Football

Falcons Travel To Concord For Week 7 Matchup

THE MATCHUP
  • Fairmont State will look to halt a four-game losing streak when it travels to Athens Saturday for a 1 p.m. Mountain East Conference game with winless Concord University at Callaghan Stadium.
  • Fairmont State comes into Saturday's game with a 1-5 record both overall and in the MEC. The Falcons' lone victory this season came back in week two over Wheeling University (53-10) – a first-year Mountain East Conference member in football.
  • Concord University, on the other hand, is 0-6 overall and 0-5 in MEC play. The Mountain Lions have dropped eight straight games dating back to last season. Concord's last victory was Oct. 27, 2018 at home against West Liberty University – a 46-33 win.
  • This will be the 84th meeting between the Falcons and Mountain Lions. Fairmont State holds a 46-35-2 advantage in the series. The Falcons have won three in a row against Concord, including shutout victories in 2016 (28-0) and 2017 (35-0) and a 56-17 win last fall in Fairmont. Prior to those three Fairmont State wins, though, Concord had claimed seven straight victories in the series which dates back to 1932.
  • The last time Fairmont State lost four consecutive games in a single season was in 2013, the first for current head coach Jason Woodman at the school. The Falcons dropped five straight contests during the 2013 season and finished the year at 3-7. Between the end of the 2014 season and beginning of the 2015 campaign Fairmont State did suffer five consecutive losses. After starting 2015 0-2, Fairmont rallied and won six of its final eight games to finish at 6-4. That season started a string of four consecutive winning seasons for the Falcons, which ended last week when Fairmont State fell 42-38 to West Virginia State to fall to 1-5 on the year. With a 10-game schedule this fall the best the Falcons can finish is 5-5.
  • The 0-6 start for Concord University this fall is its worst since 2008 when the Mountain Lions finished the season 0-11. Concord, which lost its final two games of the 2018 season, is currently on an eight-game losing streak. The Mountain Lions dropped nine straight contests between 2016 and 2017. Concord lost its final seven games of the 2016 season and its first two of the 2017 campaign.
  • Seventh-year head coach Jason Woodman has a 40-30 record (.571) at Fairmont State. Woodman is 3-3 in games against Concord. Woodman was the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator on Mike Kellar's staff at Concord in 2009 and 2010.
  • Concord University head coach Paul Price is in his fourth season as the head man for the Mountain Lions. His overall record at the school is 6-33 (.154). Price, who was a longtime assistant coach at both West Virginia Wesleyan and Concord, served as head coach of West Virginia Tech from 1996-98. He record with the Golden Bears was 2-31. His overall head coaching record is 8-64 (.111). Price is 0-6 as a head coach in games against Fairmont State.
 
 
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
  • Despite its 1-5 start, Fairmont State's offense has been productive through six games. The Falcons are sixth in the nation in NCAA Division II in total offense with an average of 508.8 yards per game and 20th in the country in scoring with an average of 38.0 points per contest.
  • Of the top 20 teams ranked in the nation in scoring offense only Fairmont State has a losing record.
  • As a team the Falcons are averaging 286.3 yards per game through the air which is 19th in the nation and 222.5 yards per contest on the ground which ranks 24th in the country.
  • Fairmont State ranks ninth in the country and first in the Mountain East Conference in third down percentage (47-of-90 .522).
  • Senior quarterback Takwan Crews-Naylor is 11th in the nation in passing yards. Crews-Naylor has completed 95-of-162 passes for 1,690 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's been intercepted eight times. He's tied for 12th in the country in TD passes. His eight interceptions this fall are the most he's thrown in his career in a single season. Prior to this season Crews-Naylor had only thrown a total of eight interceptions in his career.
  • In last Saturday's loss to West Virginia State, Crews-Naylor moved into fourth place in school history in career passing yards with 4,900. He passed Luc Tousignant, who played for the Falcons from 1978-81 and threw for 4,737 career yards. Crews-Naylor is also fourth in school history in career touchdown passes (43).
  • Crews-Naylor will likely finish his Fairmont State career fourth in both of those statistical categories. Bryan Harman (1998-01) is third all-time at Fairmont State in both career passing yards (8,580) and career passing touchdowns (64).
  • Fairmont State junior running back Khalik Hamlin is currently 17th in the nation in NCAA Division II in rushing yards with 614 and five touchdowns on 110 carries. Hamlin has rushed for 100 or more yards in a game 10 times during his career, including three times this fall.
  • Hamlin needs just 273 rushing yards to move into the top 10 in school history.
  • Fairmont State sophomore running back Tyree Randolph is currently 44th in the nation in rushing yards with 496 and four touchdowns on just 71 carries. Randolph, who posted the third 100-yard rushing performance of his career last weekend and his second of the season, went over the 1,000-yard mark last Saturday for his career. He currently has 1,057 career rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 170 carries.
  • Hamlin and Randolph both went over the 100-yard mark on the ground last Saturday in Fairmont's 42-38 loss to West Virginia State. Randolph finished with a game-high 124 yards on 24 carries, while Hamlin added 106 yards on 15 attempts. It marked the second time this season that a pair of Falcon running backs have topped the century mark in the same game. In Fairmont's 53-10 win over Wheeling University in week two, Randolph and fellow sophomore Tim Smith both topped the century mark. Randolph finished that game with a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries, while Smith ended up with 101 yards and one TD on just four attempts. Prior to that, Fairmont State had not had a pair of running backs rush for 100 or more yards in the same game since 2009.
  • Junior Javon Hayes leads Fairmont State in receiving this fall with 31 receptions for 544 yards and five touchdowns. Hayes ranks 16th in the country in receiving yards, is tied for 30th in the nation in touchdown catches and ranks 45th in NCAA Division II in receptions per game (5.2).
  • Hayes has 75 career receptions for 1,238 yards and 13 touchdowns. He needs just two more touchdown catches to move into a five-way tie for 10th place in Fairmont State history in career touchdown receptions.
  • Hayes had seven catches for 122 yards and a pair of TDs in Fairmont's loss last weekend to West Virginia State. It marked the second straight game that Hayes went over 100 yards in receiving and it was the fourth 100-yard plus receiving game of his career. It was also the second game of his career in which he had multiple TD receptions.
 
