Football | 12/2/2014 4:58:00 PM

FAN INFORMATION
Ticket Information: Visit Concord Athletics
Directions: Click Here

GAME COVERAGE
Complete Game Notes (PDF): BLOOMSBURG  |  CONCORD
TV: ESPN3; The Comcast Network (PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA – Eastern PA 8, Berks 26, Chester County 7, Lehigh Valley Service Electric 27/527, Central/Western PA 9, Northeast PA, 10/856, Pittsburgh 188);
Blue Ridge Cable Network (Lancaster 11, Poconos 13, Northern PA and system-wide 113); Tribune Broadcasting WPMT (Central PA: 43.3,  Comcast 244, Blue Ridge 126); WNEP (Northeast PA: 16.2, Comcast 243, Blue Ridge 131, Service Electric 90 & 14); WVVR (Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill, WV 6.3)
Live Radio: WHLM (930 AM / 94.7, 104.3 FM / Berwick: 1280 AM / Danville: 105.5 FM)
Live Radio Stream: Click Here
Live Streaming Video: Click Here (ESPN3)
Live Stats: Click Here
In-Game Twitter Updates: @GoBUHuskies

RELATED LINKS
BLOOMSBURG: Roster  |  Schedule  |  Statistics  |  Media Guide
CONCORD: Roster  |  Schedule  |  Statistics

SERIES HISTORY
First-ever meeting.

QUICK SIX
- Bloomsburg has reached the national quarterfinals for the fifth time in school history and first since 2008. The Huskies are 3-1 in national quarterfinal games, last winning in 2006.

- The 41 turnovers gained by the Huskies defense are most in Division II and one away from most in BU history since record keeping began in 1983.

- Only one player (Steven Kehner, Ouachita Baptist – 4) has rushed for more touchdowns in a game in this year's NCAA Playoffs than Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff)'s three last week.

- No team in Division II has recovered more fumbles than Bloomsburg's 19 this season.

- The Huskies need one more victory to tie the school record for wins in a season.

- Bloomsburg is 10-1 on the road under head coach Paul Darragh.

THE GAME
For the second straight week, the Huskies are playing a team in unfamiliar territory. While the Huskies are making their 11th trip to the NCAA Playoffs and fifth appearance in the national quarterfinals, Concord has reached the third round for the first time in school history after recording its first-ever playoff win one week ago over PSAC member West Chester.

Saturday's Super Region One Championship Game will be a classic offense vs. defense battle. While the calling card of the Huskies all season has been defense, ranking first in the PSAC and fifth in Division II in scoring defense at 14.0 points allowed per game, the Mountain Lions have done their damage offensively. Concord ranks third in Division II in scoring, averaging 45.7 points per game. Something will have to give - while Concord is averaging over 218 yards per game on the ground and 286.6 yards per game through the air, Bloomsburg allows just 102.7 yards on average on the ground and just 190.6 through the air.

Both teams displayed their respective strengths in their NCAA Playoff second round wins last week after each earning first round byes – the Huskies held Virginia State, the No. 3 seed from SR1, to 14 points and 267 total yards in a 35-14 victory. Concord, meanwhile, registered 619 total yards on the way to a 51-36 win over West Chester. The Mountain Lions, however, also gave up 691 total yards to the Golden Rams and allow an average of 366.4 for the season.

NUMBERS TO KNOW
> 1 - Bloomsburg has allowed one touchdown on an opponent's first drive this season – it came last week in the victory over Virginia State when the Trojans went five plays for 71 yards and the score.

> 4 - After this week's games, just four teams will be left to play for a Division II national championship.

> 8 - Only eight teams in Division II are left playing this week – Bloomsburg, Concord, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato, Valdosta State, West Georgia, Ohio Dominican and Colorado State-Pueblo.

> 3 - Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) had three rushing touchdowns last week vs. Virginia State - a career high. Conversely, the Huskies have not allowed an opponent to rush for three scores since Dawon Harvey of Ashland did so on Aug. 30, 2008. In fact, no opponent has rushed for multiple TDs vs. Bloomsburg since Slippery Rock QB Jared Buck did twice on Nov. 10, 2012.

> 20 - The Huskies have scored at least 20 points in 15 straight games, the third-longest such streak in school history.

