Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the past two weekends, the Wheeling University Football team (2-1, 1-1) kicked off conference play on the road, splitting the two contests. On Saturday, they return home to take on Glenville State as they look to continue their roll. They are building off a record-breaking performance against Alderson Broaddus as they look to get above the .500 mark in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
It was an offensive battle last week for the Cardinals as they set a new program record with 56 points in their first conference win of the season. After Alderson Broaddus took a 3-0 lead on their first drive of the game, the Cardinals would go on a tear with three first quarter touchdowns that gave them a 21-10 lead after the first 15 minutes of play. The offense continued to roll, scoring 14 points in both the second and third quarters, but Alderson Broaddus battled right with them and the score sat at 49-34 as the team's headed to the fourth quarter. Wheeling would seal the deal with an Elijah Young 1-yard touchdown run with 2:02 left to play that made it a 56-34 advantage. The Battlers would add one more touchdown, but Wheeling went on to win 56-41 and even their MEC record.
The running game paced the Cardinals offense once again as they ran for a total of 224 yards and four rushing touchdowns. It was the third straight game that the offense netted more than 200 yards on the ground, behind the push of the offensive line of, Zay Lewis, Angel Figueroa, Cade Raudebaugh, Peter Schmitt, and Justin Nelson. Sy Alli IV paced the ground game, carrying the ball 24 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns. It was Alli's second 100-yard game of the season and he now has 274 total yards in his first three games and sits at 2,446 for his collegiate career. He needs just 54 yards rushing against Glenville State to become the first running back in school history to reach 2,500 career rushing yards.
It was also a big game for the passing game as quarterback Javon Davis had his best game in a Cardinal's uniform to date. He ended up going 25-37 while throwing for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Wheeling's big play ability was on display right away when Davis hit wide receiver Chris Canaday for a 74-yard touchdown strike on the third drive of the day. It was the third straight game where Canaday caught at least one touchdown pass and he is currently tied for second in the conference with three receiving touchdowns. Lowell Patron was Davis's top target as the two connected eight times for 172 yards and one touchdown. Patron fell just five yards shy of breaking the program record for single game receiving yards, which he set in the game against Alderson Broaddus last season.
After their win on Sunday, the Cardinals move into a six-way tie for fourth place as they head into their week four matchup. Concord, Frostburg State, and Notre Dame sit atop the MEC, going 2-0 through their first two conference games, while Glenville State, West Liberty, Wheeling, West Virginia State, Charleston, and UNC Pembroke all sit at an even 1-1. The Cardinals and Pioneers will be battling to break the conference tie and pull ahead for positioning as the season goes on. It is still early and the Cardinals are looking to defy the #8 ranking they took in the annual MEC Preseason Poll.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers will be meeting for the third time in program history on Saturday with the all-time series tied at one win a piece. Each of the first two games in the series have been played in Glenville, West Virginia as the Pioneers make their first visit to Bishop Schmitt Field in program history. Wheeling has averaged 20.5 points per game in the previous two meetings and is coming off a 27-10 win in last season's meeting.
Sy Alli led the rushing attack with 105 yards on the ground over 26 carries while former Cardinal Ryan LaFollette pulled in seven catches for 62 yards. Former Cardinal Brennon Norris passed for a team-best 210 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The Cardinals defense was led by former Cardinal Dalton Hoover, who finished with 13 total tackles in the game while Brandon Munoz led the way with two sacks.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's contest is scheduled for noon at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can Watch the game live by clicking HERE, listen live on Fox Sports Wheeling, or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
