ATHENS, W.V. – Visiting UNCP registered a season-best eight sacks and allowed just 58 rushing yards, but Concord capitalized on six turnovers by the Braves, including four fumbles, to snap a 15-game losing streak on a 10-0 triumph over the Black and Gold Saturday afternoon at Callaghan Stadium.

The Braves (4-6) lost four of six fumbles on the day and dropped a pair of sure touchdown strikes to seal their fate, despite a dominant effort by the defense. The Mountain Lions (1-9) won for the first time since a 10-7 overtime victory at conference West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 30, 2006.

Rashon Kennedy rushed 16 times for 58 yards to lead the UNCP ground game, while Ryan Horton completed 11 of 30 passes for 143 yards and a pair of interceptions to pace the passing attack. Josh Throckmorton hauled in four passes for 45 yards to pace the Braves' receiving corps.

Adam Deese tallied a team-best 13 tackles on the day, but it was Morris McLaughlin that set up camp in the Concord backfield, amassing 5-1/2 tackles, including 3-1/2 sacks, for a loss of 29 yards. John Stokes added to his team-leading tackle total with 12-1/2 against the Mountain Lions, with John Stokes (12-1/2 tackles), James Littlejohn, Dewayne James, Ben Kurti and Adrian Williams each getting in on the sack party as well. McLaughlin turned in a forced fumble as well for the visitors.

“You're not going to win many football games when you have six turnovers,” said UNCP head coach Pete Shinnick. “We had our opportunities today and we didn't take advantage of them. I thought we put ourselves in position to score some points and do some good things, but we just couldn't hold on to the ball.

“Our defense played very, very good and really only gave up three points. I am disappointed that we didn't play better offensively and on special teams because we just gave them too many opportunities.”

After stuffing Concord twice in the game's opening five minutes, including a red zone stand after a fumbled punt return by Tim McCaskill, UNCP had all the looks of a team on a mission, but Colby Whitfield prematurely stopped a 5-play, 43-yard drive by the Braves when he relieved Keith Farrington of the ball following a 21-yard reception that would have set the visitors up 1st-and-10 at the CU 21-yard line.

The Braves put together an 11-play, 90-yard drive early in the second quarter and looked to be on their way to putting up the game's first points again, but Thomas Hearons forced a Horton fumble at the 16-yard line and the Mountain Lions would turn the giveaway into points, settling for a 42-yard field goal by Zach Boyd that gave the hosts a 3-0 lead at the break,

Brandon McLaurin gave the Braves a bevy of mixed emotions on the opening kickoff of the second half, returning the kick 72 yards to the Mountain Lion 4-yard line before coughing up the ball. UNCP recovered and forced Concord to punt from its own 3-yard line on the next possession and, again, looked to get on the board with a 42-yard field goal attempt by Andrew Williams, but holder Justin Hinson could not get a solid grasp on the snap and the Black and Gold came away empty again.

UNCP saw another chance slip away with 1:21 left in the third quarter when McCaskill dropped a sure 57-yard scoring strike from Horton that would have put the visitors on top. Two drives later, Horton would be intercepted again to set up the insurance score for the hosts – a 6-play, 36-yard touchdown drive that was capped on Thomas Frazier's scoring strike to Ron Buskey in the back of the endzone on a 4th-and-goal attempt from the 9-yard line.

UNCP will close out its inaugural season of intercollegiate football next Saturday when the Braves head to Tigerville, S.C., to battle North Greenville (4-6). Kickoff has been set for 1:30 p.m. at Younts Stadium. The Crusaders will bring a 3-game winning skein into the contest, including a 65-7 win at Faulkner on Saturday afternoon.