Wheeling, W. Va. - The Mountain East Conference (MEC) Football schedule kicked off on Saturday at Bishop Schmitt Field at Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration and WesBanco Stadium. The Wheeling University Football team (2-2, 1-0) welcomed in Fairmont State for the conference opener, and it took the full 60 minutes to decide the winner. In the end, the Cardinals came out on top 28-24, getting off to a 1-0 start to MEC play for the third year in a row.
After going back and forth throughout the afternoon, it would come down to the final drive for both teams, with the Cardinals trailing 24-21. Fairmont would have a 41-yard field goal that sailed wide right, and the Cardinals were set at their own 22 yard line with 7:52 to play. It was a series of short plays that got the Cardinals past midfield, as they chipped away throughout the drive. Wheeling did not have a gain of more than 10 yards on the drive, and set themselves up with a 2nd & 9 at the Falcon 21 yard line. A pass interference call would get them inside the 10-yard line, and Landon Lutz did the rest, scampering in from seven yards out for the touchdown. Conor Fitzpatrick would sail the extra point through the uprights and Wheeling held a 28-24 lead with 2:53 to go. The Falcons nearly took the lead right back, with a 30-yard break away by James Borbor, but a shoe string tackles by Arthur Pierre-Antoine kept him out of the endzone.
Fairmont State was still set up in field goal range at the Wheeling 32 yard line, and the defense would have to come up with one more stop. After three short runs up the middle, it came down to a 4th and one at the Wheeling 23 yard line. Fairmont State handed the ball to Rickey Hunt Jr. Up the gut, and the Cardinal defensive line swallowed him up at the line of scrimmage securing the win. The Cardinals would kneel down the ball three times to run out the clock and they would come away with the 28-24 win. It was the second straight season that the Cardinals started the season 1-0 and they look to build on that momentum as they head into their bye week.
It was a big day for the Cardinal ground game, with four different runners racking up 142 yards on the ground. Leading the effort was O'Marion Taylor, who carried the ball four times for 53 yards, while Dawaun Green had 19 carries for 44 yards. Landon Lutz would pick up both rushing touchdowns, including the game winning score from seven yards out, totaling 44 yards on the ground. In the passing game, the graduate quarterback would finish 14-26, throwing for 211 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on the day. Manny Ortega-Garcia would hall in his first collegiate touchdown catch, totaling 25 yards on one catch, while Colin Oberdick finished with two catches for 17 yards and a score. Jalen Higginbotham had yet another career week on defense, leading the Cardinals with 17 total tackles, six solo and 11 assisted, while Dillon Shadie added nine tackles of his own.
In the early going, Fairmont State won the coin toss and would have to punt on their first drive. Wheeling would start their first drive at their own 10 yard line, and got down deep into Falcon territory at the 30-yard line. However, a Fairmont State interception would end the threat, and the Falcons drove down to the Cardinal 32 yard line, before Emmanuel Richardson sent a 40-yard field goal through the uprights to give Fairmont State a 3-0 lead. As the Cardinals got back on the field, they would find themselves driving once again, going 43 yards down to the Fairmont State 25 yard line. Lutz would cap off the drive with a 25-yard strike to Manny Ortega-Garcia, who picked up his first career collegiate touchdown. Fitzpatrick nailed the extra point and the Cardinals would hold a 7-3 lead. That lead stood at the end of the first quarter.
As that first quarter came to an end, Fairmont State was driving and they would control the clock, holding it for the first six minutes of the second. They would set up for a 25-yard field goal attempt, but it would sail right and the Cardinal lead held at 7-3. Wheeling would take advantage, needing eight plays to work their way down to the Fairmont State two yard line, with a 33-yard run by O'Marion Taylor being the big break. The Cardinals were set up 1st and goal at the Falcon two-yard line, and it was Lutz that plunged the ball in to give the Cardinals a 14-3 lead. With 6:42 to go before halftime, Fairmont State answered with a drive that took just a minute and a half, and ended with a Nino Marzullo 25-yard touchdown run. It would be the final score before half and the Cardinals went into the locker room leading 14-10. It was their first halftime lead of the season,, but there were still several ups and downs to come throughout the game.
The Cardinals were unable to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter, and Fairmont State responded with two touchdown drives of their own. Marzullo hit Ralo Wesley on a 47-yard strike, and the Falcons took a 17-14 lead with 12:19 left in the quarter. They would end up adding their final seven points on their final drive of the third, with Marzullo doing it with his legs on a 17-yard touchdown run. It sent the game into the fourth quarter with Wheeling trailing 24-14 and looking to get momentum back on their side. Solo Love would give them the field position, taking the kick-off to the Fairmont State 48 yard line on the kick-off that ended the quarter, and Wheeling would capitalize. Lutz would find Colin Oberdick on a toe tapper in the back of the endzone, and Fitzpatrick would make it a 24-21 game. The Cardinals would end up getting the clutch score late, securing their conference opening win.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, October 3rd, when they hit the road to face West Virginia Wesleyan College at 1 PM.
