Concord Stats -
Fairmont State Stats -
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Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - Fresh off a 33-31 win over West Virginia Wesleyan on the road, the Concord University football team plays a second straight road game when it visits Fairmont State 12:00 p.m. Saturday in a Mountain East Conference clash at Duvall-Rosier Field.
LIVE COVERAGE
The Fairmont State Sports Information Department will handle live statistics and live video of Saturday's contest. Additionally, the game can be heard locally in the Fairmont area on Sky 106.5 and streaming online.
Live Audio
Live Stats
Live Video
SERIES HISTORY: Fairmont State 43-33-1
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS FAIRMONT STATE
October 5, 2023: Fairmont State 42 - Concord 9 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
October 1, 2022: Fairmont State 10 - Concord 9 (Athens, W.Va.)
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 - Fairmont State 17 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 1-7
MEC Record: 1-5
Home Record: 0-4
Away: 1-3
AIR IT OUT
In the win at West Virginia Wesleyan, the Mountain Lions received career games from sophomore quarterback
Kameron Howard and sophomore wide receiver
Jake Roberts. In just his third career start, Howard threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns, both career highs. In fact, Howard entered the game having only thrown for 369 yards in his previous four games. The Baltimore, Maryland native became the first Concord quarterback not named Brian Novak (2013-16) or
Jack Mangel (2021-24) to have a 300-yard passing game since 2012. For Roberts, he returned to the field after missing the Glenville State game as he set a career high in receiving yards with 159 yards while reeling in his first career two-touchdown game. Roberts' performance was the first 100-yard game for a CU receiver this fall and was the first time a Concord player has scored twice through the air in 2024.
BACKEND BALLERS
Sophomore defensive back
Kendall Bournes and sophomore linebacker
Nehemiah Scott each had an interception at WVWC Saturday evening. Scott nabbed his first career interception on the final play of the first half while Bournes collected his second interception of the year to begin the fourth quarter that set up a Howard to Roberts touchdown. After hauling in two interceptions versus Glenville State, Saturday marked the first time CU has had multiple interceptions in consecutive games since the ninth and tenth games of the 2022 season versus Wheeling and Alderson Broaddus. Scott added six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the game at West Virginia Wesleyan, including combining on a safety with sophomore linebacker
Ryker Brown for the go-ahead score with under a minute left to go. Bournes added eight tackles against the Bobcats.
GAINS ON THE GROUND
Senior running back
JQ Brown complemented the Concord passing attack by rushing for 118 yards on 29 carries. The 29 totes were the most by a CU player this season, and the most rushing attempts for a Mountain Lion since 2015. The Augusta, Georgia native has run for 100 yards in back-to-back games and has totaled 324 yards over that time. Brown's consecutive 100-yard performances is the first time Concord has had a running back reach the century mark in back-to-back contests since the Alderson Broaddus and UNC Pembroke games to end the 2022 campaign. Brown has vaulted to eighth in the MEC in rushing for the season with 432 yards.
PUSH 'EM BACK
Not only did the Mountain Lions force two turnovers at West Virginia Wesleyan, CU's defensive front also came up with a season-high 10 tackles for loss in the victory. Brown matched his career high with two tackles for loss in the win while senior linebacker
Samaj Washington had two TFLs for the second consecutive week. In his first career start, freshman defensive lineman
Xavier Ellison registered 1.5 sacks. CU's defensive line has been steadily improving as it only had four sacks in the first five games, but has recorded two sacks in three straight games. While Concord does not have a player in the top 20 in the MEC in sacks, the Mountain Lions rank seventh in the MEC with their 10 sacks while this week's opponent, Fairmont State, only has eight sacks.
FLY TO THE BALL
Saturday's game features four of the top five and seven of the top 11 tacklers in the MEC. Brown leads all MEC defensive players with 62 tackles to go with a team-best eight tackles for loss. The Peterstown, West Virginia native has at least six tackles in seven of eight games this year. Fairmont State has the third, fourth and fifth-leading tacklers in the MEC. Nick Longo has 59 stops this fall while ET Bushra and Donovan O'Malley have pitched in 57 and 55 tackles, respectively. For CU, Bournes is tied for ninth in the MEC with 50 stops this year while Scott and graduate defensive lineman
Jaylen Dollar are tied for 11
th with 48 tackles. Bournes has eight or more tackles in four of the last six games to go with his two interceptions.
YOUNG GUNS
The two projected starting quarterback this week in Howard and Fairmont State's Nino Marzullo have combined to start just eight college games with Marzullo starting the last five for the Fighting Falcons. Howard is getting his first significant playing time after the two-time transfer from Frostburg State and Livingstone landed at CU. Over the last three weeks, Howard has attempted at least 20 passes after only playing in two of the first five games of the season. For Marzullo, he did not see significant action until the fourth game of the season at Wheeling (September 28). With his limited action, Marzullo is up to second in the MEC in passing yards with 1,735 this season to go with his 16 passing touchdowns.
SNAP THE STREAK
Concord is seeking to end a seven-game losing streak against Fairmont State that dates back to the start of the 2016 season. CU's last victory over the Fighting Falcons came at Callaghan Stadium, 27-10, in September 2015. Although the Mountain Lions haven't beaten FSU in eight years, the Maroon and Gray has had some close calls. Two years ago at Callaghan Stadium, Concord lost 10-9 after a failed two-point conversion with 38 seconds left in the game. CU led throughout the 2021 game at Fairmont State, including a 27-24 lead late in the game before the Fighting Falcons scored with 1:41 remaining. Fairmont State has been in its fair share of tight games this season, playing in four games that have been decided by 11 points or less.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3- CU has played in two straight one-possession games, but has not played in three consecutive one-possession games since 2022 with Fairmont State being part of that stretch.
98- Previous career high in receiving yards for Roberts at Fairmont State last year before his performance at WVWC
472- Season-high total offense for Concord at West Virginia Wesleyan.
FAIRMONT STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 4-4
MEC Record: 3-3
Home Record: 2-2
Away Record: 2-2
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING FALCONS
Dereik Crosby has complemented the passing attack of Marzullo as he has rushed for nearly 700 yards and is averaging five yards a carry. Gage Michael is the top target for Fighting Falcons as he leads the MEC in receptions (46) and is fourth in receiving yards (580). FSU's defense is averaging two takeaways per game, but is also allowing 33.6 points and 436 yards per game. Howard Williams has four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
