ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University football team outlasted Mercer County rival Bluefield State, 26-22, Saturday afternoon at Callaghan Stadium to move to 2-0 on the season.

The Mountain Lions let a 17-0 second-quarter lead slip away as Bluefield State (0-2) went ahead 22-20 with 10:42 remaining in the game, but Concord scored the final touchdown of the contest before making two defensive stops to seal the win.

Holding a 20-15 edge, CU watched the Big Blues use a short field of just 22 yards to go ahead by two points as BSU converted a fourth-and-three into points.

Now trailing for the first time in the game, the Mountain Lions needed less than three minutes to retake the lead. On the third play of the ensuing drive, graduate quarterback Devin Kargman found junior wide receiver Cordale Russell on a 41-yard reception to set up CU at the BSU 16-yard line. After a negative play, junior running back Greg Burrell scooted 21 yards for a score.

On the next Bluefield State possession, Concord's defense stiffened up just outside the red zone as CU forced a turnover on downs with less than five minutes remaining at the 30-yard line.

The Mountain Lions were unable to drain the fourth-quarter clock and left 40 seconds for the Big Blues to attempt a 67-yard drive. On the third play of drive, graduate defensive lineman Shambre Jackson recorded his second sack of the day with less than 15 seconds remaining to end the game as BSU had no timeouts remaining.

After a scoreless first quarter, Concord rattled off 17 points in the second, including a 22-yard rushing score by junior running back Maurice Jones, and a 10-yard catch by sophomore wide receiver Dom Collins—he accounted for 79 receiving yards on the drive.

BSU answered with 15 straight points that ended with a defensive touchdown at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter. Freshman kicker Christian Torres hit his second of two field goals, a 28-yard connection, to stretch the lead back to five points with 1:44 remaining in the third.

The CU defense held Bluefield State to 264 yards while the Mountain Lion offense finished a yard shy of 400 for the day.

Junior safety Ar'Terrian Godfrey led Concord with nine tackles. Sophomore defensive back Christian Henderson threw in six tackles, two pass break-ups and a tackle for loss. Senior linebacker Brodee Rice had six stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. All four of Jackson's tackles were for loss, including the pair of sacks.

Russell finished the day with 106 receiving yards on three catches. Spurred by a big first half, Collins hauled in a team-high five passes for 97 yards and a score.

Burrell rushed 10 times for 55 yards on the ground.

Kargman was 14-for-26 with 256 yards and a touchdown.

The Mountain Lions will be off until September 17 when host Charleston at 7:00 p.m. for a Thursday night home game.