The Concord University football team outlasted UNC-Pembroke in five overtimes, 58-56, in a Mountain East Conference game at Grace P. Johnson Stadium Saturday night.
To begin overtime, UNCP (5-6, 5-5 MEC) scored on its third play from scrimmage. Concord (9-2, 8-2 MEC) answered in the first overtime as senior quarterback Jack Mangel scrambled into the end zone from three yards out.
The Mountain Lions used a one-yard rush from junior running back Thurlow Wilkins in the second overtime to gain a 54-48 lead as the two-point play failed. With the Braves backed up to the 34-yard line on third-and-long, UNCP extended the game with a touchdown. CU's defense held on the ensuing two-point attempt.
Both teams came up empty on their sudden death two-point plays in the third overtime. The Mountain Lions came back with a successful conversion in the fourth overtime as Mangel rolled out and found sophomore wide receiver Mack Simmons. UNCP answered to keep the game going.
In the fifth overtime, a run up the middle was good for Wilkins. In the bottom of the fifth overtime, UNC-Pembroke's pass attempt was broken up as Concord held on for a 58-56 victory.
Concord ran out to a 21-3 lead after Wilkins' three-yard touchdown at the 8:18 mark of the second quarter. The Braves, however, scored the final 17 points of the first half to trim the deficit to 21-20 at halftime.
The UNC-Pembroke surge continued into the second half as the Braves opened up the third-quarter scoring with a field goal to take their first lead of the game, 23-21.
CU had immediate answer as Mangel found Simmons in the back of the end zone for a 21-yard scoring play.
After a fourth Alex Alvarado field goal, Concord extended its lead from 28-26 to 41-26 with touchdown drives on two of the next three possessions. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Solomon Butler caught his only pass of the game for a seven-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left in the third. Mangel had a one-yard sneak to cap a nine-play 60-yard drive in the fourth.
Down 15 points, and just 5:55 left on the clock, UNC-Pembroke pieced together a touchdown drive, got Concord off the field and scored again to get within 41-39 with 24 seconds left. A successful two-point conversion pushed the game to overtime.
Mangel shook off an interception on his first throw of the game to toss for 371 yards and four touchdowns bringing his total for the season to 39. Junior wide receiver Jarod Bowie notched his fifth 200-yard receiving game of the season with eight catches for 212 yards and a touchdown.
Wilkins rushed 25 times for 141 yards and two scores. Senior running back Kris Copeland totaled 217 all-purpose yards (141 return, 58 receiving, 18 rushing) on just 10 touches.
Graduate linebacker Ty Maust led the defense with 16 stops on the night to equal a career high. Sophomore linebacker Jordyn Bentley racked up a career-best 11 stops with fifth-year senior defensive back Marcellus Saint adding 11 tackles.
Three of the five tackles for graduate defensive back Rashon Lusane were for loss. Junior defensive lineman Manny Azolin and graduate defensive lineman Nathan Lease each had 1.5 sacks.
Concord was outgained by the Braves, 553-516, but CU averaged 7.7 yards per play.
With the win, CU has thrown itself into prime playoff contention. The Mountain Lions stared the week ranked eighth in Super Region 1. Fifth-ranked Slippery Rock and seventh-ranked Gannon both lost Saturday.
Saturday night was the longest game in MEC history.
The top seven teams from SR1 make the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The selection show is 5:30 p.m. Sunday at this link.
Original source can be found here.
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