BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – West Virginia State football turned in its most complete performance of the young season on Saturday, rolling up 547 yards of offense and six touchdowns on the way to a 45-16 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan at Cebe Ross Field.
The Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-0 MEC) wasted little time in setting the tone. Quarterback
Kaleb Jackson opened the scoring with a short touchdown run in the first quarter. The second period belonged entirely to State, as running back
Nasean Hill capped a drive with a 16-yard rushing score, Jackson hit
Amare Ary for a 65-yard strike down the sideline, and
Tony Hornbuckle drilled an 18-yard field goal just before halftime. That surge sent the Jackets into the locker room with a commanding 24-7 advantage.
The fireworks continued in the third quarter when Jackson connected twice with
Malik Baker II, who finished off scoring plays of 37 and 21 yards to widen the gap. In the fourth quarter,
Jojo Restall delivered the knockout blow with a 55-yard touchdown dash, slamming the door on any hopes of a Bobcat comeback.
State's offensive balance was evident throughout. The Jackets rushed 42 times for 238 yards, led by Restall's 108 yards on 14 carries and Hill's 55 yards on 12 attempts. Jackson added 24 rushing yards of his own while directing the passing game with remarkable efficiency. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns, distributing the ball to a receiving corps that did plenty of damage. Ary was the top target with five catches for 161 yards and a long score, while Baker II proved just as dangerous with five receptions for 92 yards and his two touchdowns.
Special teams chipped in consistently, with Hornbuckle going six-for-six on extra points and adding the second-quarter field goal. Punter
Joseph Shrader dropped his lone kick inside the 20, and the kickoff unit produced three touchbacks on nine tries.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets bent at times but refused to break, holding Wesleyan to just 16 points and one red-zone touchdown. Cornerback
Daryl Fletcher came up with an interception, while
Malik Brown paced the team with 10 tackles. The defensive line chipped in with a pair of sacks and constant pressure that kept the Bobcats from sustaining drives.
Wesleyan (0-4, 0-1 MEC) finished with 357 total yards but struggled to stay on the field, converting only four of 11 third downs and coming up empty on both of its fourth-down tries.
State returns to Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium for the 2025 Homecoming Game against Fairmont State on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
