BUCKHANNON — It would be hard to find in recent history a game-ender like the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats suffered Saturday evening at Cebe Ross Field. An officiating decision with 39 seconds remaining on the clock awarded Concord University a safety and two points to break a 31-31 tie, and the Mountain Lions won its first game of 2024.
With 6:33 left in a wildly competitive game, Wesleyan took the lead when Wesley Sweeney caught a 25-yard pass from Quinton Pulley after the Bobcat defense shut down a fourth-and-one by Concord at the Concord 35-yard line on the Mountain Lions’ previous possession. A successful two-point pass conversion (Pulley to Sweeney) put the ‘Cats up 31-24.
Concord took the ensuing drive 75 yards in six plays and tied the score on a JQ Brown, four-yard run with 3:37 left on the clock.
The Bobcats were then held to a four-and-out possession and turned the ball over on downs at the 50-yard line.
Concord took over but could not gain a first down and punted the ball as Wesleyan went all in for the block. The ball bounded to the Wesleyan 1-yard line where the Bobcats took over with 57 seconds remaining.
Pulley tried a short pass that fell incomplete and this set the stage for a second down run by Kevin Mitchell who appeared to cross the goal line before being tackled. An official on the near side of the play agreed and came forward to mark the ball but was overruled by a second official four seconds later and awarded the game-winning safety to Concord.
Pulley passed for 208 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 40 yards, and gave up two interceptions in a complete game performance.
Mitchell led the Bobcat ground game with 46 net yards on eight attempts as Wesleyan’s rushing was limited to 111 total yards.
Sweeney grabbed 67 yards through the air on six receptions and had the final touchdown that led to the 31-point tie.
For the Mountain Lions, Kameron Howard passed for 366 yards, three touchdowns and had two interceptions. Brown ran for 118 yards on 29 attempts and scored a touchdown. Jake Roberts tallied 159 receiving yards on six receptions and added two touchdowns.
The Bobcats head to UNC Pembroke (N.C.) on Saturday, Nov. 2 for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
