Box Score
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The visiting Griffins of Seton Hill held advantages in most statistical categories for the game, yet the University of Charleston football team closed the game with a strong defensive effort to hold on for a 24-20 conference victory, Saturday afternoon at UC Stadium.
The Golden Eagles (4-3, 3-2) defense showed Seton Hill early that they were in the game as UC intercepted SHU quarterback DJ Lenehan on the first offensive play of the game for the Griffins. On Senior Day Chris Woomer (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) stepped in front of the Lenehan pass and returned it 38-yards to the SHU 21 yard line setting the offense up with a short field.
Charleston took advantage of the short field to get on the board first as senior Wes Sherrill (Charlottesville, Va./Fork Union) nailed 33-yard field goal with 10:27 remaining in the quarter for the quick 3-0 lead. The Griffins showed they were not intimidated by the swarming UC defense and established their run game in the second touch of the ball using eight running plays between RJ and Daniel Butler to drive 68-yards for a touchdown to take the first lead of the game at 7-3.
The University of Charleston did not relinquish the lead for long as on the next UC possession the Golden Eagles made the score 10-7 on a four play drive capped off by a 64-yard connection to Andre Higgins (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Richmond) by freshman quarterback Maurice Leak (Waxhaw, NC/Parkwood) for Charleston’s only aerial score of the afternoon.
SHU moved the ball little against the Charleston defense on its last possession of the first quarter ending in a punt to UC to start the second. UC continued to flex its strength on the ground in the second quarter using four runners in a quick drive of 2:22 ending in a 22-yard touchdown scamper by senior Julian Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) extending the lead to 17-7.
Lenehan completed four passes for 40-yards two possessions later to setup a 7-yard dive into the endzone by David Miller to pull the Griffins within 17-14 with just 1:35 left on the clock before half. As it has all season though Charleston attacked with its last touch of the first half using two key Seton Hill penalties and a well-timed 34-yard connection between Johnson and Blaine Wilson (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) to setup one final play with just 0:01 on the clock. Coach Tony DeMeo neglected to kick the field goal and decided to use his power back and leading scorer Jordan Roberts (Madison, W.Va./Scott). Roberts blasted into the endzone from the 2- yard line behind an excellent push from the offensive line setting the score at 24-14 at break.
The UC defense was the story of the second half as they bent to allow 101 yards in three third quarter drives, yet did not break by stuffing the Griffins running game and coming up with key stops to keep SHU off the board to send the game into the fourth quarter with the score still 24-14.
Seton Hill would find the endzone on an RJ Butler run to cap the Griffins best drive of the afternoon at 13 plays and 75 total yards, but superb special teams pressure by Charleston caused the extra point to sail wide-right setting the score at 24-20.
The Charleston offense used it stable of running backs to eat the clock through most of the final quarter using its final possession of 12 rushes to take up 5:02 to get to the SHU 4-yard line. For the second time in the contest DeMeo elected to bypass the field goal and took the aggressive approach by calling Roberts number again on 4th and goal from the Griffin four. This time though Seton Hill was prepared jumping the snap to corral Roberts at the line of scrimmage and giving their offense a chance to win the game with 3:01 on the clock, yet no timeouts.
On the final drive of the game down four-points, the Griffins went to the air against a Charleston pass defense that is sixth in the West Virginia Conference allowing 240-yards a game. Lenehan made dents in the UC armor with quick passes to the sideline completing 5-of-14 passes down the stretch to get his team to the Charleston 14 yard line. Lenehan took the final snap with time expiring, but strong pressure from the UC defense forced him to get rid of the ball early into his receiver’s route allowing. Charleston pounced on the completion surrounding the Griffin receiver at the 8-yard line to tackle him short of the goal line and end the contest with the score set at 24-20.
Seton Hill held the advantage with 411 total yard to just 312 for the Golden Eagles, yet Woomer and freshman Bam Harrison (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) each recorded an interception on the afternoon.
Charleston has positioned itself back in the thick of the WVIAC race with a 4-1 home record in 2010. The team returns to action against non-conference opponent Urbana (Ohio) at noon on Saturday, October 23.
