BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (Sept. 28) – The Cardinals were handed a 33-19 loss at West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday afternoon at Cebe Ross Field in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) game.
 
The Wheeling University football team drops to 0-4 overall, 0-4 MEC. Meanwhile, the Bobcats improve to 1-3 overall, 1-2 in league play.
 
Sophomore quarterback Tucker Strachan (Kensington, Md./Bullis) went 25-of-38 for 310 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in the loss. 
 
Sophomore wide receiver Jake Keenan (Toronto, Ohio/Toronto) finished with six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, while classmate Ryan LaFollette (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) posted a team-best nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
 
Wheeling took the opening kick and drove quickly to the West Virginia Wesleyan 27-yard line on the heels of a pair of 20-yard completions to redshirt-junior wide receiver Jaquaun Davidson (Duquesne, Pa./Elizabeth Forward). The drive stalled when Strachan was sacked for a 13-yard loss, forcing a Cardinal punt.
 
Wesleyan took possession and surprisingly went for it on fourth down from its own 38-yard line. The Cardinals stuffed a run to take over on downs, and six plays later Strachan found LaFollette for a nine-yard touchdown that made the score 6-0 with 5:21 to play in the first quarter (PAT blocked).
 
West Virginia Wesleyan drove to the Wheeling one-yard line on 11 plays, but faced a fourth down on the goal line. The Cardinal defense stood up once again and held the Bobcats out of the end zone to maintain the six-point lead.
 
After a quick three-and-out, Wesleyan took over at the Wheeling 27-yard line and only needed one play to take a 7-6 lead two minutes into the second quarter.
 
The coaching staff left the offense on the field once again in their own territory on the Bobcats next possession. Wesleyan quarterback Jarrett Northrop rolled out and attempted a punt, but sophomore linebacker Ryan Gorman (Millersville, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) got to him as he followed through to cause the ball to only go four yards and setup the Cards with the ball on the 38-yard line. Strachan found freshman Brady Kolb (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) two plays later on a 23-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-13 with six minutes until halftime.
 
Both squads traded three-and-outs, before Wesleyan capped off the first half with a 10-play, 84-yard drive for a touchdown to push its lead to 20-13 (two-point conversion failed) entering halftime.
 
The Bobcats looked poised to add to their lead on the first possession of the second half, but an interception by sophomore safety Chris Canaday (Forestville, Md./DuVal) at the Wheeling 16-yard line halted the drive. Canaday nearly scored on the return, but was tripped up at the Wesleyan 15-yard line.
 
The Cardinals were unable to capitalize on the turnover. Strachan was intercepted in the end zone and the Bobcats marched back down the field to score and increase their lead to 27-13 with 10:15 to play in the third quarter.
 
West Virginia Wesleyan added a pair of field goals to increase its lead to 33-13 in the fourth quarter. Wheeling scored its final points of the day on a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Keenan with just under three minutes left in the game, but the onside-kick attempt was recovered by Wesleyan, allowing it to run out the clock.
 
Sophomore cornerback Rich White III (Cleveland, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edwards) finished with a team-best 11 tackles (10 solo) with one pass break-up. Gorman added eight tackles (seven solo) with one tackle for loss, a pass break up and a blocked punt.
 
Wesleyan's Northrop finished the day 22-of-33 for 293 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Bobcat running back Kord Jenkins led his team with 102 yards rushing on 15 carries with one touchdown.
 
GAME NOTES: Wheeling held the Bobcats to 1-of-10 on third down and 1-of-5 on fourth down … West Virginia Wesleyan held possession for over 33 minutes of the game, including 10 minutes in the third quarter alone … The Cardinals were limited to 36 yards rushing … Freshman Jarin Curtis (Massillon, Ohio/Perry) led the team with 29 yards on seven carries …  The Bobcats finished with 169 yards rushing … West Virginia Wesleyan's John Merica led the Bobcats with eight tackles (five solo) … Davidson (WU) was held out of the end zone for the first time this season.