Wheeling, W. Va. - October has seen the Wheeling University Football team (4-4, 3-2) go on the road for four of it's five weekends, with the Cardinals going 2-2 during the month. On Saturday, the road portion of the 2026 schedule comes to an end as the team heads to Concord for a Halloween match-up, with kick-off at 1 PM. The Cardinals are looking to end the month on a high note as they continue their race for the first Mountain East Conference (MEC) title in program history.
The Cardinals are coming off a strong bounce back effort when they traveled to Frostburg State a week ago. The Cardinals would make a statement right away, going on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game, but a defensive PAT on the extra point would bring the score to 6-2. That would remain the score at the end of the first quarter, as defense reigned supreme throughout the first half. The two teams combined for just 16 first-half points, and the Cardinals went into the locker room leading 13-5. As the teams broke from the locker room, Frostburg State would make the adjustments early, scoring 11 unanswered points to take a 16-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter. It was Wheeling's turn to respond, and they would answer by pounding the ball across the goal line for two scores that gave them a 27-16 lead. It was enough to survive a late Frostburg State touchdown as the Cardinals went on to win 27-24 to get back to .500 on the season.
While he did not get in the end zone on the afternoon, it was a big showing for senior wide receiver Solo Love. Love would set a new career-high, pulling in nine catches for 160 yards on the afternoon, falling just 17 yards shy of the single-game receiving record. One of his biggest catches of the day came on a 2nd & 9 when he pulled in a 12-yard catch that got the Cardinals down to one-yard line with just under three minutes to play. It would set up the score that iced the game and gave the Cardinals the victory. It was Love's first 100-yard receiving game of the season, and the third time that he has gone over 90 receiving yards in a game. Over his last three games, Love has pulled in 14 catches totaling 255 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 85.0 yards per game. His 592 receiving yards are good for sixth most in the MEC, and he looks to continue being a crucial piece for the Cardinals offense.
Another key piece to the offensive success was Dawaun Green, who continued to lead the Cardinals running game. The redshirt junior would carry the ball 17 times on the day for 88 yards and a touchdown. It was the fourth straight game where Green has rushed for at least 85 yards, scoring two of his three rushing touchdowns during that span. He is averaging 106 yards per game during that stretch, and will look to help lead a balanced Cardinal offense. On the defensive side, it was another big day for Jalen Higginbotham, who led the Cardinals with nine total tackles, two solo and seven assisted. It extended his team-leading tackle total to 68.0, tying him for second in the MEC in tackles and putting him third in assisted tackles.
As they enter the final three-week stretch of the regular season, the Cardinals remain within striking distance for the program's first-ever MEC title. Wheeling currently sits fourth in the MEC at 3-2 in conference play, finding themselves just two games behind conference leading West Liberty. The Cardinals will have a chance to climb even further up the standings, with two of their remaining three games against teams that currently sit above them in the conference standings, including their week eight match-up against Concord. Wheeling set a new program-best when they tied for third in the conference a season ago, and Wheeling looks to keep on climbing the conference standings in 2026.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the seventh time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 5-1. The Cardinals are 2-1 in previous trips to Athens, West Virginia, while holding a perfect 3-0 record on their home field. It has been a high-scoring series overall, with Wheeling averaging 32.17 points per game and scoring 30 or more points in three of the six match-ups in the series.
The last meeting between the two teams came on November 1, 2025, in a game that Wheeling would win 26-21. Former Cardinal Steven Mitchell would lead the offense, finishing with 14 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown as part of a 152 yard rushing attack. Landon Lutz would go 18-42 in the passing game, throwing for 218 yards and an interception, while his top target was Colin Oberdick, who pulled in four catches for 79 yards. Former Cardinal Jefferson Bretanys-Desca would lead the defense, finishing with eight tackles, one solo and seven assisted.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled or 1 PM inside Callaghan Stadium on the campus of Concord University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
