• Five games involving MEC teams are on tap this week as the conference schedule swings into high gear. It all starts on Thursday night with Fairmont State hosting Glenville State in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
• The lone non-conference game of the weekend kicks off at noon Saturday when W.Va. Wesleyan travels to FCS Duquesne. Concord visits Frostburg State and Charleston entertains UNC-Pembroke in 1 p.m. starts before the weekend concludes with West Liberty’s trip to W.Va. State for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
• Wheeling is open this weekend
WEEK 3 SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 19
Glenville State (0-2, 0-0) at Fairmont State (1-1, 0-0) | 7 p.m. | Fairmont, W.Va
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Last Meeting: November 5, 2022, Fairmont, W.Va. (Glenville State d. Fairmont State, 38-36)
Notes: This is the 99th meeting between the long-time rivals. …Fairmont State holds a slim 51-44-3 lead in the Battle for the Bit. …In their most recent outings, Glenville State dropped a 31-9 decision to Lock Haven (Pa.) while Fairmont State lost to Bloomsburg (Pa.), 35-7. …Falcon QB Will Adkins has completed 42-of-68 passes for 475 yards and 4 TDs with just one INT. …Fairmont WR Gage Michael is tied for the MEC lead with 5.0 catches/game. …Glenville LB Jamair Diaz leads the MEC with 1.25 QB sacks/game. …Teammate Mark Shepherd ranks No. 1 in the MEC with an average 2.0 passes defended/game. …The Pioneers and Falcons did not meet last season
Saturday, Sept. 21
W.Va. Wesleyan (0-2) at Duquesne (1-2) | 12 p.m. | Pittsburgh, Pa
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Last Meeting: September 30, 2017, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Duquesne d. W.Va. Wesleyan, 38-13)
Notes: This is the 12th meeting between the two teams. …Duquesne holds a 7-4 lead in a series which dates all the way back to 1922. …The Bobcats are coming off a 52-14 home loss to Wheeling on Saturday. …Meanwhile, the FCS Dukes were shocking No. 20 Youngstown State, 28-25, for their first win. …W.Va. Wesleyan scored on its first two possessions Saturday to take a 14-0 lead only to see Wheeling reel off 52 unanswered points for the win. …Jaden Swiger had a game-high 8.0 tackles and 2.5 TFLs to lead the WVWC defense. …Speedy TB DeMario Clements keyed Duquesne’s upset at Youngstown State, rushing for 212 yards and a TD with two runs of 70+ yards.
Concord (0-2, 0-0) at Frostburg State (2-0, 1-0) | 1 p.m. | Frostburg, Md.
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Last Meeting: October 14, 2023, Athens, W.Va. (Frostburg State d. Concord, 34-3)
Notes: This is the 5th meeting between the two teams. …Frostburg State has won three of the first four encounters. …The Mountain Lions enter the MEC portion of their slate off a 28-0 shutout loss to UVa-Wise on Saturday. …Concord was held to just 244 yards of total offense. …QB Blayne Ferguson completed 15-of-27 throws for 174 yards. …The unbeaten Bobcats powered their way to a 57-23 win at West Liberty. …Frostburg State QB Myles Fulton passed for 293 yards and 4 TDs in the first quarter alone, finishing 13-of-20 for 350 yards and 5 TDs. …Bobcat WRs Amari N’namdi-Hall and Trashaun Timmons combined for 4 TDs and 284 receiving yards on just 6 catches for the day
UNC-Pembroke (0-2, 0-0) at Charleston (2-0, 0-0) | 1 p.m. | Charleston, W.Va.
