Wheeling, W. Va. – After a small hiccup in their Mountain East Conference (MEC) opener, the Wheeling University Football team (3-1, 2-1) has come back strong over the past two weeks with two big conference wins. The team now gets ready for their longest road trip of the season as they head down to Pembroke, North Carolina to face UNC Pembroke on Saturday at noon. The Cardinals look to keep their hot streak going as they battle for a spot towards the top of the MEC standings.
Last time out, the Cardinals got to play in front of the home crowd for the third time in four weeks when they hosted Concord. Even without their starting quarterback, the offense didn't miss a beat as they scored 44 points and gained 502 all-purpose yards in a 44-27 win over the Mountain Lions. The Cardinals showed their offensive depth right from the game's first drive, going 70 yards in just five plays for the first score of the afternoon. The Cardinals would head into the locker room leading 28-14 as they put out their highest first half outburst of the season. The defense held Concord at bay during the second half, allowing a touchdown in each quarter as the Cardinals secured the 44-27 victory, moving to 3-1 on the season.
It was a historic effort on the ground that led the Cardinals, as the team set a new Team Single Game Rushing record with 253 yards and five touchdowns. Leading the way was senior running back Elijah Young, who carried the ball 14 times for 58 yards and two touchdowns. For Young, it was his second multi-touchdown game of the season as he continues to lead the running back room. The Cardinals also debuted their wildcat package, led by quarterback Jamir Dismukes, and it was explosive. Dismukes had six carries for 97 yards and his first Cardinal touchdown, a 45-yard fourth quarter scamper that solidified the Cardinal's winning effort. Malachi Watkins would punch in the other two scores of the day, his first career multi-touchdown game, as he carried the ball 10 times for 15 yards.
With the Cardinals being without Davis, it was redshirt Freshman Landon Lutz making his first career start for the Cardinals. He had a big game, going 20-37 while throwing for 249 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown strike came on the first drive of the day when he hit wide receiver DaeDae Drummer on a 32-yard crossing route to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. After leading the overtime touchdown drive that led the Cardinals to victory over Fairmont State in week three, Lutz kept that momentum going and showed he could not only back-up at Quarterback but lead the offense when his team needed him to. He spread the ball around, throwing to eight different receivers with three of those having 50+ receiving yards. Drummer, Elijah Young (57), and Quron Winder (55) all finished with 50+ yards on the day.
With the win on Saturday, the Cardinals kept pace with the top teams in the MEC and kept their chances of making the first ever NCAA DII playoff appearance alive. They are currently tied for fourth in the conference with Fairmont State as both teams have identical 2-1 records entering week five of the season. They both sit a half game behind Glenville State (2-0) and one game behind Charleston and West Virginia State (3-0). The Cardinals still have two of those three teams on their remaining schedule, and their week three win over Fairmont State gives them the tiebreaker over Fairmont State. The Cardinals look to take it one game at a time and take care of business as they continue through the 2023 season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Braves are meeting for the third time in program history, with UNC Pembroke leading the all-time series at 2-0. It will be the second time that Wheeling has made the trip to Pembroke, North Carolina, and their first trip down south since the 2021 season. The Cardinals have averaged 22 points per game over the first two games and look to keep their offensive success going this time around. Both games in the series have been decided by one score and the Cardinals look to come out on the winning end this time around.
It was a defensive battle between these two teams a season ago, with UNC Pembroke coming away with a 17-16 victory. It was a big day on the ground for the Cardinals, with running back Sy Alli IV leading the way with 126 yards on the ground and one touchdown. On the defensive end, the Cardinals defense gave up just 17 points on the afternoon and were led by former Cardinals Jason Simon and Jayvon Johnson, who each picked up 10 tackles on the night.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday night's game is scheduled for noon at Grace P. Johnson Stadium on the campus of UNC Pembroke. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
