Wheeling, W. Va. - In October, the Wheeling University Football team (6-3, 5-3) spent a lot of time on the road, with two of their three contests during the month coming on the road. However, they finish the month of November with their final two games at Bishop Schmitt Field, starting with Saturday's contest against Charleston with kick-off at 1 PM. The Cardinals will be looking for a bounce back effort after a tough loss last week as they try to end the regular season on a strong note.
Last time out, the Cardinals battled Concord in a battle between the two teams tied for second in the Mountain East Conference. It lived up to the hype, with the teams combining for 93 points on the day, and early on it was a gunslinging fest. Concord scored on their opening drive and, after a Matt Greenwood punt that pinned the Mountain Lions at their own three-yard line, the defense scored the first touchdown as Chase Nolan forced a strip sack and Caleb Grant recovered it for the Wheeling touchdown. Quarterback Javon Davis ran in the final touchdown of the first quarter and Wheeling trailed 21-13 after one. A Greenwood field goal would end the first half scoring and Wheeling trailed 35-16 heading into the locker room. Davis added a touchdown pass and another touchdown run in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals fell 62-31.
Davis has had a few strong weeks at Quarterback for the Cardinals as he has come into his own throughout the season. He finished the week with 232 yards while going 25-42 with a touchdown and an interception on the afternoon. He also added two rushing touchdowns on the day, tying him for second on the team with four touchdowns this season. Davis has thrown for 200+ yards in each of his last three games and has at least one touchdown pass in every game during that stretch. He currently sits fourth in the MEC in passing yards (1890) and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (14). He has taken to his role as Wheeling's starting quarterback this season as he has led the team to their most successful season in program history so far.
Saturday will also feature a milestone watch as running back Sy Alli closes in on becoming the first running back in school history to reach the 3,000-career rushing yard mark. Alli enters play on Saturday with 2,962 rushing yards in his career and needs just 38 yards against the Golden Eagles to reach the milestone. The Cardinals have relied heavily on the ground game in the early portion of the season and Alli currently sits third in the MEC with 790 yards rushing this season. He looks to once again help pace the Cardinals offense as they go up against an equally strong offense in Charleston.
As the Cardinals enter the final two weeks of the 2022 regular season, they look to end the year on a high note in front of their home fans. They currently sit in a four-way tie for third in the conference at 5-3, sitting even with Frostburg State, UNC Pembroke, and Charleston. They sit one game behind Concord (6-2) for second in the conference and two games behind first-place Notre Dame College (7-1). A win on Saturday could see Wheeling creep back into the top three of the conference and, if Concord were to fall to Alderson Broaddus, could see them as high as a tie for second place when all is said and done. There is still a lot to play out over the final two weeks of the regular season, and Wheeling is looking to control their own destiny.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the third time in program history on Saturday, with The University of Charleston taking the first two meetings. The Cardinals have averaged 16 points per game in those meetings while allowing an average of 44.5 points per game during that stretch. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in Wheeling since the 2019 season, Wheeling's inaugural year in MEC play. The Cardinals played them close last season and are looking to overtake them for the first time in program history.
Last season, the teams met in Charleston, West Virginia, and the Cardinals dropped the game 38-20. The Cardinals outscored the Golden Eagles in the second half, 20-14, but they gave up 24 points early and it was too much to overcome. Elijah Young led the rushing attack that day, carrying the ball 11 times for 114 yards and a touchdown. Former Cardinals Ryan Gorman and Dalton Hoover along with Rich White III led the defensive effort with five tackles each on the day. Chad Palmer would get the start at quarterback and went 12-27 while throwing for 146 yards.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday afternoon's contest 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.
