Wheeling, W. Va. – For the third week in a row, the Wheeling University Football team (1-1, 0-0) will be playing in prime time under the lights. This week, they open their Mountain East Conference Schedule with a trip to Buckhannon, West Virginia to battle West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday at 6:30 PM. The Cardinals have fared well in their first two prime time games of the season and look to continue that trend as they open conference play.

Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road as they battled Walsh in a defensive game. Neither team was able to score through the first 29 minutes of play until the Cardinals got the ball with 29 seconds to go. 74 yards stood between the Cardinals and the end zone and after six plays there were eight seconds and 15 yards to go. Javon Davis would hook up with Steven Mitchell, who dove across the pile-on as time expired to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead at halftime. Wheeling kept the momentum coming out of halftime, getting back in the end zone on their second drive of the half to take a 14-0 lead. Walsh would continue to battle adding a field goal at the end of the third quarter and a touchdown to start the fourth to make it 14-10. The Cardinals would bend, but never broke as they held on for the 14-10 win.

The Cardinals defense led the way throughout the day, holding Walsh off the board for a majority of the first three quarters of play. They forced two first half turnovers and held Walsh to just 44 total yards of offense in the second quarter. Leading the way was linebacker Jack Parry, who finished with a team-high nine tackles, three solo and six assisted. Of those nine total tackles, four of those came in the first quarter as he helped the Cardinals gain momentum. With the effort, Parry became the team's leading tackler with 16.0 on the season in his second year at middle linebacker. He set a career high in tackles and picked up his first career interception a season ago and looks to continue his growth in 2024.

The defensive line also had a big presence, forcing two fumbles in the game. The first came with 8:05 showing on the clock when Nose Tackle Chase Nolan forced the ball loose and it was pounced on by Tyriek Scrivner. On the next drive, Nikale Martin forced his second fumble of the season on the first play and the Cardinals would once again jump on the ball. The Cardinal defense has forced a fumble in each of the first two weeks of the season, giving their offense a field position advantage. Benefitting on the offensive side was running back Dawaun Green, who had his first 100 yard game of the season. He carried the ball 14 times for 103 yards and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown from 15 yards out. He was also a key piece to the final drive of the game, where the Cardinals were able to run out the final five minutes of the clock.

After playing two non-conference games for the first time since becoming a varsity program, the Cardinals now head into their MEC schedule. After opening the slate against West Virginia Wesleyan, the Cardinal's bye week comes early this season in week three. After the bye, the team hits their biggest home stretch of the year, which will see them play three of their next four games at their home field. The Cardinals have played very well at Bishop Schmitt Field over the last three years, compiling a 12-4 record in 18 home games. They have faired well against the Bobcats in recent seasons, scoring 37+ points in each of the last three meetings between the two teams. They look to continue that trend under the lights to kick-off the 2024 portion of the MEC schedule.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the fifth time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time matchup at 3-1. The Cardinals have won each of the last three in the series, however, their line loss came at West Virginia Wesleyan back in 2019. Wheeling has averaged 38 points per game in the all-time series, and has scored less than 37 points once during the stretch.

The team's last met on October 7th, 2023, in a game where the Cardinals set the single game points record in a 58-3 win. The Cardinals were led by a big rushing attack where 11 different ball carriers totaled 281 yards, led by former Cardinal Jamir Dismukss bursting out for 75 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Dalton Hoover led the way with eight tackles while J.R. Atkinson added five in the win.

The Details

Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 6:30 PM inside Bobcat Stadium on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.