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BUCKHANNON, W. Va. - After taking the bye week off, the Wheeling University Football team (3-2, 2-0) began a heavy road month in Buckhannon, West Virginia. It was neck and neck through the first half, but a big third quarter would lead the Cardinals to their second straight win over West Virginia Wesleyan, 23-14. The Cardinal’s ground game would lead the way, rushing for 249 yards on the day to lead Wheeling to their second straight 2-0 start in conference play.
West Virginia Wesleyan would nearly strike on the first play of the day, taking the opening kick-off 97 yards to the end zone, but a holding call would bring them back to their own 37-yard line. Wheeling’s defense would respond with a stop, and it would be the Cardinals that ended up getting the early momentum on their first drive. They would start on their own 35-yard line, and Landon Lutz and Dawaun Green would lead the Cardinals on a six-play drive down to the Bobcat 11-yard line. It would be Green that plunged the ball into the end zone, before the extra point was blocked to stake Wheeling to a 6-0 advantage. On the next drive, the Conor Fitzpatrick would get his revenge as the Cardinals drove inside the Bobcat five-yard line, and set the Cardinal kicker up with a 23-yard field goal attempt. Fitzpatrick would sail it through the uprights, and Wheeling would hold a 9-0 lead with 2:17 left in the quarter.
After being stopped on their first two drives, West Virginia Wesleyan used the passing game to get on the board. They needed just three plays to get into the end zone, with Bobcat quarterback Liam McGuire connecting with Tariq Meredith on a 20-yard touchdown that cut the Cardinal lead to 9-7. That would be the score at the end of the first quarter, and defense would continue to rule through the second quarter. The teams would combine for three punts, and both teams would have scoring opportunities before the half with both defenses making big stops. For the Cardinals, it would come on their first drive of the second quarter, getting down to the Bobcat 16-yard line before the Bobcats forced a turnover on downs. Just before the half, West Virginia Wesleyan would get their shot, setting up a fourth and 14 at the Wheeling 41, before Jalen Higginbotham picked up a tackle for loss to send the game to halftime.
As they came out for the second half, Wheeling would drive again, starting on their own 10-yard line and going 90 yards in eight plays, with the final play being the one to get them into the end zone. Lutz would connect with Ayden McKinstry on a 37-yard strike that would give Wheeling a two-score lead. Fitzpatrick would send the extra point through the uprights and the Cardinals were staked to a 16-7 advantage four minutes into the quarter. It would be a Bobcat takeaway at the 6:54 mark that opened the door for their next score, with West Virginia Wesleyan sitting at their own 48-yard line. They would need just two minutes to find the end zone, when McGuire connected with Amari Colon-Brown for a six-yard score. It made it a 16-14 game, with things still hanging in the balance, the Cardinals would look for one more score to put the game away.
Both teams would punt on their ensuing possessions, and the Cardinals would get the ball back with 1:51 to go in the third quarter. After back-to-back short runs set them up with a third and four at the Bobcat 37-yard line, before McKinstry broke away for a second big play. This time, it was a 37-yard sprint up the middle that scored his first touchdown of the day and gave the Cardinals a 23-14 lead. That would be the score at the end of the third quarter, and the Cardinal defense would look to stand strong. West Virginia Wesleyan would set up for a field goal at the 8:20 mark, only to have the kick sail right. The Cardinal offense did the rest, holding the ball for the final 8:20 of the game. It allowed Wheeling to hold on for the 23-14 win, securing their second conference win of the season.
It was the Cardinal ground game that led the effort, with six running backs combining for 249 yards on the ground. Leading the effort was Dawaun Green, who carried the ball 21 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. Ayden McKinstry would come in right behind him, rushing for a career-best 95 yards on the day. Landon Lutz would captain the offense, finishing 17-36, throwing for 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His top. Target was Colin Oberdick, who finished with five catches for 46 yards, while McKinstry grabbed the lone receiving touchdown with 35 yards through the air. Dillon Shadie and Jalen Higginbotham tied to lead the defense, with both finishing with seven tackles on the day, while Higginbotham added 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, October 10, when they travel to Charleston with kick-off at noon.