Charleston, W.Va. — The Golden Eagles put together their most dominant performance of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating West Virginia Wesleyan 69-15 at the University of Charleston Stadium. Charleston's offense pushed for over 400 total yards, while the defense forced four turnovers and allowed just one touchdown.
 
The Basics:
Location: University of Charleston Stadium (Charleston, W.Va.)
Score: UC 69, WVWC 15
Records: UC 6-3 (5-1 MEC), WVWC 0-10 (0-7 MEC)

How it Happened:
After winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, the Golden Eagles defense set the tone early, forcing a turnover on downs during Wesleyan's opening drive. On UC's first offensive possession, running back Joshua Donald broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run with 10:32 remaining in the first quarter, giving Charleston a 7-0 lead.

Just two minutes later, the Golden Eagles recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and three plays later, Jamal Wallace Jr. powered in from four yards out to extend the lead to 14-0 with 8:59 left in the quarter. Charleston's offense struck again at the 3:28 mark when quarterback Matthew Frye connected with Yves Bosmans on a 61-yard touchdown pass down the middle to make it 21-0.

Wesleyan answered late in the quarter on a 30-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 21-7 at the 1:10 mark, but Charleston's offense continued to roll. To open the second quarter, Wallace Jr. found the end zone once again, this time on a 10-yard run with 14:20 left to play, giving UC a 28-7 advantage. After a defensive stop and an interception by Zack Cheatham, the Golden Eagles added another touchdown as Wallace Jr. broke a nine-yard run up the middle with 6:50 remaining in the half. The teams went into halftime with Charleston leading 35-7.

Charleston wasted no time extending its lead in the second half. On the opening kickoff of the third quarter, return man Connor Lambert took the ball 85 yards to the house to make it 42-7. Less than a minute later, Parker Bell blocked a Wesleyan punt and recovered it in the end zone for another touchdown, pushing the score to 48-7. The Bobcats returned the blocked extra point attempt for two points, trimming the margin slightly to 48-9.

The Golden Eagles kept their foot on the gas. At 9:36 in the third, Donald found paydirt for the second time, punching in a two-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, freshman running back Justin McDuffie scored on a one-yard carry to make it 62-9 heading into the fourth. Charleston's final touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter, as McDuffie capped a 12-play, 82-yard drive with an 11-yard run at the 6:02 mark.

West Virginia Wesleyan added one final score on a two-yard rush with 2:38 left in the game, but Charleston's commanding lead held firm as the Golden Eagles closed out the 69-15 victory. Charleston finished with 418 total yards of offense, including 285 on the ground. Donald led all rushers with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, while Wallace Jr. added 37 yards and three scores. Frye completed 7-of-10 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Bosmans for a 61-yard strike. Defensively, Demarco Fleming and Justen Hill each tallied six tackles, with Fleming adding a sack and three tackles for loss. Cheatham and James Scott both recorded interceptions as Charleston improved to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
 
Up Next:
Charleston football is scheduled for their last home game at 1:00 PM Nov 8^th vs West Liberty University!