> 22 - Bloomsburg's 22 interceptions this season are fourth-most in Division II. Only Colorado State-Pueblo (26), Kentucky Wesleyan (23) and Sioux Falls (23) have more.

> 33 - The Huskies have 33 sacks as a team this season. Of the teams left playing, only Colorado State-Pueblo and Minnesota State-Mankato have more.

> 58 - The 58-yard touchdown pass from Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) to D.J. McFadden (Willow Grove/Abington) last week was the longest pass play of the season for the Huskies.

> 168 - The Huskies have allowed just 168 points this season, the second-lowest mark in the 10 years the team have played at least 12 games in a season. The only time BU played as many games and allowed fewer points was the 1985 season (146).

> 2005 - The Huskies have never played a team from the Mountain East Conference, which formed for the 2013 season. Most of the MEC members, including Concord, came from the former West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) – the last time the Huskies played a WVIAC team was in 2005 when Bloomsburg defeated Fairmont State, 33-0.

> 3,432 - Eddie Mateo (Bethlehem/Freedom) enters this week with 3,432 career-rushing yards. Mateo ranks fifth in BU rushing history and 23rd all-time in PSAC history (note – the PSAC counts NCAA Playoff stats prior to 2002 in career numbers while Bloomsburg does not as per NCAA statistics policies at the time).

ABOUT CONCORD
• The Mountain Lions own the most prolific offense in the region and are third-highest scoring team in the nation, averaging nearly 46 points per game. Concord has scored at least 24 points in every game this year (scoring a season-low in a 24-20 home win over Charleston) and have topped 40 points eight times. Quarterback Brian Novak leads the way with 3,326 yards passing and 32 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

• Concord hosted its first-ever NCAA Playoff game last week, knocking off West Chester. That was also the Mountain Lions' first NCAA Playoff win – Concord had been 0-8 entering last week in the national playoffs counting games at the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels. Seven of Concord's nine playoff games came at the NAIA level before transitioning to NCAA Division II in 1993.

•  This year's team has set a school record with 12 wins, last winning 11 games in 1980.

• Junior running back Calvinaugh Jones was named Mountain East Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,352 yards during the regular season and is the first Concord player to earn the league offensive player of the year award since 1991.

• Only two Concord players had previous NCAA Playoff experience – junior wide receiver Ryan Stewart and senior defensive lineman Silas Agyemang played in the 2011 Playoff loss at Kutztown, 17-14.

• Wide receiver TJ Smith was named MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year with 46 receptions for 987 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

• Concord played just one opponent outside the Mountain East during the regular season – Bowie State of the CIAA. Bloomsburg and Concord's one like opponent is West Chester, which the Mountain Lions beat last week, 51-36. The Huskies defeated West Chester, 41-10, at home on Oct. 25.

• Concord's opponents went a combined 51-64 this season. The Mountain Lions played just three teams with winning records during the regular season – but have now defeated three straight teams with winning marks counting the postseason (7-4 Notre Dame (OH), 8-2 Shepherd, 11-1 West Chester). Conversely, the Huskies played seven teams with winning records during the regular season and their opponents were a combined 61-60.

HUSKIES NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Huskies are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs including a school-record third straight trip. The Huskies all-time playoff record is 9-10; 6-3 at home and 3-7 on the road.

Bloomsburg scored its first NCAA Playoff win since 2010 with its 35-14 win over Virginia State last week, snapping what was a three-game playoff losing skid. The last time Bloomsburg played a top 10 nationally ranked team in the playoffs was 2010 - a 28-26 win at No. 7 California (PA). Bloomsburg also lost to No. 7 Cal U in 2008 (27-24) and defeated No. 6 and then undefeated Shepherd in the 2006 Super Region One final in Shepherdstown, W. Va.  

CONCORD IN THE PLAYOFFS
The Mountain Lions are 1-8 all-time in national playoffs, registering their first victory last week over West Chester. Concord's only previous playoff game as a member of NCAA Division II was a 2011 loss at Kutztown - 17-14. All prior national playoff appearances were as a member of NAIA.

PSAC VS. MEC
The Mountain East Conference had its first official season last year, taking the place of the former WVIAC. The PSAC is 1-1 vs. the MEC, with West Chester winning at Shepherd in last year's Super Region One Championship Game before losing in last week's Second Round at Concord.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner of Saturday's Super Region One Championship Game advances to the National Semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 13. The Bloomsburg/Concord winner will play the Super Region Three champion - the winner of Minnesota Duluth/Minnesota State-Mankato. Sites and times to be announced at an NCAA conference call on Sunday.

