Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Football team (4-4, 3-3) traveled to Frostburg, Maryland on Thursday night for a primetime televised matchup against Frostburg State. After falling behind early, the Cardinal defense made a stand and Wheeling came back to pick up a big 26-25 win. The win got them back to .500 on the season and marks the second straight week where the Cardinals have won a game in the final two minutes of play.
As they entered the fourth quarter, Wheeling was trailing by six at 19-13 and with seven and a half minutes to play, Frostburg State would get a one-yard rushing touchdown that extended their lead to 25-13. Wheeling would get the ball back and a Pass Interference penalty by Frostburg State got them going. Steven Mitchell would then get the drive started with a four-yard run and Landon Lutz connected with Tre Holloway on a 27-yard catch to move into Bobcat territory. Two plays later, the Cardinals were inside the five-yard line and Lutz would connect with Holloway again, this time on a five-yard pass as the Cardinals cut the Bobcat lead to 25-20. The Wheeling defense had held strong all game, and was holding Frostburg State to just 71 yards in the quarter. They came through with another big stop, and the Cardinals got the ball back on their own 37 yard line with 2:50 to play.
After a false start to start the drive, Lutz would spark the offense again with a 31-yard pass to Holloway and the Cardinals got into Bobcat's territory. Lutz would then connect with Dawaun Green for 21 yards and after the two-minute warning, it was 2nd and 10 from the Frostburg State 16-yard line. Lutz would drop back to pass and fire towards the back corner of the endzone and found Chris Charles for the Cardinal touchdown that put them ahead 26-25. The Cardinals would go for two, but a failed attempt would keep it a one-point game. Frostburg State would have one more chance, getting the ball back with 1:48 to play and picked up a first down. However, the Cardinals would come up with one last stand, forcing a turnover on downs that would end the game and move the Cardinals to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
For the second straight week, it was Landon Lutz that led the Cardinals to a comeback victory in the final two minutes. He finished 13-31, throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those three touchdowns coming in the final five minutes of play. Tre Holloway would finish with 100+ receiving yards for the second straight game, finishing with seven catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. The other receiving touchdown was pulled in by Chris Charles, who finished with two catches for 38 yards. Steven Mitchell would lead the ground game, carrying the ball 18 times for 81 yards while Lutz finished with 61 yards on seven carries. The defense was led by Jack Parry, who finished with 14 tackles, six solo and eight assisted, while Jojo Holmes finished with 11 tackles on the day.
Early on, things were going all Frostburg State's way as Jordan Marcucci returned the opening kick-off 95 yards to put Frostburg State up 7-0. On the ensuing kick-off, the Cardinals would fumble the ball at the three yard line and recovered in their own endzone for a safety that put Frostburg State up 9-0. Frostburg State's offense would then take the field for the first time and drove down to the Cardinal two-yard line. Keenan Johnson would stop the drive in its tracks, forcing a fumble and getting Wheeling the ball back. Back-to-back penalties would put the Cardinals at their own one-yard line before Lutz and Holloway connected on a 26-yard pass to get them out of their own endzone. They would drive 89 yards down to the Frostburg State 10-yard line, where Joao Lima kicked through a 27-yard field goal that made it a 9-3 game. Frostburg State would score on their next drive and after one quarter the game sat at 16-3 in favor of Frostburg State.
Frostburg State would get the ball back and set themselves up 2nd and three before the Cardinals defense came through. Brady Deem would jump in front of a Jordan Brooks pass at the Frostburg State 25-yard line and took it back to the Bobcat 12-yard line. The Cardinals would be held to a three-and-out but Lima would come in once again, this time attempting a 27-yard field goal. He would kick through his second field goal of the day and the Cardinals made it a 10-point game at 16-6. After a three-and-out by the Cardinal's defense, Wheeling got the ball back at their own 34-yard line and took the ball down to the Frostburg State 17-yard line. Lutz would get the Cardinal's first touchdown as he found Holloway for the Cardinal touchdown that made it a 16-13 game. That would be the score as the teams headed into the locker room with Frostburg State holding a three-point lead.
Wheeling would get the ball coming out of halftime and on their first drive of the half got down to the Frostburg State 27-yard line. Lima would come in to attempt the 45-yard field goal, but Frostburg State got a hand on the ball to keep it a three-point game. Frostburg State would add three points on the next drive as Harrison Fritz kicked through a 43-yard field goal that made it 19-13. Wheeling's defense held the Bobcats to just 61 yards of offense in the quarter and the teams headed into the fourth quarter with Frostburg State leading 19-13. It came down to the final seconds of play for the second straight game and the Cardinals would come out on the winning end.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, November 2nd, when they host Glenville State with kick-off at 1 PM.
