Wheeling, W. Va. - It has been a while since the Wheeling University Football team (3-4, 3-3) took the field in front of their home fans. On Saturday, the Cardinals return to Bishop Schmitt Field when they host West Liberty at 1 PM in their 2021 Homecoming game. For the Cardinals, it is a chance to rebound in front of their home fans in the battle for Wheeling.
Last time out, the Cardinals fell to Frostburg State 41-17 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated. Wheeling was the one that got off to the hot start, scoring on the first drive of the game when quarterback Brennon Norris hit Lowell Patron on a six-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 7-0. However, Wheeling would score just three points in the remainder of the first half, while Frostburg State added 24 points and went into halftime, leading 24-10. Wheeling's only remaining touchdown of the game came on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ryan LaFollette that brought the game to its final score of 41-17.
The Wheeling ground game continued its progression week-by-week as running back Sy Alli IV picked up his fourth 100-yard rushing game in his last five games. He carried the ball for 114 yards on Saturday and upped his season total to 669 yards. With four games remaining, Alli is looking to become the school's first 1,000-yard rusher and is on pace to do just that. He has been getting some good blocking from his offensive line, led by seniors Aaron Hess and Xavier Thomas, allowing him to find the holes and get upfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, one of the rising stars in the past couple of weeks has been linebacker Josiah Wright. Wright was second on the team in tackles against Frostburg State, finishing the day with five tackles and three tackles for loss. J.R. Atkinson was Wheeling's leading tackler on Saturday, picking up seven tackles in the game, including a half tackle for loss, as Wheeling continues to try and create turnovers.
With the loss, Wheeling drops to 3-3 in conference play but is still right in the thick of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) race. Entering play on Saturday, the Cardinals are one of eight teams that are within two games of the top spot in the conference with four weeks of action remaining. Wheeling currently sits one game behind West Liberty for second place in the conference, and two games behind Notre Dame College, Frostburg State, and The University of Charleston for the top spot. A win this week would go a long way towards helping Wheeling climb the conference standings.
The Match-up
Wheeling and West Liberty have matched up twice in the past and have split those contests, one at Wheeling and one at West Liberty. It has been a budding rivalry since the Wheeling football program began, and the Cardinals are hoping to take a lead in the all-time match-up in the third-ever meeting between the two teams.
The last time these two teams played was on April 3rd, 2021, in a game that Wheeling would win 42-19. Former Cardinal Jalen Lea led the offensive attack, with 216 yards passing, while Running Back Eli Young led the ground game with 53 yards rushing. With an improved run game this spring, the Cardinals are looking to be a multi-dimensional team and use that to their advantage.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's homecoming game is scheduled for 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
