ATHENS, W.Va. – The Emory & Henry College Football Team (1-0) left no doubt on Saturday afternoon, defeating Concord University (0-1) in a 56-10 drubbing to start the year. Seven different Wasps found the end zone in the victory.
It was the largest margin of victory since November 6, 2021, when E&H trounced Guilford by a 66-13 score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 56, Concord 10
LOCATION – Athens, West Virginia
VENUE – Callaghan Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (1-0, 0-0 SAC); Concord (0-1, 0-0 MEC)
How It Happened
The Wasps got on the board at the 10:56 mark of the opening quarter thanks to a defensive touchdown. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ean Rhea (Glade Spring, Va.) forced a fumble on a quarterback sack that was recovered by freshman defensive lineman Joshua Gooding (Glen Allen, Va.) who rumbled 50 yards for a touchdown.
After forcing a punt, the E&H offense started its onslaught. Sophomore quarterback Charles Mutter, III (King George, Va.) hit redshirt freshman wide receiver Cam Abshire (Roanoke, Va.) with a 40-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0 with 2:27 to go in the first. Wasp junior defensive back Shawn Collins (Salem, Va.) picked off a pass on the next drive, giving E&H a short field for Mutter to link up with senior wide receiver Tmahdae Penn (Martinsville, Va.) for a 45-yard score and a 21-0 lead through one quarter.
Concord got on the board late in the second quarter. After driving down the E&H two yardline, the Mountain Lions' offense stalled and was forced to call upon Connor Mollohan for a 22-yard field goal, making the halftime score 21-3.
In the third, the two squads traded touchdowns for a 28-10 score with 15 minutes left to play. Mutter found Abshire for a second time, this one a 32-yard touchdown reception. CU's Jack Mangel linked up with Kris Copeland for a 29-yard score.
The rout was on in the fourth quarter as Emory & Henry added four touchdowns to their tally and the 46-point margin of victory. Mutter threw his fourth touchdown of the day, this time to freshman Parker Prioleau (Radford, Va.) from 43 yards out with 12:43 to go.
Back-to-back drives for Concord resulted in a pick-six with senior Addison Knicely (Mount Crawford, Va.) taking one in from 45 yards and Collins hauling in a second interception, this one returned 43 yards for a score. With 4:44 left to play, senior quarterback Kyle Short (Lebanon, Ohio) connected with junior wide receiver Jacquez Bailey (Jonesboro, Ga.) for a 13-yard score and the final 56-10 margin.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
Mutter was 13-for-18 for the game for 253 yards and four touchdowns while Short finished a perfect 4-for-4 for 43 yards and a score.
Fifth-year running back Mykah English (Roanoke, Va.) led the E&H ground game with 27 yards while sophomore Justin Hill (Dallas, N.C.) has 25 yards.
Eight different receivers caught passes as Abshire posted 92 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions while Penn caught three balls for 71 yards.
Junior linebacker Kaleb Lundy (Winston-Salem, N.C.) led the Wasps with nine tackles including one tackle for loss while Knicely had eight stops, an interception and a blocked kick. McCray finished with seven tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and a pass defended while Collins added two tackles to his pair of interceptions.
Concord Individual Leaders
Mangel was 23-for-43 for 275 yards and a touchdown, but four interceptions that resulted in three touchdowns marred his performance. Copeland was the top receiver of the day, catching 11 passes for 147 yards and a score while Cayden Chambers notched four receptions for 51 yards. Thurlow Wilkins ran 14 times for 69 yards.
Defensively, Jamari Smith posted seven tackles while Brodee Rice had six stops. A quintet of Mountain Lions notched five tackles on the afternoon.
A Deeper Look
Emory & Henry outgained Concord 385-330 with 18 first downs. The Wasps averaged 6.9 yards per play and were 6-for-12 (50%) on third-down conversions.
Concord only managed to convert 38 percent (6-of-16) of its third-down attempts, committing five turnovers and having one kick blocked.
E&H was penalized nine times for 85 yards with CU committing seven fouls for 55 yards. The Mountain Lions held a slight edge on time of possession (30:14 – 29:46) but E&H scored 21 of its points while not in official possession of the ball.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will remain on the road next Saturday, visiting Bluefield State University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Mitchell Stadium.
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