CU Athletics
FOOTBALL CU Opens MEC Play with 36-3 Victory over WV State
Brian Novak
The Mountain Lions held West Virginia State to just 211 yards of total offense en route to a 36-3 win Sept. 14 at Callaghan Stadium in CU’s first Mountain East Conference football competition. The triumph kept Concord’s record perfect on the season at 2-0 overall and 1-0 in MEC play. The loss dropped West Virginia State’s record to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. As a team, Concord held advantages over West Virginia State in virtually every statistical category including total yards (391-211), passing yards (317-138), rushing yards (74-73) and first downs (1512). The Mountain Lions’ defense intercepted three passes off of Yellow Jacket quarterback Tyler Seals including senior cornerback Riyahd Richardson’s 30-yard “pick six” in the third quarter. Senior linebacker Jake Lilly and senior safety Davon Marion also intercepted passes. Lilly recorded a game-best 13 tackles for the second time in as many weeks to go with his
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interception. Sophomore defensive Henderson for the 86-yard score. A lineman Ervin Moore tallied two two point conversion attempt was sacks and a total of four tackles for unsuccessful, but the Maroon and loss on the day. Junior defensive Gray still took a 9-0 lead into the lineman Will Greathouse also second quarter. collected four tackles for loss as part The Mountain Lions pushed of his career-high 10-tackle game. their lead to 15-0 off of Brindo’s Other defensive contributors touchdown pass midway through included junior defensive lineman the second quarter. WVST finally Keith Ferguson (nine tackles), ended CU’s shutout attempt with sophomore linebacker Austin a field goal at the 1:33 mark in the Dotson (eight tackles), junior first half and headed into halftime linebacker Gary Saylor (seven trailing Concord by 12 points (15tackles) and junior defensive back 3). Shawn Billups Jr. (five tackles). The second half was all Concord Offensively, Concord was paced as the Mountain Lions opened by sophomore wide receiver the third quarter by forcing two Tiko Henderson, who hauled in consecutive three and outs by five receptions for a career-best the Yellow Jackets’ offense with 143 yards and one touchdown. Richardson earning his interception Henderson’s score was an 86-yard return for a touchdown on State’s reception in the first quarter from third drive of the period to boost sophomore quarterback Brian CU’s advantage to 22-3. Novak. Concord added two touchdowns Novak finished 21-for-30 for off of matching one-yard runs from one touchdown, 281 yards and redshirt freshman Sam Wright and four interceptions. Also throwing junior Ben Nester in the fourth a touchdown pass was redshirt quarter on its way to the 36-3 win. freshman tight end Dalton Brindo, Richardson’s interception was who caught a backwards pass from his 11th career INT, the fourth most Novak and found sophomore wide in Concord history. Also moving up receiver D.J. Holmes who went 36 the CU record books was Lilly, who, yards for the score in the second as of Sept. 14, stood third all-time in quarter. total tackles with 285. Marion came away with his first interception of the season on the Yellow Jackets’ opening series which set up a 12-play, 50-yard Concord drive that ended with a successful field goal by sophomore kicker Andy Ellington to make it a 3-0 game with 8:47 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing possession, West Virginia State managed to drive the ball down to the Concord 14-yard line before being forced to settle for a field goal attempt which was blocked by Dotson. The next series saw Novak find Jake Lilly