Cavs Pick Four Passes and Scores Winning Points in Final Minutes at Concord

September 8, 2007
Game Stats

Athens, WV – UVa-Wise picked off four passes and found a way to score the game winning points in the final two minutes to defeat Concord University, 35-28, Saturday night on the gridiron. The Highland Cavaliers claimed their third-straight win of the year and seventh victory in a row over a NCAA Division II opponent.

UVa-Wise improved to 3-0 for the third year in a row and evened its series with Concord to 2-2. The Cavs are now undefeated against NCAA DII foes, 7-0, over the past three seasons.

Tied 28-28 with 3:45 left in the game, running back Ra’Shad Morgan and quarterback Randy Hippeard combined for the game-winning drive. Morgan ran for two yards before Hippeard threw one incompletion and followed with back-to-back 17-yard passes to Jason Lovett and Matt Barbour to the home 24-yardline. Morgan worked his way through the Concord defense for 17 yards before following with a seven-yard scoring run over the left side to lead 35-28 with 2:05 in the game.

On fourth-and- 19 from its 41-yardline, the Mountain Lions’ Dustin Greenwood’s passed fell short into linebacker Chas Johnson’s hands, the fourth pick of the game for the Cavs’ defense, and returned it 26 yards to seal the win. Hippeard took a knee three straight times to run out the clock.

Defensive end Reggie Dorsainvil and the linebacking duo of Chad Hooker and Ben Robertson paced the defensive effort. Dorsainvil posted 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and intercepted a pass. Hooker had a career-high 14 stops and was all over the field while having 1.5 tackles for loss. Robertson added his third double digit tackle game with 11 along with a sack and tackle for loss.

Freshman Josh Spurlock batted a pass up in the air in the second and returned it three yards for a touchdown. Marvin White and Johnson had the other two of the four UVa-Wise interceptions.

On offense, Morgan ran for a tough 110 yards rushing on 24 carries with the seven-yard game-winning score. He caught six passes for 56 yards including a 19-yard touchdown. Hippeard completed 20 of 31 passes for 237 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Aric Evans caught three balls for 74 yards including a 60-yard score while Lovett pulled in five passes for 41 yards with a four-yard score. Paul Williams grabbed three passes for 34 yards, his first three catches of the year.

Concord started fast. The home team drove 57 yards on eight plays to begin the game capped by a Travis Harris two-yard run. Harris added a one-yard plunge with 1:13 in the opening quarter for a 14-0 score. Two plays later, Hippeard hooked up with Evans deep down the left sideline from 60 yards to make it 14-7.

Two possessions later, Concord’s Greenwood dropped back and had his pass tipped and caught by Spurlock for a three-yard interception for a touchdown. With 1:22 left in the opening half, Hippeard lofted a pass over a Concord linebacker in the right flat to Morgan and the back caught the pass for a 19-yard score for the 20-14 halftime score.

Trailing 28-21, Greenwood found tight end Jared Brown from two yards to tie the game for a second time before Hippeard and Morgan mounted the game-winning drive.

The Highland Cavaliers will have next week off before hosting perennial Mid-South power Georgetown College for Homecoming on Saturday, September 22 nd for a 1:30 p.m. kick-off.