Concord Welcomes Nationally-Ranked Charleston to Callaghan Stadium

Concord Stats - Charleston Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University football team closes the month of September with a home game versus nationally-ranked Charleston 1:00 p.m. Saturday in a Mountain East Conference matchup at Callaghan Stadium.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of the contest. Jason Reed and Steve Cox will have the commentary beginning at 12:45 p.m. 

Live Stats
Live Video

GoMart is the official sponsor of Saturday's contest between Concord and Charleston. 

TICKETING INFORMATION
Tickets for Saturday's game can be bough at the main gate ticket window for $10 for adults. Students are $5 and children under 12 are free. All seating is general admission. 

SERIES HISTORY: Charleston leads 22-15-2

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS CHARLESTON
September 7, 2023: Charleston 54 - Concord 14 (Charleston, W.Va.)
October 15, 2022: Concord 68 - Charleston 60 (Athens, W.Va.)
October 16, 2021: Charleston 48 - Concord 3 (Charleston, W.Va.)
November 7, 2019: Charleston 41 - Concord 14 (Charleston, W.Va.)
September 6, 2018: Charleston 42 - Concord 21 (Athens, W.Va.)

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

TO THE HOUSE
Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Valdry was named MEC Special Teams Player of the Week after running back a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Frostburg State in the second quarter Saturday. It was the first kick return score for the Mountain Lions since the season opener in 2022 at Emory & Henry when Kris Copeland took a 94-yard return to the end zone. Valdry's score was the second kickoff return in the MEC this season, joining UNC Pembroke's Sincere Baines who had a kickoff return for a touchdown against Charleston. Concord's last three kickoff return touchdowns have come on the road—Valdry on Saturday, Copeland in 2022 and Tiko Henderson at Shepherd in 2014. Already in the top two in the MEC in return average, Valdry is 29^th in Division II with an average of 28.4 yards per return.

OUT OF THE BACKFIELD
Senior running back JQ Brown recorded Concord's longest reception of the season as he reeled in a 55-yard touchdown pass at Frostburg State Saturday afternoon. Brown became the first Concord running back with a receiving touchdown since Justin Lee in the second game of the 2021 season at home versus West Virginia Wesleyan. Not only was the 55-yard reception, the longest play from scrimmage for CU this season, it was the longest reception for a Concord running back since Kris Copeland had a 65-yard reception as a running back in 2018 at West Virginia Wesleyan. Brown and his 69 receiving yards rank third among Concord receivers. It also ranks third among running backs in the MEC.

ONE DIMENSIONAL
After a strong finish to the season last year, the Concord secondary had given up at least 270 passing yards in the first two games of the 2024 season. Over the final six games of the 2023 campaign, CU limited four of its final six opponents to less than 200 passing yards. On Saturday, the Mountain Lions' back end defense returned to form holding Frostburg State to 188 passing yards. Concord tied its season high with three pass-break ups as well. Junior defensive back Devon Banks had his team leading third pass break-up of the year while sophomore linebacker Nehemiah Scott tallied his second PBU, and junior defensive back Cole McKinney his first of the season. Banks is tied for first in the MEC in PBUs.

THIRD PHASE
Not only did Valdry impress Saturday, but sophomore wide receiver Jake Roberts added a career-long punt return of 28 yards to go with his third career receiving touchdown in the first half. Roberts is one of two players in the conference with a return average of at least 10 yards on punts this season. UNCP's Josiah Hayes leads the MEC with 17.8 yards per return while Roberts ranks second in conference, and 11^th in Division II, with an average of 13.0 yards per punt return. The Elizabethton, Tennessee native only averaged 7.2 yards on 16 punt returns last season, but has already returned five punts in 2024.

IN RELIEF
Concord played two quarterbacks on Saturday. After graduate quarterback Blayne Ferguson started the game, junior quarterback Kameron Howard played in five series across both halves at Frostburg State. Howard finished the day 7-of-14 through the air for 156 yards and the touchdown toss to Brown in the fourth quarter. The 156 yards were the most for a CU quarterback who didn't start the game since Matt Shearer throw for 239 yards versus Fairmont State in 2019. The game action was the first of Howard's career after the two-time transfer from Frostburg State then Livingstone did not see the field at either school. Ferguson is eighth in the MEC in passing yards (442).

TALL TASK
The Concord defense started week three of the season ranked fourth in the MEC in scoring defense allowing just 25 points per game. After facing the top-ranked offense in the conference in Frostburg State, the Mountain Lions come up on the second-best offense in the conference when it welcomes Charleston. UC is averaging 39.7 points per game and 418 yards of offense per contest—both top 20 in Division II. Last year Charleston ran off 330 yards on the ground and added 265 yards through the air. But, Concord's defense is improved from last year. In 2023, the Maroon and Gray defense gave up 430 yards per game, and through three games this year is down to 395 yards per contest.

BEEN A WHILE  
The Mountain Lions take on a nationally-ranked foe when the 19^th-rated Golden Eagles come to Callaghan Stadium. It will be the first time CU has played a team ranked in the national poll since the 2019 season opener against Notre Dame College when the Falcons were fourth in Division II. Saturday's contest will be the first time the Mountain Lions welcome a nationally-ranked team to Athens since Shepherd visited Callaghan Stadium in 2017 as the third-rated team in Division II. Since 2011, Concord is 6-5 against nationally-ranked teams, but the last win came in 2014 versus No. 14 Bloomsburg. In the 2019 game at Notre Dame, CU lost 33-10.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
8- Career-high solo tackles by sophomore linebacker Ryker Brown at Charleston last season.

47- Yards covered by sophomore linebacker Brodee Rice on his interception at UC in 2023.

86- Receiving yards by freshman wide receiver Marcus Striggles last week were the most for a CU wide receiver this season.

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

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston enters Saturday having won six straight regular season games dating back to last season. The Golden Eagles won the MEC Championship last season and advanced to the second round of the Division II Playoffs before bowing out to Kutztown, 32-31. Chavon Wright leads the MEC in rushing, and is third in Division II, with 159.3 yards per game. Yves Bosmans is second in the conference in receiving yards with 254. The Charleston secondary has eight interceptions with Marquis Herron, Loukenzey Jules and Ra'Shaad Morris all nabbing two picks. Andrew Chamblee is second in the MEC in tackles for loss with 6.5.