WHEELING, W.Va. (Oct. 3) - Wheeling University will be on the hunt for the program's first win when it welcomes the University of Charleston to Bishop Schmitt Field for a Mountain East Conference (MEC) football game on Saturday, October 5 at 1 p.m.

PARKING & TICKET INFORMATION
• Parking for all vehicles will be $10 at the gate
• Admission is included in your parking fee

LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats | Provided by Wheeling University
• Live Streaming Video |  Provided by the Mountain East Digital Network and Wheeling University
• Twitter  |  All scoring information and in-game updates.

GAME NOTES (pdf.)

WHEELING WEEK IN REVIEW: West Virginia Wesleyan held Wheeling to just 36 total rushing yards in the Cardinals' 33-19 setback in Buckhannon. Wheeling's Tucker Strachan was 25-for-38 on 310 yards passing with three touchdowns and a trio of interceptions. Jake Keenan notched a game-high 111 yards receiving on six catches with a touchdown. Rich White III recorded a game-high 10 solo tackles for the Cardinal defense. White currently leads the MEC and ranks third in Division II in solo tackles per game.

CHARLESTON WEEK IN REVIEW: Charleston shutout Valparaiso in the second half as the Golden Eagles defeated the Crusaders 19-13. It marked the first time a MEC team had defeated an FCS opponent. Brant Grisel was 30-for-45 passing with 333 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions for the Golden Eagles.

CHARLESTON HEAD COACH: Head Coach Pat Kirkland is in his ninth season leading the Golden Eagles. He has had UC ranked in the top-25 four times, including a final ranking of No. 15 in 2015 when the team went 10-1. Prior to UC, Kirkland was a position coach at West Virginia University from 2006-11.

OAC TO MEC: Both head coaches honed their skills playing Division III football in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Wheeling Head Coach Zac Bruney was a quarterback at Mount Union from 2000-03, while UC Head Coach Pat Kirkland played defensive back at Muskingum from 1993-96.

RELIABLE TARGETS: Sophomore wide receiver Ryan LaFollette has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in Division II this year. He ranks second in the MEC and ninth nationally with 7.5 receptions per game. Charleston's Mike Strachan leads the MEC and slots fourth in Division II with 8.8 per game. 

AERIAL ATTACK: Wheeling and Charleston feature two of the three best passing offenses in terms of yards. The Golden Eagles lead the MEC with 360.0 passing yards per game, while the Cardinals rank third with 279.0 per game. UC has been more efficient, throwing for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions, compared to the Cardinals who have eight touchdowns and nine interceptions thrown.

BALL CONTROL: Wheeling and Charleston have the two-lowest average time of possession in the MEC this season. The Golden Eagles have held the ball for 28 minutes, 46 seconds per game, while the Cardinals are only averaging 27 minutes and one second per game.

PASS RUSHER SHOWDOWN: Wheeling sophomore James Reese III and Charleston junior Kenny Randall are tied for second in the MEC with 4.0 sacks this season. Reese got off to a fast start with 3.0 sacks in the opener versus West Liberty.

NEXT UP: The Cardinals will have their first-ever Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 12 when they entertain McKendree from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in a non-conference game. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.