Charleston, W.Va. — Fairmont, W.Va. – The University of Charleston football team pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in program history, erasing a 25-point first-half deficit to defeat Fairmont State 45–35 on the road Saturday afternoon. The win moves Charleston to 5–3 overall and 4–1 in Mountain East Conference play.
 
The Basics:
Location: Fairmont, West Virginia St. (Duvall-Rosier Field)
Score: Charleston 45, Fairmont State 35
Records: Charleston (5–3, 4–1 MEC), Fairmont State (4–4, 3–3 MEC)

How it Happened:
The opening quarter was all Fairmont State, as the Falcons struck quickly with three touchdowns in the first six minutes. They connected on scores of 75, 22, and 61 yards to take a 21–0 lead before Charleston could settle in. Gryffin Mitstifer put the Golden Eagles on the board with a 26-yard field goal at 7:03 in the first quarter, but Fairmont added another big play, a 95-yard touchdown run with 6:39 left in the second to stretch the margin to 28–3.

Charleston began to find rhythm late in the half. Quarterback Matthew Frye led a composed 74-yard drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hobbs with 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The score cut the deficit to 28–10 at halftime and gave UC much-needed momentum heading into the break.

The second half belonged entirely to Charleston. Jaylen Butera got the comeback rolling with a 2-yard touchdown run at 13:06 in the third quarter. After Fairmont answered with a 16-yard score at 10:20, Butera struck again from a yard out at 7:46 to make it 35–24. Frye then engineered another long drive and finished it himself with a 5-yard touchdown run just before the end of the third quarter, bringing Charleston within four at 35–31.

The Golden Eagles seized control early in the fourth. After a long punt return by Caleb Barringer set the offense up in Falcon territory, Joshua Donald found the end zone on a 15-yard run at 13:33 to give Charleston its first lead of the game, 38–35. The defense closed the door late, as Denoris Wardlow intercepted a pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:20 remaining to seal the 45–35 victory.

Butera led the ground game with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Frye threw for 182 yards and a touchdown and added another score on the ground. Hobbs caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, and Barringer's 85 punt-return yards including a 57-yard return in the fourth quarter were key to shifting momentum.

Defensively, Aden Miller paced the Golden Eagles with 12 tackles, and Wardlow's late interception return capped a resilient effort that fueled Charleston's biggest comeback of the season.
 
Up Next:
Charleston football will stay home in MEC play vs West Virginia Wesleyan College! This game is set for 1:00PM Nov 1^st at the University of Charleston Stadium.