 
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK
  • Fairmont State's defense ranks sixth in the 11-team Mountain East Conference in total defense (376.7 yards allowed per game) and 94th in the nation.
  • The Falcons are allowing 108.8 yards per game on the ground, which is third in the MEC and 31st in the country.
  • Fairmont's pass defense is allowing 267.8 yards per contest which ranks ninth in the MEC and 148th in the country.
  • The Falcons have allowed two opponents this season, Charleston (429) and West Virginia State (414), to throw for over 400 yards. Fairmont's defense had not allowed an opponent to throw for 400 or more yards in a game since 2015 (West Virginia Wesleyan 473 in a 31-27 Fairmont State win). The last time a Fairmont State defense allowed two 400-yard passing games in the same season was 2012.
  • The Falcons are also giving up 36.3 points per game which is eighth in the Mountain East Conference and 138th in NCAA Division II. The last time Fairmont State allowed 36 or more points per game in a season was in 2014 when the Falcons permitted 36.1 points per contest and finished 3-7.
  • Fairmont is a disappointing -5 in turnover margin this fall, which has the Falcons tied for eight place in the MEC in that category. The last time a Fairmont State team finished negative in turnover margin was back in 2014 when the Falcons were -11 and ended the season with a 3-7 overall record.
  • Fairmont State only has seven quarterback sacks this fall. The Falcons rank 10th in the MEC and 124th in the nation in sacks.
  • Fairmont State senior linebacker Trevon Shorts leads the Falcons in tackles with 51, including a team-high 31 solo stops and 10.0 for losses.
  • Shorts, for his career, now has 175 total tackles, including 105 solo stops. He also has 28 career tackles for losses. Shorts needs just four more tackles for losses to move into a tie for 10th place in school history in that category. Junior defensive end D.J. Adediwura, who is tied for third on the team in tackles this fall with 22 and is second in tackles for losses with 7.0, needs just 3.5 more tackles for losses this season to move into a tie for 10th place in school history in that category.
  • Junior defensive end Chrinovic Mukulu is second on the team in tackles with 23, including six for losses, while true freshman linebacker Alec Solano is tied for third in stops with Adediwura with 22.
  • Six different Falcons have interceptions this fall. Junior cornerback Desoto McKenzie, who used to play wide receiver for the Falcons, leads the team with three.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS OUTLOOK
  • Fairmont State sophomore running back Tyree Randolph returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown last week with 1:33 remaining to give his team a 38-35 lead. West Virginia State, however, rallied in the game's final 1:33 and drove 87 yards in seven plays to get the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
  • Randolph's 97-yard kickoff return is tied with Billy Haddox (1971) for the fourth longest in school history. It is also tied for the fourth longest in MEC history.
  • Randolph amassed 360 all-purpose yards for the Falcons against West Virginia State which is the most all-purpose yards gained this season in NCAA Division II football. He had 184 yards on kickoff returns, 124 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards. It's also the fourth-most all-purpose yards in a game in Mountain East Conference history.
  • The kickoff return for a touchdown was the first for the Falcons since Oct. 27, 2016 when Laurence King returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in a 23-19 win by 20th-ranked Fairmont State over No. 25 Notre Dame College.
  • Randolph has 18 kickoff returns for 523 yards and one touchdown this fall. His 29.1 yards per return ranks 16th in the nation.
  • Sophomore kicker Colin Harvath is 27-of-28 on PAT attempts this fall and 5-of-6 on field goals for the Falcons. Harvath and Tyree Randolph are tied for the team lead in scoring with 42 points. Receiver Javon Hayes is third with 32 points.
  • Senior Sam Tucker is currently third in the MEC in punting with an average of 37.3 yards per punt. Tucker has punted 21 times and has placed seven punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
 
