INSTITUTE, W.VA. -- Despite a tied game at halftime at 13-13, West Virginia State University Football suffered a 38-13 loss Saturday to cross-county rival Charleston at Lakin-Ray Field, sponsored by Monarch Family Hotels.
State finishes the year at 6-5 and 6-4 in Mountain East Conference contests.
Junior quarterback Donovan Riddick threw for 190 yards and rushed for a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets' other score came from fullback Dant'e Jones, who finished the game with 81 rushing yards.
The Golden Eagles took the lead on their first drive, making good on a field goal from 30 yards out for a 3-0 advantage after 12 plays and nearly seven minutes of possession.
State responded by finding the end zone on their first attempt, advancing 74 yards on 16 plays. After a Riddick pass to frosh Dawson Gay for 17 yards delivered a first down for the Yellow Jackets, three consecutive rushes from Jones brought State to the UC 42 and their second first down of the drive.
Riddick and company continued to work the ball down the field, after he found the awaiting hands of senior receiver Tyrone Lyte down to the four-yard line and set up WVSU for another first down. Riddick then trotted his way into the end zone and gave State the 6-3 lead as the first quarter concluded.
The WVSU defense remained diligent to open the second frame, as senior Nathaniel Parrish recorded his first sack of the season, taking down UC's quarterback Guy Myers and forcing the Golden Eagles into another field goal situation.
Knotted at 6-6, State wasted no time regaining the lead, responding with a quick touchdown on just three plays and just over a minute of possession.
After starting at the UC 45, Riddick launched the ball 35 yards and connected with veteran running back Keedrick Cunningham for a WSU first down. A Jones rush put the Yellow Jackets into the red zone, and then he moved the final yard needed into the end zone and put State back on top, 13-6 after the extra point from senior kicker Martin Ahlstroem.
UC used a series of rushes from senior Tyriek McAllister to put the game back at a stalemate as the contest reached halftime. State looked to head into the locker room with the lead, but a failed field goal attempt from Ahlstroem, combined with a QB hurry on Riddick at the UC 6 brought the second quarter to a close and left the score even.
The Golden Eagles pulled away in the second half with a pair of touchdowns in each the third and fourth quarters for 25 unanswered points and a 38-13 final mark.
Cunningham finished with 68 yards while Gay ended with with 32. Junior Jalen Jones led the defense with 11 tackles, while classmate Cody Stanley also recorded his first sack of the season.
