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West Virginia State University Athletics

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FB22 Felder
Photo: Todd Griffith
42
Winner West Virginia St. WVS 7-4 , 6-4
35
Charleston (WV) CHA 6-5 , 6-4
Winner
West Virginia St. WVS
7-4 , 6-4
42
Final
35
Charleston (WV) CHA
6-5 , 6-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WVS West Virginia St. 14 7 14 7 42
CHA Charleston (WV) 7 21 7 0 35

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

State earns bragging rights with 42-35 win at UC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University football team (7-4, 6-4 MEC) defeated rivals Charleston (6-5, 6-4 MEC) by a final score of 42-35 on Saturday afternoon at Laidley Field. The Yellow Jackets came back from a two-touchdown deficit at halftime to beat UC for the first time since 2017.

Quarterback Donovan Riddick completed 18-of-26 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. He also rushed 13 times for 51 yards and two more scores and caught a TD pass. 

Running back Joel Felder rushed 14 times for a career-high 179 yards (12.8 yards per carry) and a score. This was his third-straight 100-yard rushing game and fourth on the season.

Wideout Barry Hill caught nine passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns to lead the WVSU receiving corps. This was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the year.

West Virginia State started the game strong and went up by two touchdowns, 14-0, around the six-minute mark of the first quarter. Hill caught a 28-yard TD pass from Riddick to open the scoring before Felder broke off a 69-yard run to paydirt.

The momentum then shifted to Charleston with the Golden Eagles scoring four touchdowns, 28-14, before the Yellow Jackets responded. With time expiring in the first half, Riddick ran one in from two yards out to make it a one-score game, 28-21.

WVSU rolled the late momentum over from the first half into the third quarter and scored twice to take back the lead, 35-28. Riddick scampered into the end zone from two yards out again before completing another touchdown pass to Hill. This time, the connection was from 37 yards out. 

UC tied the score at 35-apiece with a 59-yard punt return for a score as time expired in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, a trick play worked to perfection for State with Hill throwing a pass to Riddick with 11 yards to the goal line for a go-ahead touchdown, 42-35. The WVSU defense was able to do the rest by holding Charleston scoreless for the remaining 11 minutes of the contest.

The 7-4 overall record posted by the Yellow Jackets this season was the best mark for the program since 2019 when they finished with the same record.

 
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