 
SCOUTING CONCORD
  • Concord is currently 0-6 overall and 0-5 and tied for last place in the Mountain East Conference standings with Wheeling University (0-6, 0-5).
  • The Mountain Lions have lost eight straight games dating back to last season. The last win for Concord was a 46-33 victory over West Liberty on Oct. 27, 2018 in Athens.
  • The Mountain Lions are ninth in the 11-team MEC in total offense (304.7 yards per game) and 129th in the nation. Concord is sixth in the MEC and 63rd in the nation in passing (226.7) and ninth in the league and tied for 152nd in the country in rushing (78.0).
  • Concord averages 14.5 points per game which ranks 11th in the MEC and 156th in the nation. The Mountain Lions have scored just nine offensive touchdowns this fall.
  • The Mountain Lions are 11th in the Mountain East Conference in turnover margin (-11) and have allowed the second-most quarterback sacks in the league this fall (20).
  • Defensively Concord allows 38.3 points per contest which ranks 10th in the MEC and 146th in the country. The Mountain Lions are giving up 178.8 yards per game on the ground, which ranks ninth in the MEC and 110th in the nation and 243.0 yards per contest through the air which is seventh in the league and 125th in the country. Concord allows 421.8 yards of total offense per outing which is ninth in the MEC and 127th in NCAA Division II.
  • Concord has just six quarterback sacks this fall which is last in the MEC and tied for 133rd in the nation.
  • Concord senior quarterback Kyle Akin has completed 81-of-144 passes for 1,054 yards and four touchdowns. He's been intercepted 10 times. His favorite targets are senior receiver Brandon Plyler, who has 35 catches for 456 yards and two touchdowns and junior Tywan Pearce, who has 30 receptions for 377 yards and one score.
  • The Mountain Lions are led on the ground by sophomore Josh Maxwell, who has 256 yards and one TD on 71 carries.
  • Junior linebacker Dwain Porterfield leads Concord in tackles with 50, including 38 solo stops and two sacks. Junior defensive back Imani Moore has 37 tackles, including 25 solos.
  • Luke Walls, Concord's sophomore kicker, is 6-of-9 this fall on field goals and 9-of-10 on PATs.
 
 
LAST SEASON VS CONCORD
  • Fairmont State overcame a sluggish start and an early 3-0 deficit on Senior Day at Duvall-Rosier Field and rolled to a 56-17 victory over Concord to improve to 8-2 overall and to 7-2 in the Mountain East Conference.
  • After spotting the Mountain Lions an early 3-0 lead, Fairmont outscored the visitors 28-7 to take a 28-10 lead to the halftime locker room. The Falcons continued the rout in the second half outscoring Concord 28-7 to record the 39-point victory.
  • Fairmont's offense rolled up 522 total yards in the win, including 340 on the ground. Five different Falcon runners scored touchdowns in the win. Tyree Randolph led Fairmont with 103 yards rushing and one TD on 16 carries.
  • Falcon quarterback Takwan Crews-Naylor completed 10-of-21 passes for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was intercepted once. Backup quarterback Chris Fox was 1-of-1 for 50 yards and a TD.
  • Alquawn Vickers led Fairmont with three catches for 86 yards and one touchdown. The Falcons also got three receptions for 44 yards and two scores from Shawn Harris.
  • Concord quarterback Kyle Akin completed 15-of-22 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown. Kris Copeland had nine catches for 67 yards and a score for the Mountain Lions, while Tywan Pearce had six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown.
  • Concord was led on the ground by Josh Maxwell who finished with 111 yards on 13 carries.
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Players Mentioned

Takwan Crews-Naylor

#3 Takwan Crews-Naylor

QB
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
Khalik Hamlin

#13 Khalik Hamlin

RB
5' 9"
Freshman
Shawn Harris

#26 Shawn Harris

WR
6' 2"
Freshman
Trevon Shorts

#35 Trevon Shorts

LB
6' 1"
Freshman
Laurence King

#83 Laurence King

WR
5' 7"
Freshman
D.J. Adediwura

#98 D.J. Adediwura

DL
6' 2"
Freshman
Alquawn Vickers

#88 Alquawn Vickers

WR
5' 9"
Senior
Colin Harvath

#29 Colin Harvath

K
5' 9"
Sophomore
Javon Hayes

#7 Javon Hayes

WR
5' 11"
Junior
Desoto McKenzie

#26 Desoto McKenzie

WR
5' 10"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Takwan Crews-Naylor

#3 Takwan Crews-Naylor

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
Khalik Hamlin

#13 Khalik Hamlin

5' 9"
Freshman
RB
Shawn Harris

#26 Shawn Harris

6' 2"
Freshman
WR
Trevon Shorts

#35 Trevon Shorts

6' 1"
Freshman
LB
Laurence King

#83 Laurence King

5' 7"
Freshman
WR
D.J. Adediwura

#98 D.J. Adediwura

6' 2"
Freshman
DL
Alquawn Vickers

#88 Alquawn Vickers

5' 9"
Senior
WR
Colin Harvath

#29 Colin Harvath

5' 9"
Sophomore
K
Javon Hayes

#7 Javon Hayes

5' 11"
Junior
WR
Desoto McKenzie

#26 Desoto McKenzie

5' 10"
Junior
WR