Wheeling, W. Va. – With three weeks of Non-Conference play in the books, the Wheeling University Football team (1-2, 0-0) begins the nine-week push towards the Mountain East Conference (MEC) championship. The conference schedule kicks off for the Cardinals on Saturday when they make the drive down I-79 to battle Fairmont State with kick-off at 1 PM. The Cardinals are looking to build off the momentum of their first win of the season, and they try to translate that success into their conference schedule.
Wheeling took on their third and final non-conference game of the season last time out, when they traveled to Lake Erie College. Early on, the Cardinals offense had trouble moving the ball, but it was an interception at the end of the first quarter that turned the tides. The Cardinals would get the ball back and put up 14 unanswered points in the second quarter, before Lake Erie tied things going into the halftime break. With the score sitting at 14-14, Lake Erie would come out aggressive in the third quarter, scoring the first 14 points and extending their lead to 28-14 with 5:11 to play. It was another defensive stand that got the Cardinals going at the end of the third quarter, and set them up for the win heading into the final 15 minutes. Wheeling would score off the turnover to tie the game and had one final push to seal the deal. Lake Erie would add a field goal late, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals went on to win by the final score of 35-31.
When the Cardinals needed a big push, they got one from redshirt senior running back Steven Mitchell. He finished the day carrying the ball 28 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Both of those touchdowns would come in the fourth quarter, including his longest run of the day at 32 yards. That would be the run that tied the game, as Mitchell ran outside and burst down the sidelines for the score. On the Cardinal's next drive, Mitchell would take the ball three times as the Cardinal's battled down to the one-yard line. His fourth carry would be the one that got across the goal line as Mitchell ran off left tackle and done across the line for the score. After a slow start to the year offensively, Mitchell broke through for his first 100-yard rushing effort of the season. He has averaged 3.9 yards per carry through the first three games of the year, while averaging 69 yards/game. He looks to continue being a workhorse for the Cardinal ground game as they hit conference play.
The other spark on offense came from Ade Olanegan, who entered the game and went 7-9 throwing for 205 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest play of the night came with the Cardinals trailing 28-14. Olanegan would connect on.a 93-yard touchdown pass work Jordan Kaiser, that led Wheeling on the comeback trail. It was the longest offensive scoring play from scrimmage in program history and helped spark the comeback. Olanegan has been a strong option off the bench for the Cardinals this season , and looks to continue that success as the calendar clips to conference play. The defense would come through with two big turnovers in the game, with Jefferson Bretanys-Desca leading the effort. His interception at the end of the first quarter would turn into the first Cardinal touchdown of the day, and he finished with eight total tackles, two solo and six assisted, including one tackle for loss. Bretanys-Desca has been growing into the middle linebacker role and looks to continue to be a force in conference play.
As Wheeling kicks off their MEC schedule this week, the Cardinals are looking to once again climb the ladder in the MEC. Wheeling was picked #6 in the annual MEC Preseason Poll, after finishing tied for fifth in the conference last season. Despite a slow start, the Cardinals have been growing their offensive game each time, scoring a season-high 35 points against Lake Erie. Their 389 yards of total offense was their highest offensive total of the season so far, while their 147 yards on the ground was also their season-high mark. Wheeling's offense will continue to be a big part of the Cardinal's success and they look to find their groove as they hit the conference schedule.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the sixth time in program history, with Fairmont State leading the all-time series at 3-2. It will be the Cardinal's third trip to Fairmont State during that span, where the team has gone 1-2 in the previous three match-ups. Each of the last three games between the two teams have been decided by one score or less, including an overtime game back in 2023, as the two teams have battled in a classic rivalry.
The last meeting between the two teams came on September 28th, 2024, in a game that Fairmont State would take 52-49. Former Cardinal Javon Davis led the offense, finishing 15-24 while throwing for 240 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the game. The ground game was led by Steven Mitchell, who finished with 19 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown. On defense, it was former Cardinal Dalton Hoover who led the way with nine total tackles, two solo and seven assisted.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 PM inside Duvall-Rosier Field on the campus of Fairmont State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
