Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Football team (3-1, 2-1) returned home for the third time in the first four weeks on Saturday when they hosted Concord. It was the ground game that fueled the Cardinals on the afternoon as they picked up a 44-27 win over the Mountain Lions to improve to 2-1 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. The Cardinals rushed for 253 yards as a team, setting the new school record for team single game rushing yards.

With the Cardinals being without starting quarterback Javon Davis, sophomore Landon Lutz made his first collegiate start and les his team down the field on the opening drive. He would go 4-5 on the drive, capping things off with a 32-yard touchdown strike to DaeDae Drummer as the Cardinals took an early 7-0 lead. Over the first four drives of the game, the team's traded blows as four of the first six drives of the afternoon resulted in touchdowns. Concord would score on a 51-yard strike on the ensuing drive to tie the game at 7-7 and a pair of turnovers by each team set Wheeling up at the Mountain Lion 20 yard line. Elijah Young got the drive started with a two-yard run and Malachi Watkins would cap it off with a four-yard touchdown run that made it 14-7 in favor of the Cardinals.

Concord would add another long touchdown pass on the next drive from quarterback Jack Mangel to Kris Copeland, and the score would sit tied at 14-14 after one. On their first drive of the second quarter, the Cardinals would put together their longest drive of the afternoon, going 80 yards in 16 plays as they drove down to the Mountain Lion one-yard line. Elijah Young would pick up the team's second rushing touchdown of the day, plowing the ball in from a yard out to give Wheeling a 21-14 lead. The Wheeling defense would step up in the second quarter, holding Concord off the board and allowing the Wheeling offense to build their lead. The Cardinals were stopped on their next drive, but a blocked Concord punt would set the Cardinals up on the Mountain Lion's 11-yard line with 56 seconds to go. Young would pound his way in from five yards out for his second touchdown of the day to cap off the drive and Wheeling would head into the locker room with a 28-14 lead.

Concord would get the ball to start the second half and were forced to punt by the Cardinals defense. The Cardinals would take advantage, driving 70-yards on 12 plays, capping the drive off with a one-yard Watkins touchdown run to extend their lead to 35-14. The Mountain Lions weren't ready to lay down just yet, as they came back on the next drive with their third touchdown of the night to make it a 35-21 game. The two teams would trade punts on their next two possessions and the teams went into the fourth quarter with Wheeling holding the 35-21 lead. The fourth quarter would start with an interception for Wheeling's Aaron Davis, but the Cardinals went three and out on their next possession, forcing a punt. 

Trey Brady would come in and deliver a beautiful 57 yard punt that would put Concord at their own five yard line. After they gained their way out to the 11 yard line, Sverri Finsson would get into the backfield and forced an intentional grounding call in the end zone for a Wheeling safety that made it 37-21 in favor of the Cardinals. The Cardinals would get the ball back on the free kick and Jamir Dismukes would come out to lead the Cardinals. He worked out of the shotgun and the Cardinals drove down to the Mountain Lions 45-yard line. That is when Dismukes would tip off the biggest scoring play from scrimmage of the day as he ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run that put Wheeling up 44-21. Concord would add one more touchdown before the quarter ended and Wheeling went on to win 44-27.

The Cardinals were led by their rushing attack, which combined to set the new single game record with 253 rushing yards. Leading the way was Jamir Dismukes, who rushed for 97 yards on six carries, including his first collegiate touchdown. Elijah Young followed with 14 carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns, Steven Mitchell had seven carries for 48 yards, and Malachi Watkins had 10 carries for 15 yards to lead the rushing game. Landon Lutz had a strong showing in his first collegiate start, going 20-37 while throwing for 249 yards and a touchdown in the win. He spread the ball around, with eight different Cardinals making catches on the day, led by Quron Winder with five catches for 55 yards, and DaeDae Drummer who finished with three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. The defense was led by Dalton Hoover, who finished with seven tackles while Sverri Finsson and J.R. Atkinson each added six tackles.

The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, September 30th, when they hit the road to face UNC Pembroke at noon.