Wheeling, W. Va. - With the start of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play this past Saturday, the Wheeling University Football team (2-2, 1-0) celebrated with a 28-24 come from behind win against Fairmont State. After falling behind by two scores in the third quarter, the Wheeling defense stiffened, keeping the Falcons off the board for the final quarter while the Cardinals battled back. For the second week in a row, the leader of that defense, Jalen Higginbotham, was honored by the conference, earning the MEC Football Defensive Player of the Week award, presented by The Healthplan.

It was the second week in a row that Higginbotham reached double digit tackles, finishing with 17.0 total tackles, six solo and 11 assisted, while adding one tackle for loss. He would play a big role in limiting the Falcon's run game, helping hold Fairmont State to just 3.6 yards per carry, and 142 rushing yards on the night. During that fourth quarter shutdown of Fairmont State, Higginbotham would record seven of those 17.0 total tackles, including one of the biggest stops of the day. Fairmont State was set up with a 3^rd and three at the Wheeling 25 yard line, and Higginbotham combined with teammate Leo Boykins for a big third down stop. It set up the 4^th and one that Wheeling would stuff once again, helping them secure the 28-24 victory for their first conference win of the season.

After setting a career-high with 15.0 tackles against Lake Erie College, Higginbotham built on that effort with a new career-high of 17.0 tackles against Fairmont State. He would fall just one tackle shy of tying the single-game tackle record, and has propelled his way to the top of the Wheeling tackle leaderboards. Through four games, Higginbotham sits at 40.0 tackles for the season, 16 solo and 24 assisted, averaging 10.0 tackles per game. Over the last two weeks, Higginbotham has shot up the conference leaderboard, sitting second in the MEC with 40.0 tackles, just one behind Fairmont State's Jeffery Polk for the conference lead.  His 10.0 tackles per game also sits second in the conference, while he leads the way with 24 assisted tackles, three more than Polk.

With Higginbotham earning the Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row, the Wheeling University Athletic Department has now had three student-athletes earn conference player of the week honors this season. Higginbotham is taking home his second straight award, and holds both player of the week honors for the Cardinals in 2026. Higginbotham was the lone honoree a week ago, winning the MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts against Lake Erie College.

Higginbotham and the Wheeling University Football team return to action on Saturday, October 3, when they travel to West Virginia Wesleyan with kick-off at 1 PM.