Wheeling, W. Va. – After a tough loss on the road last time out, the Wheeling University Football team (3-2, 2-2) returns home this weekend for one of just two home games over the final six weeks of the season. They will be welcomed by friends, family, and alumni as they kick-off the second day of Homecoming & Family Weekend when they take on West Virginia Wesleyan at 1 PM. The Cardinals fell in last year's Homecoming game and look to get back in the win column during this season's festivities.
Last time out, the Cardinals made the long trip to Pembroke, North Carolina to take on the Braves. Early on, it was a close game between the two teams with both defenses standing tall. The teams scored a combined nine points over the first 15 minutes of play, with the lone Cardinal score being a Joao Lima field goal. In the second quarter, the Cardinals got on the board, but UNC Pembroke would tack on the score of their own and a Lima Field Goal would send the teams into the locker room tied at 13-13. The Cardinals remained close to start the third quarter, tying things at 20-20, but the Braves would go on to score 21 unanswered points as Wheeling would fall 41-20. The loss dropped the Cardinals to 2-2 in MEC (Mountain East Conference) play this season as they look to bounce back in their Homecoming Game.
Leading the offensive effort throughout the afternoon was redshirt freshman quarterback Landon Lutz, who has been consistent since taking over for the injured Javon Davis. In his two games started, Lutz has thrown for 239 or more passing yards in each game and has 494 passing yards and four touchdowns in his three games played. He is coming off his first multi-passing touchdown game a week ago, when he threw two touchdowns to one interception in the loss, with his longest being a 15-yard strike to Jermawn Ford. Lutz has been a big boost to the Cardinal's offense as they continue to battle for a spot at the top of the conference, and he looks to continue leading the team as the calendar flips to October.
On the defensive side of the ball, it was the linebacking corps of Dalton Hoover and J.R. Atkinson leading the way. Since the start of the season, Hoover has been the Cardinal's leading tackler in four of the five games so far this season, including last week's effort against Pembroke. The redshirt junior finished with nine tackles, five solo and four assisted, including the team's lone sack of the week. Hoover has played big in the run game and the pass game this season and looks to continue being an enforcer for the defense. Atkinson helped the Cardinals to a season-high three interception game, pulling down two picks for 18 yards. It was the first multi-interception effort for Atkinson, and he is tied with teammate Alex Hill, who had the third interception against Pembroke, for the team lead with two interceptions.
The final six weeks of the regular season will test the Cardinals as they will be on the road for a majority of the stretch. After Saturday's Homecoming contest, the team has just one more home game on the schedule and will have to hit the road for three of their final five games. They have a bye week in week eight, after Alderson Broaddus's game was canceled due to the closure of the school, sandwiched between a pair of road games to end the month of October. They only played twice on the road over the first five weeks of the regular season and are 1-1 during that stretch. As they come down the final month and a half of the season, they look to get momentum on their side as they try to climb the conference standings.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the fourth time in program history on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series with a record of 2-1. Wheeling has been able to pitch shutouts in two of those three games, accounting for the only two shutouts in the program's history. It will be just the second time in history that the teams will meet in Wheeling, with the Cardinals winning that previous meeting back in 2021. The Cardinals are averaging 31.33 points per game in the all-time series as they look to get their offense going Saturday.
In their most recent meeting, Wheeling came away with the shutout victory on the road as they defeated the Bobcats 37-0. Elijah Young led the Cardinals ground game, carrying the ball 14 times for 115 yards and a touchdown while Javon Davis threw the ball for 173 yards and a touchdown in the win. On defense, former Cardinal Jayvon Johnson would lead the way with seven tackles, five solo and two assisted, including a tackle for a loss in the win.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's 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.
