By Rich Stevens
for www.wvsuyellowjackets.com

     INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University football team put up the first points against the University of Charleston for the first time since 2011, but the Yellow Jackets couldn't secure their second win in the battle of Mountain East Conference rivals.
     The Golden Eagles ran for 224 yards and held the ball almost 10 more minutes than State in the second half to win for the 11^th time in their 12 meetings, 34-13 on Saturday afternoon at Dickerson Stadium at Lakin Field.
     The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 2-2 MEC) scored on a 16-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Matt Kinnick to freshman running back Tyrone Barber with 12:43 remaining in the first quarter. After the missed extra point, State held a 6-0 lead, giving the Yellow Jackets their first lead in the series against UC since leading the Golden Eagles 3-0 in a 42-20 loss to UC in 2011.
       Charleston (3-1, 3-1) answered five minutes later on a Jeremy Johnson 1-yard run, beginning their dominance of the clock. The Golden Eagles led in time of possession 37:59-22:01, putting together scoring drives that totaled 20 minutes, 51 seconds without a turnover. UC also converted 6-of-17 third-down conversions and 4-of-5 fourth-down conversions, including a fake punt that kept alive a drive that resulted in a score and a 14-6 lead with 4:59 left in the first quarter.
      "You have to get off the field when you get the opportunity," said State third-year coach Jon Anderson, whose team surrendered a 17-yard pass on the fake punt that gave the visitors a first down at the State 27. "They have two guys that play who can make plays and I think we had pressure in their faces multiple times. It just comes down to being able to finish that."
       State was able to cut the lead to one point again when Kinnick, who entered the game as the league's leading passer at 312.3 yards per game, completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Henderson that made the score 14-13 with 32 seconds left in the first quarter. Kinnick finished the game with 12 completions in 26 attempts (46 percent), but is one of four league QBs to have not thrown an interception.
       The Yellow Jackets defense, led by sophomore linebacker Dennis Gardeck, forced the Golden Eagles into a three and out. Gardeck was second in the MEC in sacks with four entering the game and recorded his fifth of the season to give the ball back to the State offense.
     State then came up 2 yards short of a first down and had to give the ball back to the visitors with 5:12 remaining in the first half.
     "We have to execute wherever we are on the field," Anderson said. "They did a good job of taking away the inside seams. They closed the middle of the field. I'm proud of this team for competing and I'm proud of this team for continuing to progress. We had some opportunities, we had some momentum. We just have to execute."
      The University of Charleston scored what proved to be the game's difference-making touchdown with 3:38 left until halftime, completing a 79-yard drive in 5:12 on the back of a 44-yard pass completing that set up first down at State's 25. After reaching the 6 and gaining 5 yards in three plays, running back Tevion Cappe, who led UC in rushing with 86 yards on 24 carries, scored on a 1-yard play on fourth down.
      The Yellow Jackets went to the lockerroom at halftime facing a seven-point deficit, but the league's most-penalized team with 121.3 penalty yards per game, didn't commit an infraction in the game's first 30 minutes and finished with just five for 40 yards. The Golden Eagles, who entered the contest with the league's second-fewest penalty yards per game (70.3), committed 13 infractions 116 yards. In three games coming into Saturday's visit to Institute, UC had 23 penalties for 221 yards.
       State struggled on offense in the second half, managing only two first downs and getting past its own 34 yard line only once.
The Yellow Jackets were also plagued with poor field position behind the leg of UC punter Brent Benes, who punted six times for an average of 48.3 yards, including a school-record 72-yard kick in the second half.
       Barber led all rushers with 96 yards on 16 carries for State (30 carries, 130 yards), which averaged 4.3 yards per carry compared to 3.8 for the Golden Eagles.
       Charleston's Joey Augustin scored his 15^th career touchdown and the visitors finished with 411 yards on 85 plays. Akil Washington had five receptions for 47 yards to lead State, which had 283 offensive yards in 56 plays, but converted only three third-down conversions.
      West Virginia State returns to action on Oct. 3 when it visits UVa-Wise for a 3 p.m. MEC meeting.