Game Details
The Concord Mountain Lions (0-0) travel to Wise, Virginia to face the UVA Wise Cavaliers (0-0) on Saturday, August 30. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM ET at Beaty-Richmond Field at Carl Smith Stadium. Early-evening temps should hover around 75°F with partly cloudy skies and a light east wind at 5–8 mph.
Series History
This is the first ever meeting between Concord University and UVA Wise at the varsity level.
Both programs joined NCAA Division II within the last decade and have rapidly evolving schemes that make this nonconference clash a fresh matchup.
Team Overviews
Concord Mountain Lions
Concord finished 6-5 in 2024 under second-year coach John Davis, riding a high-octane offense that averaged 32.4 points per game. Junior quarterback Mason Vaughn returns after throwing for 2,720 yards and 24 touchdowns, while sophomore tailback Dre Johnson rushed for 1,050 yards at 5.8 YPC.
Defensively, the Mountain Lions force turnovers with an aggressive zone-blitz package that yielded 18 takeaways last season.
UVA Wise Cavaliers
The Cavaliers went 2-9 in 2024 but showed late-season promise, dropping four of their losses by single digits. Fifth-year QB Tyler Johnston leads a pro-style attack, having passed for 2,100 yards and 16 scores a year ago. Defensively, senior linebacker Cam Thompson piled up 110 tackles and anchors a 4-3 front that excels at gap control but struggled against big plays.
Coaching & Schemes
Concord’s John Davis emphasizes spread-tempo offense and RPO concepts, seeking to exploit mismatches in the secondary.
UVA Wise head coach Mark Huddleston runs a balanced attack, mixing under-center formations with play-action and power runs.
Both defenses incorporate zone-blitz looks but differ in front alignment: Concord flips between 3-3-5 under passing down, while UVA Wise stays in a base 4-3 and sends heat from the edges.
Key Matchups
Concord’s passing attack vs. UVA Wise secondary: If Vaughn finds rhythm early against a secondary that allowed 230 YPG in 2024, the Lions can sustain long drives and flip field position.
UVA Wise pass rush vs. Concord offensive line: Watch how Johnston counters edge pressure; if the Cavaliers generate late-down sacks, they’ll shorten possessions and push the total toward Under.
Rushing trenches battle: Johnson’s downhill style against UVA Wise’s gap-control front will dictate time of possession; early ground success by Concord suggests bottlenecked drives and an Under lean.
Turnover margin: Both defenses thrive on takeaways—backing a small unit/player prop (e.g., under 0.5 turnovers by Concord) could pay if UVA Wise stays clean with the ball.
Special teams spark: A long return or blocked attempt could swing momentum; consider a live-bet on UVA Wise ML if an early special-teams play tilts field position.
Broadcast & Streaming Info
Catch all the action live on ESPN+ with pregame coverage at 5:30 PM ET. Audio broadcasts are available via Concord Athletics Radio Network and UVA Wise Sports Network.
Game Odds
Concord Mountain Lions – 2.5
UVA Wise Cavaliers 52.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, August 29, 2025
