UC routs Concord for Homecoming victory
By Tommy R. Atkinson 
Charleston Gazette
It was evident from the start this was going to be the University of Charleston’s day.
After all, it was homecoming, the sun was shining bright on a picture-perfect fall afternoon and CSTV.com was broadcasting the game live over the Internet. In addition, Fas-Chek supermarkets provided thousands of free tickets, helping to boost the pro-UC crowd.
Then senior tailback Rusty Taylor ended any doubt, taking a pitchout on UC’s first offensive play from scrimmage and darting 70 yards down the sideline as the Golden Eagles quickly took flight in their 40-7 victory over Concord Saturday afternoon.
Taylor’s jaunt set up freshman running back Nick Lockhart’s 1-yard touchdown plunge and set the tone as the Eagles scored the first 26 points. Six times UC’s offense ventured inside Concord’s 20-yard line, scoring on each occasion.
“We came out ready to play,’’ said third-year UC coach Tony DeMeo. “We got a little sloppy in the second half in spots, but I thought the kids did a really good job. We had a lot of youngsters out there, a lot of freshman. Our offensive line did a real good job and our defense is playing lights out.’’
The Eagles are off to their best start since resuming the program in 2003 after a 45-year hiatus. UC (5-1 overall, 3-0 WVC) remains in first place in the conference with a trip to three-time defending champion Shepherd (4-1, 2-1) looming next weekend. West Liberty (4-1, 2-0) is the only other unbeaten in the league.
“You haven’t seen it all yet,’’ DeMeo said. “I see it every day in practice and these guys are pretty darn good. I think we’re going to get better and better as the year rolls on. Anybody who’s seen us from the first game until now knows there’s a big difference.’’
UC scored on its first four possessions of the opening half, and it could have been worse. The Eagles had back-to-back possessions spanning the first and second quarters that ended in 29- and 30-yard field goals by freshman kicker Wes Sherrill after reaching Concord’s 12- and 13-yard lines.
The Eagles racked up 383 total yards of offense with 343 of those coming on the ground, which was impressive considering sophomore starting tailback and second-leading rusher Josh Culbertson, the Kennedy Award winner from Nitro High, sat out with a groin pull.
Culbertson’s backfield mates more than made up the difference. Freshman Taylor Jovicic led the way with 99 yards on 16 carries with a 1-yard TD, redshirt freshman quarterback DeRante Hunter added 95 yards on 12 attempts and Lockhart finished with 41 yards on 20 totes with a pair of scores covering 2 yards apiece. Taylor, a Riverside High graduate, ended up with 67 yards.
Concord, meanwhile, was stuck in neutral, finishing with 173 total yards and minus-5 yards rushing. The winless Mountain Lions (0-5, 0-3) only managed 22 total yards and two first downs in the first half and didn’t crack 100 yards of total offense until the beginning of the fourth quarter.
UC is ranked second nationally in takeaways and added to that total, forcing three interceptions. Senior cornerback Mike Williams, who returned a pair of interceptions for TDs in a win at West Virginia State last week, added a 67-yard interception return in the fourth period.
Concord coach Greg Quick saw enough of UC to know the Golden Eagles are no mirage.
“I told Tony coming out [on the field] there’s no reason why at the end of the season that they’re not representing the WVIAC as a [Division II] playoff team,’’ said Quick.
“I think they’ve got a shot to win the conference championship. We’ve played West Liberty and I’d say right now it’d be a toss up between West Liberty [and] Charleston right now.’’
UC squelched any notion of a second-half letdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Williams returned the opening kickoff 47 yards to the Concord 32 and five plays later Lockhart had his second 2-yard scoring run for a 26-0 edge with 12:29 to go.
Concord freshman quarterback Thomas Frazier completed 13-of-27 passes for 152 yards but threw three picks. Freshman tailback Travis Harris scored the lone TD on a 1-yard plunge.
Charleston Gazette
It was evident from the start this was going to be the University of Charleston’s day.
After all, it was homecoming, the sun was shining bright on a picture-perfect fall afternoon and CSTV.com was broadcasting the game live over the Internet. In addition, Fas-Chek supermarkets provided thousands of free tickets, helping to boost the pro-UC crowd.
Then senior tailback Rusty Taylor ended any doubt, taking a pitchout on UC’s first offensive play from scrimmage and darting 70 yards down the sideline as the Golden Eagles quickly took flight in their 40-7 victory over Concord Saturday afternoon.
Taylor’s jaunt set up freshman running back Nick Lockhart’s 1-yard touchdown plunge and set the tone as the Eagles scored the first 26 points. Six times UC’s offense ventured inside Concord’s 20-yard line, scoring on each occasion.
“We came out ready to play,’’ said third-year UC coach Tony DeMeo. “We got a little sloppy in the second half in spots, but I thought the kids did a really good job. We had a lot of youngsters out there, a lot of freshman. Our offensive line did a real good job and our defense is playing lights out.’’
The Eagles are off to their best start since resuming the program in 2003 after a 45-year hiatus. UC (5-1 overall, 3-0 WVC) remains in first place in the conference with a trip to three-time defending champion Shepherd (4-1, 2-1) looming next weekend. West Liberty (4-1, 2-0) is the only other unbeaten in the league.
“You haven’t seen it all yet,’’ DeMeo said. “I see it every day in practice and these guys are pretty darn good. I think we’re going to get better and better as the year rolls on. Anybody who’s seen us from the first game until now knows there’s a big difference.’’
UC scored on its first four possessions of the opening half, and it could have been worse. The Eagles had back-to-back possessions spanning the first and second quarters that ended in 29- and 30-yard field goals by freshman kicker Wes Sherrill after reaching Concord’s 12- and 13-yard lines.
The Eagles racked up 383 total yards of offense with 343 of those coming on the ground, which was impressive considering sophomore starting tailback and second-leading rusher Josh Culbertson, the Kennedy Award winner from Nitro High, sat out with a groin pull.
Culbertson’s backfield mates more than made up the difference. Freshman Taylor Jovicic led the way with 99 yards on 16 carries with a 1-yard TD, redshirt freshman quarterback DeRante Hunter added 95 yards on 12 attempts and Lockhart finished with 41 yards on 20 totes with a pair of scores covering 2 yards apiece. Taylor, a Riverside High graduate, ended up with 67 yards.
Concord, meanwhile, was stuck in neutral, finishing with 173 total yards and minus-5 yards rushing. The winless Mountain Lions (0-5, 0-3) only managed 22 total yards and two first downs in the first half and didn’t crack 100 yards of total offense until the beginning of the fourth quarter.
UC is ranked second nationally in takeaways and added to that total, forcing three interceptions. Senior cornerback Mike Williams, who returned a pair of interceptions for TDs in a win at West Virginia State last week, added a 67-yard interception return in the fourth period.
Concord coach Greg Quick saw enough of UC to know the Golden Eagles are no mirage.
“I told Tony coming out [on the field] there’s no reason why at the end of the season that they’re not representing the WVIAC as a [Division II] playoff team,’’ said Quick.
“I think they’ve got a shot to win the conference championship. We’ve played West Liberty and I’d say right now it’d be a toss up between West Liberty [and] Charleston right now.’’
UC squelched any notion of a second-half letdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Williams returned the opening kickoff 47 yards to the Concord 32 and five plays later Lockhart had his second 2-yard scoring run for a 26-0 edge with 12:29 to go.
Concord freshman quarterback Thomas Frazier completed 13-of-27 passes for 152 yards but threw three picks. Freshman tailback Travis Harris scored the lone TD on a 1-yard plunge.