WVSU Hosts Fairmont State in Saturday Gridiron Action - West Virginia State University Athletics

West Virginia State University Athletics

        The Yellow Jackets start their stretch run Saturday when they host Fairmont State at 1 p.m. at Dickerson Stadium.

       The Falcons enter the contest with a mark of 6-2 overall and 5-2 in conference games. They are tied for second place in the Mountain East Conference with Shepherd and Charleston, two games behind league-leading Notre Dame.

      WVSU comes into week nine with a 4-4 overall record and 3-4 conference mark.

     The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 36-24 loss at West Liberty last week that saw them whistled for a season high 17 penalties for 158 yards.

      "We're just looking forward to playing," Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Pennington said. "We know we can play better than last week."

      The Falcons picked up a big win two weeks ago when they went to Shepherd and beat the Rams 38-17. Their losses are to Charleston by six and Notre Dame by three. They beat visiting Glenville State 52-9 last week.

    "Fairmont is a really good football team,"Pennington said. "They have a really good defense."

     The Falcons allow just 18.2 points per game to lead the MEC.

     Senior linebacker Jerry Iweh leads Fairmont State with 58 tackles including 42 solo. Senior defensive lineman Josh Ballard has 38 tackles and three sacks.

     The Falcons do not just rely on a stingy defense though. They are third in scoring offense with 34.4 points a contest.

     "They have a very balanced offense," Pennington said.

     Sophomore running back Khalik Hamlin is second in the MEC with an average of 117.6 yards per game. Junior quarterback Takwan Crews-Naylor also ranks second with and average of 229.2 yards a contest through the air and is the league's most efficient passer.

     His main targets are Jason Hayes with 35 catches for 470 yards and Shawn Harris with 33 for 602.

      Fairmont State's offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks, six, in the league.

      The WVSU defense is led by seniors Joe Stoneman and Moises Valcarcel who are fourth and fifth in teh MEC in tackles with 84 and 73 respectively.

       Sophomore running back Calil Wilkins is third in the MEC is rushing averaging 109.6 yards a game. He receives plenty of help ifrom freshman Carl Garmon, 68 yards a game, and sophomore Dylan Lucas, 46.8.

       Grad school quarterback Faustino Saucedo is fourth in the conference in passing with 198.2 yards per game and has thrown just four interceptions against 12 touchdowns.

      Senior Tyrell Henderson has hauled in 43 catches for 689 yards this season with Zach Pate getting 34 catches and A.J. Barrette 29.

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