Saturday's noon meeting between the Yellow Jackets and rival Charleston will mark the beginning of the end of one era and the start of another.

While first-year Head Coach John Pennington has brought a new air of excitement to the program a group of fifth-year players led by record-setting quarterback Matt Kinnick will begin the final chapter of their college careers.

Besides Kinnick the group includes defensive lineman Devon Bollinger, running back Dionta Brown, defensive back Kevin Coffie, offensive lineman Geoff Gardner, and linebacker Trent Williamson.

They are all starters and/or major contributors.

"We're pretty proud of that," Kinnick said. "Even at big schools you don't see this many fifth year players too often, that's pretty impressive."

But before their long journey comes to an end they have one more season to play.

"Overall I'm just trying to have fun and take everything in," Kinnick said. "Enjoy everything that goes with being a fifth-year senior."

That includes a little more for the St. Clairsville, Ohio, native than for most.

He has already set WVSU program career records for total yards with 7,549 and pass completions with 614. He needs just 19 passing yards to break that career mark and five touchdown passes to break that record.

Not bad for someone who was barely recruited coming out of high school.

"(College coaches) all told me I was too small," Kinnick remembered. "I had this and one other Division II offer."

Even though he was on the Yellow Jackets' radar the interest was not initially reciprocated.

"I had never heard of West Virginia State," he said.

Standing six-feet tall Kinnick has added 15-20 pounds of muscle to what was a 180-pound body when he started college.

"I've gotten much stronger," he said. "That new facility (the Monroe Athletic Complex) has been a big help."

That first year was not easy.

"When I first got here I was shy and scared," he said."I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know anyone, at one point I wondered why am I doing this?"

But he stuck it out and found himself starting under center his second year.

That season Kinnick completed 219 out of 390 pass attempts for 2,213 yards. He threw 11 touchdowns but also tossed 13 interceptions. He followed that by hitting 249 of 425 attepmts his second season while raising his touchdown pass total to 20 and reducing his interceptions to nine.

Last season he missed two games completely and part of another but still completed 146 of 248 passes attempts and continue dto cut down on mistakes with a 16 to 8 touchdown to interception ratio.

"I've always had high expectations for myself," Kinnick admitted. "But where I am at in my career, I'm pretty proud of that."

He gives a lot of credit to his teammates and coaches.

"I've been lucky with the guys I have around me," he said. "Coach Pennington was my (offensive) coach before he became head coach so I have three years in this offense and am very comfortable."

He goes out of his way to point out the players who are on the receiving end of his passes.

"They make my life a lot easier," Kinnick said. "Looking at who we have at wide out and running back I don't feel like I have to do too much."

"I get the ball in their hands and they do the rest,I trust them to make plays, I don't have to try to do everything myself I know they will have my back and I've got theirs."

He is obviously not the same scared young man that first showed up on the Institute campus and spent his first year on the sidelines as a red-shirt.

"Now confident and I'm very proud," he said. "Confident in everything the school has given me, confident in the upcoming season and life after football."

Kinnick plans to stay involved in athletics but from behind a desk instead of on the field in the future.

"My goal has always been to be an athletic director in high school or college," he said.

He is currently working on a Masters Degree in Instructional Leadership.

While he and his teammates are coming off a disappointing 3-8 season a year ago they are using the experience as motivation.

"You can look at it as a negative as a disappointment," Kinnick said.  "Or you can look at it as a learning experience."

With that lesson learned he feels the Yellow Jackets are more prepared than ever for the coming season.

"We want to be consistent and explosive," he said. "We want stay in the moment and not look too far ahead."

But he knows the end to his college career is coming and he is ready.

Kinnick feels he has accomplished his main goal.

"I wanted to leave the program in better condition than when I got here," he said. "I feel like it is."

He also feels like the school has done the same for him.

"I can't say a bad thing about this school," Kinnick said. "It's given me everything I need and I appreciate all of teh support since I've been here."

Not bad for a place he had never heard of not long ago.

"I never imagined I would be here and now I can't imagine going anywhere else."

Neither can Yellow Jacket football fans.