Concord Stats -
West Virginia State Stats -
Live Stats -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team is back on the road for the second straight week as they play at West Virginia State 1:00 p.m. Saturday in a Mountain East Conference game at Dickerson Stadium.
LIVE COVERAGE
The West Virginia State Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of Saturday's game.
Live Stats
Live Video
SERIES HISTORY: West Virginia State leads 29-22
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
September 16, 2023: West Virginia State 47 - Concord 27 (Athens, W.Va.)
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 32 (Athens, W.Va.)
October 13, 2018: West Virginia State 52 - Concord 24 (Institute, W.Va.)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 0-5
MEC Record: 0-3
Home Record: 0-3
Away Record: 0-2
MOVE THE STICKS
The Mountain Lions collected a season-high 18 first downs at West Liberty. CU accumulated five first downs on the ground, moved the sticks nine times on passing plays and earned four first downs via West Liberty penalties. All three quarterbacks that Concord played at WLU—graduate student
Blayne Ferguson, freshman
Tristan Gabrels and junior
Kameron Howard—all threw for at least one first down while Howard picked up a first down with his legs in the fourth quarter. West Virginia State is allowing just under 20 first downs per game, and last year the Maroon and Gray gained 21 first downs with 13 coming on passing plays against WVSU.
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Sophomore defensive back
Kendall Bournes played one of the best games of his young career at West Liberty. The Union, New Jersey native has started all 16 games in his career at safety. On Saturday, Bournes notched his first career interception with a third-quarter pick while forcing his second career fumble, and first since last September versus Charleston. Bournes also amassed eight tackles, and now has 27 tackles in his last three games from his safety spot—the most tackles over a three-game span for Bournes. His previous three-game best in tackles was 18 in the final three games of the 2023 season. The backend leader of the CU defense is now second on the team in tackles with 36. He has also added 2.5 tackles for loss which is tied for fifth on the team.
AMONG THE BEST
Concord has two players in the top five in the MEC in tackles this season. Sophomore linebacker
Ryker Brown has hovered in the top five of tackles in the conference all season, but the Peterstown, West Virginia native enters week six of the season leading the MEC in tackles with 42. Brown piled up 11 tackles at West Liberty which was hsi second time this year racking double-digit tackles. Brown is also top 40 nationally in tackles per game (8.4). With his recent surge, Bournes is now third in the MEC in tackles. In the 11-year history of the MEC, Concord has never had two players finish in the top five of the MEC in total tackles and the only time two players have been in the top 10 in the MEC in tackles at season's end was last year when graduate linebacker
Jamari Smith (second/90) and Bournes (sixth/78) were inside the top 10.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Entering the West Virginia State matchup, the Mountain Lions are being led at receiver by freshman
Marcus Striggles, and in the rushing offense freshman running
Jaden Judge has emerged each of the last two weeks in the running game. Striggles is tied for fifth in the MEC in receptions (21), and he caught his first career touchdown at West Liberty, a 17-yard, fourth-quarter score. In the four games Striggles has played, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native has caught at least four passes in each game. Meanwhile, Judge did not play until the end of September versus Charleston, but in two games, Judge has racked up 75 yards on just 10 carries. At West Liberty, Judge ripped off 50 yards on five carries, including CU's third-longest rush of the season of 20 yards.
EARLY OFFENSE
In last year's contest versus West Virginia State, Concord opened up a 13-3 lead on the Yellow Jackets after the first quarter. However, WVSU outscored CU 23-0 in the second quarter on its way to a 47-27 win at Callaghan Stadium. Over the last three games versus West Virginia State, the Mountain Lions have outscored the Yellow Jackets 37-12 in the first quarter. In last year's game, senior tight end
Jordyn Bentley amassed five catches for a career-best 64 yards and a touchdown. Bournes tallied nine tackles while Smith chipped in eight tackles and a tackle for loss. Graduate defensive lineman Vonte Panell and sophomore linebacker
Brodee Rice had six tackles apiece.
TAKING THE STING OUT OF STATE
West Virginia State is riding high ahead of Saturday's contest after one of the biggest comebacks in recent memory. The Yellow Jackets erased a 31-10 fourth-quarter deficit and won 45-34 at Fairmont State last week. WVSU is averaging 40.4 points per game which is second in the MEC and is rolling up 459.4 yards per game which is tops in the conference. Concord's secondary which is one of four teams in the MEC allowing fewer than 200 yards per game through the air will be tasked with stopping the MEC's second-best passing offense. WVSU quarterback Isaiah Bess is averaging 255 passing yards per game and as a team, the Yellow Jackets pass for 268.8 yards per contest.
OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS
While the Yellow Jackets have been explosive on offense, the West Virginia State defense is prone to giving up points and yards. WVSU is allowing teams to score 35.4 points per game, seventh in the conference. And the 278.4 passing yards that the Yellow Jackets are giving up per game are the most in the MEC. In last year's matchup,
Jack Mangel passed for 310 yards on WVSU as part of Concord's 357 yards of offense. Last weeks at West Liberty, Concord only passed for 167 yards, but eight players caught a pass for the Maroon and Gray, including junior tight end
Bryce Ferguson (two catches for 22 yards) and freshman wide receiver
Jeremiah Valdry (three receptions for 26 yards) hauling in their first receptions of 2024.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
25- Both graduate kicker/punter
Josh Hutley (42.0) and WVSU's Brennen Schmitt (44.1) rank in the top 25 nationally in punting average.
26- Accepted penalties between Concord (15) and West Virginia State (12) in last year's game.
38- Career-long field goal for Hutley at West Liberty last week.
WEST VIRGINIA STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 4-1
MEC Record: 3-0
Home Record: 2-1
Away Record: 2-0
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Bess is the reigning MEC Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for 396 yards and two touchdowns at Fairmont State. Longtime West Virginia State running back Joel Felder is being used in a variety of ways this year. Not only does Felder lead the Yellow Jackets in rushing (463), but he is also WVSU's leading receiver (353). Felder has scored nine touchdowns this year, five rushing and four receiving. Tim Sanford paces the defense with 26 tackles and three takeaways (two fumble recoveries and one interception).
