Charleston, W.Va. — The University of Charleston football team continued its strong start to Mountain East Conference play on Saturday afternoon, using a fast start and a late-game surge to secure a 42-35 victory over Wheeling University at the University of Charleston Stadium. With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 3-3 overall and remained perfect at 3-0 in MEC play.
The Basics:
Location: UC Stadium
Score: UC 42, WU 35
Records: Charleston 3-3 (3-0 MEC) Wheeling 3-3 (2-1 MEC)
How it Happened:
Charleston wasted little time establishing control, opening the game with a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with Matt Frye connecting with Devin Hobbs for a 10-yard touchdown. After Wheeling answered with a field goal, Frye and the Golden Eagles struck again as Tyler Thompson hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 14-3 at the end of the opening quarter. Charleston continued its offensive momentum in the second quarter, with Joshua Donald finding the end zone on a five-yard run before Frye connected with Caleb Barringer for a 34-yard touchdown. The Golden Eagles carried a commanding 28-10 advantage into halftime.
Charleston continued to answer throughout the second half, with Frye and Hobbs connecting for their second touchdown of the afternoon on a six-yard scoring strike in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles' offense finished with 458 total yards, including 315 through the air and 143 on the ground. Frye led the passing attack with four touchdown passes, while Hobbs found the end zone twice. Charleston's rushing attack was highlighted by Donald's five-yard touchdown run and a decisive 44-yard touchdown sprint from Jamal Wallace.
Wheeling battled back to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, but Charleston responded when Wallace broke free for his 44-yard touchdown run with just over five minutes remaining. The Golden Eagle defense then made the necessary stops to preserve the victory as Charleston held on for the 42-35 win. The defense recorded six sacks and seven tackles for loss while limiting Wheeling to 143 rushing yards. The victory marked Charleston's sixth consecutive win over Wheeling and kept the Golden Eagles unbeaten in conference play.
Up Next:
The Golden Eagles will travel to Frostburg State to take on the Bobcats on Saturday.
