CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Say one thing for Charleston and coach Pat Kirkland - they sure know how to snap a losing streak with style.
The Golden Eagles absolutely exploded, setting several school offensive records in last week's 49-35 win at Seton Hill, bringing with it the first win of the season and of the Kirkland era.
Kirkland stressed the most important number was one - the win itself.
"It felt good," Kirkland said. "I was disappointed it took as long as it did, but it felt really good. The players needed it, the coaches needed it. After working so hard, to finally get out there and finish a football game was good to see. It was a good step in the right direction."
Among the single-game marks set for the school were team rushing yards (454), total yards (714) and first downs (33). Leading the way were a pair of tailbacks, as Jordan Roberts rumbled for 192 yards on 29 carries and Adrien Jenkins contributed 168 yards on just 12 rushes.
The record fell under Kirkland and after the Tony DeMeo era, in which running the ball out of the triple-gun offense was an art form.
Kirkland said once UC got the ball rolling, it was all a matter of confidence and momentum.
"We're a young team," Kirkland said. "And when you're a young team, you usually find when you're struggling that sometimes it's tough to ride out. But when things are going good, you just kind of take off. Our offensive line did a tremendous job. We've got three freshmen up there and they were just great."
Despite the success last week, Kirkland and the Golden Eagles are in no hurry to stop their streak at one. UC will take a break from the conference schedule to host what should be a tough game against UNC-Pembroke. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at UC Stadium.
The Braves (3-2) have already beaten WVC-leading Glenville State, and one of their losses was in overtime.
Kirkland said he has a good idea of what to expect from Pembroke, but simulating it in practice has been the challenge.
"Offensively it looks like they went to a clinic at Oregon," Kirkland said. "They're fast tempo, no huddle, and they try to get the ball snapped fast. They've been scoring a lot of points. It's just tough to simulate that during practice. As young as we are, we're trying to get kids used to the tempo during practice and to understand playing with a sense of urgency."
Perhaps most importantly, UC will be playing in front of its home crowd for the first time in three weeks. No one is more happy to see the Eagles return home than Kirkland.
"It's great because we get an extra day to prepare," Kirkland said. "When you travel you lose Friday, and it is nice to have a Friday when you're not rushed and you don't have to hurry through meetings and can get a good walk-through. There's always an added sense of confidence when you're playing at home.
