Wheeling, W.Va. — Charleston escaped with a 20 to 13 road victory at Wheeling on Saturday, Oct. 11, in a physical, possession-heavy game at Bishop Schmitt Field.

The Basics:
Location: Bishop Schmitt Field
Score: Charleston 20, Wheeling 13 
Records: Charleston 4-2 (3-0 MEC); Wheeling 3-3 (2-1 MEC)

How it Happened:
The Golden Eagles traveled to Bishop Schmitt Field in Wheeling for a Saturday afternoon match up that turned into a physical, possession-focused contest. Charleston opened with a steady defensive effort that kept Wheeling off the scoreboard through the first quarter. Early defensive stops set the tone and forced several short possessions from the home team. Charleston's offense began to find traction in the second quarter, assembling a patient 12-play, 90-yard drive that chewed clock and set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ean Hamric to Devin Hobbs with 13:25 remaining in the period.

Wheeling responded on its next possession with a 32-yard field goal to pull within 7 to 3. Charleston immediately flipped the field on the very next kickoff when Caleb Barringer returned it 95 yards for a touchdown at 5:37 of the second quarter, swinging momentum firmly back to the Golden Eagles. Gryffin Mitstifer connected on a 23-yard field goal late in the half to push the lead to 17 to 3 at intermission. The second half tightened into a grind as both teams struggled to produce quick-strike scoring, and Charleston leaned on its running game and clock management to protect the lead.

Ean Hamric and Joshua Donald provided steady production on the ground, combining for the bulk of Charleston's 197 rushing yards on the afternoon. Mitstifer added another field goal in the second half to stretch the advantage to 20 to 3. Wheeling mounted a persistent late comeback, cutting the deficit with a 16-yard touchdown run that energized the home crowd. A 35-yard Wheeling field goal in the closing moments narrowed the margin to 20 to 13 and set the stage for a tense finish.

Charleston's offense responded by chewing valuable clock on a methodical final possession to deny Wheeling further opportunities. The Golden Eagles weathered a pair of fumbles in the contest, losing one, but timely defensive plays helped preserve the lead. Linebacker Brian Jones delivered a timely interception early in the game that halted a Wheeling drive and aided Charleston's field-position battle. Defensive pressure also came from the edge, with Musa Tama credited with 1.5 sacks as Charleston limited Wheeling's rushing and passing opportunities.
The Eagles finished with 51 total tackles and forced enough stops on third down to maintain control of the clock. On offense, Hamric completed 6 of 14 passes for 63 yards and the touchdown to Hobbs while the ground game did the heavy lifting. Donald carried 20 times for 82 yards and Hamric added 17 rushes for 85 yards, giving Charleston consistent movement between the tackles. Special teams proved decisive, as Barringer's 95-yard kickoff return instantly erased Wheeling's momentum after the field goal.

Charleston converted nine of 18 third downs and dominated possession, holding the ball for roughly 34 minutes to Wheeling's 26. Despite the late rally and a tense closing sequence, Charleston's game management on the final drive preserved the road victory. The win improves Charleston to 4–2 overall and keeps the Eagles unbeaten in MEC play at 3–0. Final score: Charleston 20, Wheeling 13.
 
 
 
 
Up Next:
Charleston football will have a home game Oct 18^th (Sat) to play in another MEC match up vs Frostburg State University.