Wheeling, W. Va. – The hours of hard work from spring ball to summer workouts to training camp all comes to a head on Thursday at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Wheeling University Football team (0-0, 0-0) kicks off the 2023 season with a primetime matchup when they host Seton Hill in non-conference action with kick-off at 7 PM. It will be the third season in a row that the Cardinals and Griffins open up the season against each other and Wheeling will once again try to get the upper hand.

The 2022 season was yet another historic year for the Wheeling Football team, as they broke the single-season win record for the second year in a row. They finished 7-4 overall and 6-4 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play, finishing tied for fourth in the field and 6th overall after tie breakers. The season started with the team's first-ever opening game win, when they beat Seton Hill 25-16, and things just kept going strong from there. They dropped their conference opener to Notre Dame College, but came back strong with three straight wins that catapulted them into the top three of the conference. After falling to UNC Pembroke, back-to-back wins had the Cardinals in the NCAA DII playoff picture with three weeks to go. However, they would suffer back-to-back losses before finishing their season with an overtime win over Fairmont State to set the wins record.

While many of the fifth year players from last year's team are gone, the Cardinals still have plenty of experience both in terms of on the field and in the program. Leading the offense once again will be quarterback Javon Davis, who set both the single-season passing yards (2263) and passing touchdowns (18) record a season ago. Behind him in the back field is another veteran coming off a career year in redshirt senior Elijah Young. Young rushed for a career-best 878 yards a year ago with fellow running back Sy Alli IV, and will be featured as the primary back this season. The wide receiver core is the youngest group on the offensive side of the ball with all three of the teams top receivers graduating last year. The Cardinals leading returner is Steven Mitchell, who finished with a career high 212 receiving yards and Finished third on the team with four touchdowns. The offensive line returns with the most veteran group on the team with four the five starters from last year returning.

The defense is the younger of the two units with three of the top four tacklers from a year ago graduated. The lone returning player of that group is defensive lineman Caleb Grant, who finished third on the team with 44.0 tackles and led the unit with 6.0 sacks. He is joined by fellow veteran Chase Nolan, who recorded the first safety in program history against these Griffins, and set a career high with 36.0 tackles. The linebacking Corps is the youngest group on the defense, but gets a boost with the return of Dalton Hoover. Hoover did not play during the 2022 season, but was the Cardinals fourth leading tackler in 2021 with 59.0 tackles. In the secondary, the Cardinals will see a slew of program veterans, including Masiah Thorne, Brendan Barksdale, and Alex Hill who look to make their impact. This will also be the first season in program history where Matt Greenwood wont be taking the kicking duties. Joao Lima handles that role in 2023 after transferring over from Alderson Broaddus.

As they enter year six as a program, and year five as a member of the MEC, they look to continue their upward trend. They have increased their win total in every season since the program's formation, including during the 2020 COVID-shortened season. They found themselves right in the thick of the NCAA DII playoff race last season and are hungry to get back to that spot again in 2023. Head coach Zac Bruney and his team felt like they were left wanting more after some close losses a year ago, and they are looking to turn some of those losses into wins this season. They enter the year with their largest roster in program history, up around 140 guys, giving them a strong breakdown of classes and some depth that they can use to their advantage. They look to start the season off strong in their opener, while also preparing for the grueling nine-game MEC  schedule they have ahead of them.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Griffins will meet for the third time in program history on Thursday, with the two teams splitting the first two meetings. The home team has won each of the first two meetings, and the Cardinals are looking to keep that trend going in this season's opener. Both games in this series have been decided by two scores or less, so the Cardinals will be preparing for another close one on Thursday night. Last season it was the host Cardinals who came out victorious with a 25-11 victory.

It was the Cardinals running game that would lead the way as they combined for 211 yards on the ground. Former Cardinal Sy Alli IV led the way with 110 yards while Elijah Young added 57 of his own. Quarterback Javon Davis added 91 yards through the air and a passing touchdown, with his top receiver being former Cardinal Jake Keenan, who pulled in four catches for 52 yards. The defense was led by a pair of former Cardinals in Rich White III and Jason Simon, who finished with 7.0 tackles each. The Cardinals also were able to pressure the quarterback, finishing with four sacks on the night.

The Details

Kickoff for Thursday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking here or follow along with live stats by clicking here.