Wheeling, W. Va. – Over the final seven weeks of the season, the Wheeling University Football team (3-1, 2-1) will see a lot of time on their home turf. However, they kick off October with one of their three remaining road games as they battle West Virginia Wesleyan. The Cardinals look to take their momentum on the road, riding the success of a ground game that is on a record setting pace.
Last weekend, the Cardinals were on Bishop Schmitt Field as they took on Glenville State in a battle of 1-1 teams. The first half was a half of two quarters as the Pioneers came out strong with 10 first quarter points and Wheeling responded with 10 of their own in the second quarter. With the score tied at 10, kicker Matt Greenwood gave Wheeling the lead for good with the longest field goal in program history at 46 yards. The Cardinals would three more touchdowns in the half and Wheeling went on to win 34-23. For running back Sy Alli, scored two of those three touchdowns and had a milestone day as he went over 2,500 rushing yards for his Wheeling career. The Cardinals also set a single-game rushing record, running for 258 yards as a team in the win.
That run game has been a driving force to the Cardinals success this season as they have over 200 yards rushing as a team in each of their four games. Alli has captained that ground attack and currently leads the MEC with 441 yards through those four games. He is averaging just under five yards per carry and is currently beating his career-best mark with 110.25 yards per game. Coupled with ALLI'S strong performance is a career year for redshirt junior running back Elijah Young. In his four games Young has run for 368 yards and is averaging 92.00 rushing yards per game. Both running backs have played off each other's success and looks to keep it up through the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, the defensive line got a big boost from redshirt freshman Caleb Grant, who had a breakout game against Glenville State. He totaled six tackles, one solo, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack while also having a fumble recovery and a quarterback hit on the afternoon. He is currently third on the defense in tackles, 17.0, and leads the team with 2.0 sacks this season. The Cardinals will look to get pressure on the Bobcats quarterback throughout the afternoon and Grant will play a big role in that pressure.
With the win on Saturday, the Cardinals now find themselves in a three-way tie for third place in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). They sit with West Liberty and Charleston at 2-1 and all three are one game back of Concord and Notre Dame College, who have each won their first three conference games. With four of their final seven games coming at home, the Cardinals look to take advantage of the opportunity to play on their home field. They are off to their best start in conference play in program history, and hope to keep that momentum going as they prepare for their Homecoming game next week.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the third time in program history with the all-time series tied at one game a piece. The home team has won in each of the first two games, and the Cardinals look to break that trend this season. Wheeling has averaged 28.5 points per game against West Virginia Wesleyan and, in last year's game, picked up the first-ever shutout in program history with a 38-0 win at Bishop Schmitt Field.
Sy Alli had another big day on the ground in last year's game, carrying the ball 18 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Former Cardinal Brennon Norris led the passing attack, going 14-27 for 201 yards and a touchdown while Lowell Patron pulled in four catches for 86 yards. Former Cardinal Ryan Gorman led the defense with nine total tackles and two tackles for loss in the win.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 12 pm (noon) at Ross Field on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats HERE.
