Athens, W.Va. — Charleston delivered a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night, scoring twice in the final 3:47 to defeatConcord University, 41-38, in a Mountain East Conference thriller at Callaghan Stadium.
The Basics:
Location: Callaghan Stadium
Score: UC 41, CU 38
Records: Charleston 1-3 (1-0 MEC) Concord 2-1 (0-1 MEC)
How it Happened:
The Golden Eagles, who improved to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in MEC play, overcame an early 17-3 deficit and erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the victory on the final offensive play of the game. Charleston's game-winning score came with just two seconds remaining when quarterback Camden Reese connected with Devin Hobbs for a five-yard touchdown. Charleston controlled the ground game throughout the night, piling up 300 rushing yards on 52 attempts while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. The Golden Eagles finished with 412 total yards and 23 first downs, including 15 first downs on the ground. Kalen Washington led Charleston's rushing attack with 88 yards on 16 carries, while Jamal Wallace added 77 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts. Reese contributed 42 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Matt Frye rushed for 40 yards and a score.
Through the air, Charleston finished with 112 passing yards. Reese completed 10 of 12 attempts for 66 yards and two touchdowns, while Frye completed 8 of12 passes for 46 yards. Hobbs proved to be the difference-maker in the closing minutes. The junior receiver hauled in five passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, including both of Charleston's fourth-quarter touchdown receptions. His final catch capped a 10-play, 37-yard drive and gave the Golden Eagles their first lead of the night with two seconds remaining. Charleston trailed 10-0 after the opening quarter before beginning its comeback in the second. Zachary Alvarez connected on a 43-yard field goal, and Wallace scored on a two-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-10. Alvarez then drilled a 54-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, sending Charleston into halftime trailing 17-13. The Golden Eagles took their first lead early in the third quarter when Frye scored on a six-yard run to make it 20-17. Concord answered with two touchdowns, however, and Charleston entered the fourth quarter trailing 31-20.
Reese then sparked the comeback with a 29-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to 31-27. Concord responded with another touchdown to push its advantage back to 38-27 with 6:55 remaining. From there, Charleston's offense took over. The Golden Eagles marched 62 yards on eight plays, with Reese finding Hobbs for a six-yard touchdown with 3:47 remaining. Charleston's defense then forced Concord to punt, giving the offense one final opportunity. The Golden Eagles drove 37 yards in 10 plays, with Reese once again finding Hobbs in the end zone. The five-yard touchdown pass with two seconds remaining completed the comeback and sent Charleston home with a 41-38 conference victory. Despite the loss, Concord finished with 387 yards of total offense, including 254 passing yards. Charleston's defense held the Mountain Lions to 133 rushing yards while forcing two turnovers. Ar'Terrian Godfrey led the Golden Eagles with nine tackles and an interception, while Bradly Harris added eight tackles and a tackle for loss. Charleston's victory marked its fourth straight win over Concord and moved the Golden Eagles to 1-0 in conference play.
Up Next:
The Golden Eagles return to action next week looking to build on the dramatic conference-opening victory as they are set to host Glenville State for their Homecoming game on Saturday at 1:00pm.
