INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State University (6-3, 5-2 MEC) delivered a 38-24 win over Frostburg State (6-3, 4-3 MEC) on Saturday at Dickerson Stadium, highlighted by a record-breaking performance from Joel Felder and a resilient fourth-quarter defense.
The Yellow Jackets opened with a 10-play, 67-yard drive, capped by Caleb Jantuah's 16-yard touchdown pass to Amare Ary. However, Frostburg immediately answered with a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown by Jordan Marcucci. Undeterred, WVSU responded with another scoring drive late in the first quarter. Felder not only scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown but also broke the WVSU record for most career rushing yards on that play, etching his name in Yellow Jackets history. This score put WVSU up 14-7 after Brennen Schmitt's extra point.
Frostburg tied it early in the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Myles Fulton to Amari N'namdi-Hall, but Jantuah and Ary reconnected on a 45-yard deep ball to give WVSU a 21-14 advantage at halftime.
Following a Frostburg touchdown on their opening possession of the third quarter, Schmitt regained WVSU's lead at 24-21 with a 46-yard field goal. Frostburg evened the score with a field goal of their own at the start of the fourth, setting up a tense final period.
The Yellow Jackets then seized control with a decisive drive capped by Jantuah's 1-yard touchdown run, giving WVSU a 31-24 edge. Following this score, WVSU's defense came up big, stopping Frostburg on downs. Felder struck again on the next drive, breaking free for an 8-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach at 38-24.
In the closing minutes, the WVSU defense made crucial stops to seal the win. Mike Fontaine intercepted Fulton's deep pass, ending a Frostburg drive, and the Yellow Jackets forced another turnover on downs to close out the game.
Felder's record-setting day was complemented by 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Jantuah started the game 9-for-9 passing and ended up 11-for-16 and threw for 136 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, while Ary finished with six catches for 87 yards and two scores. Defensively, LucRichard Rameau notched seven tackles and a sack, and Fontaine's interception punctuated WVSU's fourth-quarter defensive stand.
WVSU outgained the Bobcats on the ground 262-58, and held the ball for over 35 minutes.
The victory strengthened WVSU's position in the Mountain East Conference. The Yellow Jackets will aim to carry this momentum into their next game on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Glenville State University.
