Clarion PA. – It was a special Thursday night under the lights in Clarion, Pennsylvania, as the Wheeling University Football team (0-1, 0-0) drove up I-79 to take on Clarion. The Cardinals came out with a balanced attack on offense, but it wasn’t enough as Wheeling would drop the 2025 season opener 34-0. Wheeling finished with 180 yards of total offense and, despite some career-high individual efforts on defense, they were unable to keep the Golden Eagles at bay.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Cardinals drove into Clarion territory behind a rushing game that accounted for 18 of the 27 yards gained. They were forced to punt, with Carter Blake pinning the Golden Eagles on their own two-yard line. Wheeling’s defense stepped up, picking up a three-and-out, setting the Cardinals at the Golden Eagle 40-yard line. Ladon Lutz moved the team into field goal range with passes of 13 yards to Colin Oberdick and 12 yards to Hilton McClain Jr., leading to a 31-yard attempt from the Clarion 13-yard line. Connor Fitzpatrick’s kick sailed wide, keeping the game tied at 0-0 with 6:41 left.

On the ensuing possession, the Golden Eagles would drive 80 yards in six plays, with quarterback Anthony Guerico finding Holt Egan on a 45-yard pass. The extra point would sail through, and Clarion held a 7-0 lead at the 4:46 mark of the first quarter. The Cardinals were held to just 69 yards of offense in the first quarter and trailed 7-0 heading into the second quarter. Clarion was driving as the first quarter clock came to an end, and was set up at the Wheeling 45-yard line. However, Awwal Osinuga burst into the backfield for a 14-yard sack that stopped Clarion in their tracks and got Wheeling the ball back. Wheeling would have four possessions in the quarter, totaling 26 yards on 15 plays. The defense would hold throughout the quarter until Clarion set up shop at the Wheeling 17-yard line. Guerico would take the ball across the line himself this time, rushing in from 17 yards out, and with 1:59 left on the first half clock, Clarion would take a 14-0 lead.

That lead would remain as the teams broke for the locker room, as the Cardinals looked to get their offense going. However, it was the Golden Eagles who would find their groove, receiving the opening kickoff and driving 78 yards down the field. The drive was capped with Guerico’s second touchdown pass of the day, and Wheeling’s deficit would increase to 21-0. Nasir Rhem would return the ensuing kickoff 18 yards, and the Cardinals put together one of their longest drives of the game. They would start from the Golden Eagle 18-yard line, and Lutz helped drive the team 44 yards to the Clarion 38-yard line. The drive stalled, but Fitzpatrick would come in to punt and would end up pinning the Golden Eagles at their own one-yard line. Wheeling’s defense would force a three-and-out, but a muffed punt gave Clarion new life at their own 46-yard line. They took advantage of the opportunity as they drove 54 yards and Guerico added his third touchdown pass of the day to give Clarion a 27-0 lead.

Wheeling nearly broke through on special teams on the ensuing kickoff as Solo Love took the kick and ran 59 yards up the sideline to the Golden Eagle 41-yard line. Four plays later, the Cardinals would turn the ball over on downs, and by the end of the third quarter, the score stood at 27-0 in favor of the Golden Eagles. The Cardinals would get the ball to start the fourth quarter, and a Personal Foul penalty by the Golden Eagles set the Cardinals up at the Clarion 34-yard line. However, a holding penalty would ultimately stall the drive, and the Cardinals were forced to punt. After the defense was able to hold, it was another muffed punt that gave Clarion the ball back and put the nail in the coffin. The Golden Eagles took advantage, finishing off a 79-yard drive that made it 34-0. Wheeling would have one more possession before the clock ran out, but would fall by the same score.

The Cardinal defense would have some strong individual performances throughout the night, led by redshirt sophomore defensive back Kameron Reynolds. Reynolds would set a new career-high with 11 tackles, six solo and five assisted, including 1.0 tackle for loss. Jefferson Bretanys-Desca would add nine tackles, three solo and six assisted, while Dylan Newman rounded out the effort with seven tackles, two solo and five assisted. Landon Lutz would complete 12 of his 33 pass attempts for 90 yards on the day, with his top target being Hilton McClain Jr.. McClarin Jr. would pull down five catches for 53 yards, while Colin Oberdick added five of his own catches for 31 yards. Steven Mitchell led the ground game, carrying the ball 14 times for 44 yards, while Dawaun Green added eight carries for 33 yards.

The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, September 6th, when it hosts Walsh with kickoff at 6 PM.