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West Virginia State University Athletics

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FB22 McAdoo
Photo: Todd Griffith
21
West Virginia Wesleyan WVW 0-6 , 0-5
46
Winner West Virginia State WVS 4-2 , 3-2
West Virginia Wesleyan WVW
0-6 , 0-5
21
Final
46
West Virginia State WVS
4-2 , 3-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WVW West Virginia Wesleyan 7 14 0 0 21
WVS West Virginia State 7 10 14 15 46

Game Recap: Football | | James Garcia, Sports Information Director

WVSU wins on Homecoming against Wesleyan, 46-21

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University football team (4-2, 3-2 MEC) hosted West Virginia Wesleyan (0-6, 0-5 MEC) for Homecoming and came away with a 46-21 victory on a chilly Saturday afternoon.  The Yellow Jackets were trailing, 21-17, at halftime but turned it around in the second half by outscoring the Bobcats, 29-0.

Senior quarterback Donovan Riddick completed 12-of-20 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 11 times 80 yards. Keedrick Cunningham, Luke Gadson, and Joe Jones were on the receiving end of Riddick's three passing touchdowns.   

Junior running back Tavis McAdoo broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the second time this season. He carried the ball 19 times for 108 yards (5.7 yards per rush) and a score. Sophomore running back Joel Felder was not far behind with 10 carries for 94 yards (9.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown.

Junior defensive back Nicholas Fannin led the Yellow Jackets with nine solo tackles. He also had a pass break up in the game. Sophomore Nazir Jones spent time in the opponent's backfield with three tackles-for-loss, including two sacks.Both Paul Sanchez and AJ Joyce came up with interceptions. Joyce returned his 44 yards for a touchdown.

State received the opening kickoff and scored within two minutes. On the fifth play of the opening drive, Felder broke off an 18-yard rush for a touchdown, 7-0.

The teams then traded punts before Wesleyan was able to put together a scoring drive. A 40-yard pass to Devin Washington helped the Bobcats get into WVSU territory. WVWC ended up finding the end zone with a 12-yard pass to tie it at 7-apiece with eight minutes left in the first quarter.

Wesleyan got the ball back with six-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening stanza and proceeded to go on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that carried over into the second quarter. The Bobcats punched the ball over the goal line from one yard out to take the lead, 14-7, two seconds into the second period.

The Yellow Jackets responded immediately with a seven-play, 70-yard drive that lasted just under three minutes and resulted in a touchdown. Riddick shoveled a pass to Cunningham who found a crease up the middle for a 21-yard score, 14-14.

WVWC answered on the next possession with a 14-play, 72-yard drive that took five-and-a-half minutes off the clock. The Bobcats used moderate chunk plays until they eventually punched the ball over the goal line from one yard out again, 21-14.

WVSU got the ball back with 6:25 remaining until halftime and ran the ball nine-consecutive times to make it down to Wesleyan's three yard line. The drive stalled there after an incomplete pass on third down but the Yellow Jackets still were able to cut the deficit to four points, 21-17, with a made field goal.
State made it back to within field goal range before the end of the first half, but had the field goal attempt from 36 yards out blocked. WVSU subsequently went into the break down by four, 21-17.

The Yellow Jackets looked like an entirely different team in the second half with a shutout of Wesleyan. Riddick found Gadson for a 29-yard touchdown strike to retake the lead, 24-21, with around six minutes to go in the third quarter. 

Paul Sanchez then intercepted the first pass of Wesleyan's following drive. Three plays later, Riddick threw a screen pass to Joe Jones who took it 32 yards to the house to increase State's advantage, 31-21.   

In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets tacked on another touchdown with an eight-play, 60-yard drive that ended with McAdoo breaking the plane from one yard out, 37-21. Cunningham then took a bad snap on the point after try and ran it in for a two-point conversion, 39-21.  AJ Joyce then intercepted a pass on the ensuing WVWC possession and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to give the game its final score, 46-21.  

State rushed for 306 yards in the contest while Wesleyan was held to only 36 rushing yards. Additionally, WVSU did not turn the ball over while WVWC threw two picks and failed three fourth down conversions.

The Yellow Jackets will make the long journey to UNC Pembroke next on Thursday, Oct. 13th. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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