Box Score The Yellow Jackets overcame a sluggish first half to take a 22-18 lead on a 28-yard pass from
Matt Kinnick to Josh Caiquo with 12:09 to play Saturday but West Virginia Wesleyan countered with a seven play, 74-yard scoring drive to retake the advantage with just 1:46 remaining.
A valiant WVSU drive on the ensuing possession came up a mere two-yards short and the Yellow Jackets dropped a tough 25-22 decision in front of a Homecoming crowd of 2,157.
"We played well enough to win," WVSU Head Coach
Jon Anderson said, "and we made enough mistakes not to win."
The Yellow Jackets fumbled three times, losing two, and the final drive ended on an interception.
The Bobcats (3-3) took a 12-0 lead into the lockerroom at halftime as WVSU could only put together 87 yards of total offense.
After the break the Yellow Jackets quickly got their offense on track though driving 76 yards in just five plays with
Matt Kinnick's 51-yard pass down the left sideline to a streaking Shannin Bennefield putting the first WVSU points on the board.
"It was exactly what we needed," Anderson said of the quick strike. "I'm really pleased with the way the offense came out in the second half."
Wesleyan replied to make the score 18-7 but the Yellow Jackets came back with drives of 58 and 75 yards to move in front.
"We had a lead and just didn't finish," Anderson said. "It wasn't a case of lack of effort but we have to develop a killer instinct."
WVSU rolled to 256 yards in the half finishing the day with 140 yards on the ground and 203 through the air.
Freshman running back
Tevin Brown ran for 94 yards on 25 carries while Kinnick rushed for 44 yards.
Along with being crowned "Mr. Yellow Jacket" at halftime,
Will Merritt made 11 tackles to pace the defense while
Sam Lester added 10 including four behind the line of scrimmage.
Next up the Yellow Jackets face the University of Charleston in the Frontier Communications Kanawha Valley Classic Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Laidley Field in Charleston.
