference contest.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics and live streaming video of Saturday's game. 

Live Stats
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SERIES HISTORY: Concord leads 29-21

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
October 22, 2022: West Virginia State 56 - Concord 38 (Institute, W.Va.)
October 23, 2021: West Virginia State 34 - Concord 32 (Athens, W.Va.)
September 28, 2019: West Virginia State 33 - Concord 23 (Athens, W.Va.)
October 13, 2018: West Virginia State 52 - Concord 24 (Institute, W.Va.)
October 14, 2017: West Virginia State 47 - Concord 29 (Athens, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 0-2
MEC Record: 0-1
Home Record: 0-1
Away Record: 0-1

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Senior quarterback Jack Mangel put the ball in the air 50 times at Charleston Thursday night as he finished two pass attempts shy of his career high set last year at West Virginia State. Mangel completed 28 passes to 10 different receivers while targeting 11 different pass catchers. For Mangel, it was the most receivers he has completed a pass to in a game, and it was the most receivers to catch at least one pass since 2019 against Frostburg State when 10 different receivers tallied a reception in that particular game. Senior wide receiver Cayden Chambers caught a career-best six passes while fellow senior wide receiver Alvin Howard hauled in five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

STEPPING UP
With sixth-year wide receiver Kris Copeland being held to just four receptions for 16 yards by the Charleston defense, Howard shined in his first significant playing time in the Maroon and Gray. The Virginia Union transfer caught a third-quarter touchdown from Mangel. In 10 games last season, Howard caught just two passes and was mainly used a special teams player for VUU. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jake Roberts also snagged a third-quarter touchdown from Mangel at UC which was his first career score after he spent last season at East Tennessee State as a redshirt. Despite being held down by Charleston, Copeland still ranks third in the MEC in receptions (15) and fifth in yards (163).

YOUNG PUPS
A pair of freshmen continued their strong early season performances. Linebacker Brodee Rice recorded Concord's first takeaway of the season as he intercepted a pass and ran it back inside the 10-yard line. Rice is tied for 14^th in the MEC in tackles as he has registered six in each game this season. Meanwhile, defensive back Kendall Bournes made six tackles, added two tackles for loss and forced a fumble. Redshirt freshman linebacker Ryker Brown was shut out of making a tackle in the season opener versus Emory & Henry, but made a team-high eight tackles at Charleston. Brown became the first freshman to make eight or more tackles in a game since Jeremiah Johnson made 10 tackles at Minnesota State-Mankato in 2014.

HANG TIME HUTLEY
Graduate kicker/punter Josh Hutley came out and punted 10 times versus Charleston which was the most punting for the Mountain Lions since also punting 10 times at Charleston in a double overtime game in 2013. Hutley is second in the MEC in punting average (43.1), trailing only Notre Dame's Dominic Buttazzoni. Hutley had a long punt of 56 yards at UC, and averaged 44.0 yards. Hutley also ranks 16^th in Division II in punting. The last CU punter to finish the year with a punting average of at least 40 yards was Adam Fulton during the 2018 season.

SAVVY SIGNAL CALLERS
Saturday's contest pits Mangel against another longtime quarterback in Donovan Riddick. Mangel will line up under center for the 25^th time in his career in the Maroon and Gray. Riddick, a dual-threat quarterback, will appear in his 39^th career game. Mangel (7,315) and Riddick (6,140) have combined for more than 13,000 passing yards and 114 passing touchdowns. The duo is just two of eight active quarterbacks with 6,000 or more passing yards. Riddick has also run for more than 1,000 yards in his time at WVSU. Mangel has thrown for 857 yards and seven touchdowns in two career games versus West Virginia State. On the other side, Riddick has tossed for 580 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games versus Concord while accounting for 100 rushing yards.

UP AND DOWN THE FIELD
Last year's game at West Virginia State resulted in a 56-38 win for the Yellow Jackets. Both teams went over 500 yards of offense as the Mountain Lions outgained WVSU 552-546. The quarterbacks combined for 852 yards as Mangel finished with 450 yards and four touchdowns, going 36-for-52 through the air to finish with career highs in completions and attempts. Copeland set a career high with 11 receptions before tying the mark in the home opener this season against Emory & Henry. Chambers hauled in four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side, junior defensive back Kevin Howard had five tackles and a fumble recovery at West Virginia State.

PROTECTION UP FRONT
With a total of 93 pass attempts in last season's game at West Virginia State, the Mountain Lions and Yellow Jackets combined for just four sacks in the contest. This season, the two sides have combined for just four sacks in two games. However, the offensive lines have allowed 12 sacks in 2023. Of the five offensive linemen for Concord, senior Bo Rowland hasn't missed a snap at left tackle this season, and will start his 25^th straight game Saturday. Redshirt freshman Jabari Edwards has been consistent at center. Freshman Aidan Parsons has played the majority of snaps at left guard while fellow freshman Christopher Alexandre has done the same at right tackle. At right guard, juniors Derrick Battle and Devin Luckett have split time.

BREAK THE STREAK
Concord has dropped its last six games against West Virginia State which comes after the Mountain Lions owned the series winning seven straight games from 2009-2015. CU also did not drop a game to the Yellow Jackets from 1983-1974. Despite the six-game skid, the Maroon and Gray has had some close calls versus WVSU. The Mountain Lions were a two-point conversion—in the final two minutes—away forcing overtime in 2021 as it fell 34-32. In 2019, Concord let a 23-19 fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 33-23 loss. And in 2016, Concord was outgunned 52-45 in a game that featured more than 1,200 yards of offense.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
34- Number of possessions in last year's game at West Virginia State.

56- Combined tackles from first-year defensive players at Concord—including transfers—of the 116 total tackles in two games.

240- Total combined penalty yards in 2022 between CU and WVSU.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 1-1
MEC Record: 1-0
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-1

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
In both games this season, the final score line for WVSU has been 37-35—a two-point defeat at Division I Morehead State, and a two-point victory over UNC-Pembroke. West Virginia State has the MEC's top rusher in Joel Felder who has run for 269 yards and two scores this fall. Riddick is completing more than 75 percent of his passes this season while throwing for six touchdowns to just one interception. Defensively, Jy Martin is one of two players in the MEC with two interceptions this season. Head coach John Pennington is a former CU assistant coach (2011-2014) who is 35-26 in his seven seasons at West Virginia State. Pennington has had five straight winning seasons since his arrival.