BACK TO THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
With their 11th entry into the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs, only two PSAC schools have reached the national tournament more - IUP (15, 18-15 record) and West Chester (13, 9-11 record).

MAKING THEIR MARK
This year's senior class has been tremendously successful, recording a 40-7 record over the past four seasons with three NCAA Playoff berths and a PSAC championship to their credit thus far. A win this Saturday would tie them for the winningest senior class in school history - the Class of 2008 posted a 41-8 record from 2005-08. This year's seniors are also 21-3 at Redman Stadium.

I'LL TAKE ANOTHER
Bloomsburg has faced a nationally ranked opponent on the road just once under head coach Paul Darragh - the Huskies won at then-No. 8 West Chester, 31-28, on Nov. 9, 2013.

SACK MASTERS
The Huskies registered eight sacks in their NCAA Second Round win over Virginia State last week - the most for Bloomsburg in over a decade.

The total was made more impressive by the work of Virginia State up front during the season - the Trojans had allowed quarterback Tarian Ayers to be sacked just once in the team's previous six games before traveling to Bloomsburg.

A BLOOMSBURG WIN WOULD...
A win this Saturday by the Huskies would put Bloomsburg into the national semifinals for the first time since 2006. The Huskies have reached the national semifinals three times - 1985, 2000 and 2006.

A Huskies win would also put a PSAC team into the national semifinals for the second straight year as West Chester won the Super Region One title last season with a 28-7 win at Shepherd.

DEFENSE CLOSES ON SCHOOL RECORD
The Huskies lead the nation in turnovers gained with 41. The Huskies are closing in on the team record - the 1995 Huskies caused a school record 42 turnovers. Bloomsburg's defense has generated 40+ turnovers three times since 1983 when records first were kept on the statistic (1988, 1995, 1998).

BIG PLAY THREAT
Lawrence Elliott's career receiving day at Slippery Rock (102 yards) was just a continuation of his strong season. Elliott brings a big play ability each time he touches the ball - the true sophomore leads the Huskies with 22 plays of over 30 yards this season.

Saturday's game could see some big punt returns - Elliott ranks sixth in NCAA Division II in punt return average at 15.9 yards per return. Concord return man Jermeil Douse ranks fourth in the nation at 17.6 yards per return.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
The 35-14 NCAA Second Round win over Virginia State marked the 14th  time in head coach Paul Darragh's head coaching tenure (24 games) that the Huskies have allowed 14 points or less.

ROAD SUCCESS
The Huskies have not been afraid of travel in recent years, posting a 28-8 record away from home since 2009 (.778). Bloomsburg won all five of its road games last season and had won 10 consecutive regular season road games dating to 2012 until a Week 11 28-26 loss at Slippery Rock.

SCORE FIRST AND WIN
Bloomsburg has never lost when scoring first under head coach Paul Darragh - the Huskies are now 14-0 when scoring first during the Darragh Era.

HOFFMAN'S ROLE GROWS
Redshirt sophomore receiver Chad Hoffman (Drums/Hazleton) has continued to see his role in the Huskies offense grow in his first season after shifting from quarterback. He started the NCAA Playoff game vs. Virginia State last week and now has 25 receptions for 286 yards. Over the first six weeks of the season, Hoffman had just seven catches. He has hauled in 18 catches for 231 yards in the past four games.

CONTINUITY UP FRONT
This year's offensive line has continued a long tradition of Huskies excellence up front. Four members of the line were named All-PSAC East - Christian Whiteside (Broomall/Marple Newtown) to the first team and Ryan Geiger (Southampton/La Salle), Dakota Hoagland (Shoemakersville/Hamburg) and John Garland (Hatfield/North Penn) to the second team. The starting five has not missed a start all season.


CABRERA TAKES OVER
Senior safety Tomas Cabrera (Hanover/Hanover Area) has stepped into a full-time starting role in recent weeks following the injury to Tyler Knoblauch (Berlin, NJ/Eastern). In his four games as a starter, Cabrera has 36 tackles with three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three interceptions and three pass breakups.