Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Football team (2-2, 2-1) has been on a roll as of late and brings their momentum back to Bishop Schmitt Field on Saturday when they get set to take on West Virginia Wesleyan at 2 PM. Behind the work of their stout defense, Wheeling has rattled off wins in back-to-back games as their offense has been moving the ball efficiently through the air.
Over their last two games, Wheeling has combined for 505 yards through the air, as the veteran receiving corps are making their presence felt. Leading the way has been senior Ryan LaFollette (Woodsfield, OH./Monroe Central), who has four receiving touchdowns in his last two games. He has been targeted seven or more times in both of those games and has been a big target for the Wheeling quarterbacks. Senior Lowell Patron (Newport News, Va.) has followed right behind him with two touchdowns and 236 yards receiving over his last two games.
The Cardinals also got a boost from redshirt freshman Brennon Norris (Wintersville, OH./Indian Creek), who got his first start of the year last week. He and fellow quarterback Trent Jackson (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) have been taking turns running the offense, and Norris had a big day against Glenville State, throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the 27-10 win over the Pioneers.
However, the driving force to Wheeling's success this season has been the play of their defense. As a unit, the Cardinals rank second in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) in points allowed, with 63, sitting just behind the University of Charleston's mark of 43. Leading the way has been linebacker Dalton Hoover, who ranks fifth in the MEC with 31 tackles this season. Wheeling has only allowed two touchdowns over their last two games and looks to continue to give their offense opportunities to score.
Entering play on Saturday, Wheeling sits in a tie for third in the conference with West Liberty, UNC Pembroke, and the University of Charleston with a record of 2-1. They sit just a game behind Notre Dame College and Frostburg State for the top spot in the conference and hope to keep their streak rolling at home against West Virginia Wesleyan.
The Match-up
There has only been one previous match-up between these two teams in Wheeling's short history as a football program. That game came back on September 28th, 2019, in a game that Wheeling would lose 33-19. However, Saturday will mark West Virginia Wesleyan's first trip to Bishop Schmitt Field, and the Cardinals are hoping to flip the script on their home turf.
In that first game, it was the Cardinals who got on the board first but Wesleyan put the game out of reach scoring 20 points in the second quarter. Wheeling added two more touchdowns on the day, but it wasn't enough as they fell 33-19. Jake Keenan led the receiving corps in the game with six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Former Cardinal Tucker Strachan moved the ball well, throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns to go along with three interceptions.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
