North Canton, OH. – After opening the 2026 season at home, the Wheeling University Football team (1-1, 0-0) made their first business trip of the season on Saturday. The team hit the road to North Canton, Ohio to continue their non-conference schedule against Walsh and, despite another second half comeback effort, the Cardinals would fall short 23-21. In the effort, graduate student Landon Lutz broke the program's all-time passing record after becoming the third Wheeling quarterback to reach 4,000 passing yards a week ago.
Lutz entered the game needing just 148 yards passing to break the program record, and he would do that and more to lead the offense. The graduate student finished 16-31, throwing for 252 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the effort. He would connect with Solo Love on a 49-yard strike in the second half for his lone touchdown pass of the day and he spread the ball around to eight different receivers on the night. With the effort, Lutz now has 4,283 career passing yards and will now have his sights on becoming the first-ever Cardinal to reach 5,000 career passing yards. His top receiver on the day was Love, who pulled in four catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, while Colin Oberdick pulled in four catches for 75 yards. Ayden McKinstry would lead the ground game, carrying the ball 11 times for 88 yards, while scoring his first collegiate touchdown. Rodney James would finish right behind him, also scoring his first career touchdown while finishing with 23 yards on the ground. Dillon Shadie would lead the defensive effort, setting a career-high with nine tackles, four solo and five assisted, while adding 1.5 sacks.
As was the case in their week 0 match-up, it would be defense that led the way early, with neither team getting on the board in the first quarter. Walsh would receive the game's opening kick-off and the Cardinal defense quickly forced a three-and-out to start the game. The Cavaliers netted -1 yards on their first drive and would have to punt the ball back to the Cardinals. After Wheeling answered with a punt of their own, the defense would come through with their first turnover of the day. With Walsh set up on their own 32-yard line, Day Day Bates would jump the route for his first interception of the season to get the ball back to the offense. The Cardinals would make their first trip past midfield, but a sack would force them to punt. Each team would punt one more time before the quarter was out, and at the end of the first quarter, the game would sit tied at 0-0. Walsh would set up shot at their own 10 yard line, but a 22-yard pass right before the quarter ended had them driving with the first momentum of the game.
Walsh would end up driving 90 yards in 12 plays, and scored the first touchdown of the night when Brendan Zurbrugg punched the ball in from a yard out and a missed extra point would give Walsh a 6-0 lead. On their next drive, the Cardinals would get down to the Walsh 19-yard line and set Conor Fitzpatrick up for a 36-yard field goal attempt. It would end up sailing no good and the score remained 6-0 in favor of Walsh. The Cavaliers would get their chance at a field goal on their next drive, setting up from 32 yards out and Andrew Caranna would send the ball through the uprights as Walsh's lead swelled to 9-0. The Cardinals would turn the ball over on downs right before halftime, and the teams would head into the locker room with Walsh leading 9-0. It was the second week in a row where the Cardinals were shut out in the first half, and they would look to make another second half comeback. The Cardinals would get the ball coming out of the locker room and a 47-yard run by McKinstry would open the door for the Wheeling offense.
The run would get Wheeling down to the Walsh 28-yard love and three plays later, the Cardinals were at the Cavalier three yard line. They would put the ball back in the hands of McKinstry, who took the ball into the endzone for his first collegiate touchdown. Fitzpatrick would hit the extra point and the Cardinals cut into the Walsh lead at 9-7. However, Walsh would respond on the next drive, going 75 yards in eight plays, with a Jake Gill four yard run completing the drive. They would go up 16-7 after the extra point and the Cardinal offense would once again work to respond. It wouldn't take long as Wheeling needed just three plays to score on their next drive. After missing deep on the first play, Lutz would connect with Love on a 49-yard touchdown pass that got Wheeling back to within two points at 16-14. It was Love's first Wheeling receiving touchdown, and the third Lutz touchdown pass of the season as the Cardinals tried to complete a second half comeback for the third week in a row.
However, Walsh once again had an answer for the Cardinals, going 75 yards in 10 plays, capping it off with a two yard Gill touchdown and Walsh held a 23-14 lead. The Cardinals nearly got the momentum back on their side when Kwan Griffiths intercepted the ball in the endzone, but a roughing the passer penalty gave the Cavaliers new life before scoring the touchdown. Walsh would hold that advantage going into the forth quarter, and Wheeling would need two scores to overtake Walsh. As the Cardinals got the ball back in the fourth quarter, they would put together a nine-play drive that got them down to the Walsh two yard line. It was. Rodney James 15-yard run that got them to the two and James would end up taking the ball the final two yards for the score. Fitzpatrick sent the extra point through the uprights, and it would be a 23-21 Walsh lead with 8:43 to play. The Cardinals would get one more chance on offense, but an interception with 3:33 to go would end up being the icing on the cake as Wheeling fell 23-21.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, September 12th, when they host Lake Erie at 4 PM.