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Last Meeting: September 16, 2023, Charleston, W.Va. (Charleston d. UNC-Pembroke, 37-29)
Notes: This is the 7th meeting between the programs. …Charleston has won the last two to take a 4-2 series lead. …Coming off two tough losses, the Braves face another stiff test in unbeaten and nationally-ranked Charleston. …UNC-Pembroke dropped a 35-31 decision to Fayetteville State in its last outing, with the Broncos scoring in the final minute to pull out the win. …QBs Colin Johnson and Tre Robinson have combined to complete 31-of-55 passes for 372 yards and 4 TDs. …Golden Eagle TB Chavon Wright leads the MEC in rushing at 140.0 yards/game. …QB Javonte Howard has completed 28-of-48 passes for 370 yards and 2 TDs. …PK Levi Paxton is 2-for-2 on field goal attempts with a MEC season-long of 45 yards
West Liberty (0-3, 0-1) at W.Va. State (1-1, 0-0) | 6 p.m. | Institute, W.Va.
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Last Meeting: November 5, 2022, Institute, W.Va. (W.Va. State d. West Liberty, 42-32)
Notes: This is the 66th meeting between the programs. …The Hilltoppers hold a commanding 42-22-1 series lead but the Yellow Jackets have won the last three matchups. …West Liberty is coming off a 57-23 loss to Frostburg State in a game that saw the Bobcats score 6 TDs of 50 yards or more. …Powerful Carson-Newman handed W.Va. State a 56-25 loss on Friday. …Hilltopper TB Hunter Patterson ran for 144 yards and 2 TDs while catching 4 passes for 90 yards and another score in Saturday’s loss. …Yellow Jacket QB Isaiah Bess completed 14-of-34 passes for 221 yards and a TD against Carson-Newman.
NOTABLE
• MEC teams are 6-12 against non-conference foes over the first three weekends
• All four road teams picked up wins during Week Two. MEC teams have played 13 games at home this season but won only three of them
• Four MEC teams are averaging more than 30 points a game. Frostburg State leads the way at 40.0 ppg. Followed by Fairmont State (31.5), Charleston (30.5) and Wheeling (30.3)
• Frostburg State leads the MEC in total offense, averaging 456.5 yards per game in its first two outings. Fairmont State (372.5) and Wheeling (370.7) rank second and third
• Frostburg State and Wheeling are each holding their opponents below 300 yards of total offense per game. The Bobcats lead the MEC in total defense at 281.5 yards/game with the Cardinals close behind at 291.0 yards/game
• West Virginia State and Frostburg State are tied for the MEC rushing lead with an average of 185.0 yards/game. Charleston and Wheeling lead in rushing TDs with 6 each
• Frostburg State is the top passing team in the conference to date with an average of 271.5 yards/game. The Bobcats and Wheeling are tied for the most passing TDs at 6
• Charleston’s Chavon Wright (140.0 yards/game) and West Virginia State’s Joel Felder (100.0 yards/game) are the leading rushers in the MEC
• Felder’s 178 rushing yards on 22 carries in the win at Barton (N.C.) two weeks ago is tops in the MEC this season
• Frostburg State’s Myles Fulton posted the league’s first 300-yard passing game of the season on Saturday, completing 13-of-20 passes for 350 yards and 5 TDs in the win at West Liberty
• Fulton leads the MEC in passing yards/game (269.0) and pass efficiency (211.1), where he ranks No. 2 nationally this week
• Wheeling’s Tre Holloway leads the MEC in receptions (14) and receiving yards (227). Leading the league in receiving yards/game is the Frostburg State duo of Trashaun Timmons (94.0 ypg.) and Amari N’amdi-Hall (91.0 ypg.)
• West Liberty TB Hunter Patterson had the MEC’s longest pass reception of the season and longest run from scrimmage of the season in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to Frostburg State
• On WLU’s second possession, Patterson took a short pass over the middle from QB Trevor Lagarde, split two defenders and ran away from the pack for an 81-yard touchdown
• Two possessions later, he burst through a hole off tackle and outraced the FSU secondary to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown
• Defensively, Fairmont State’s Tyrees Smith and Concord’s Nehemiah Scott rank 1-2 in the MEC with an average of 10.5 and 10.0 tackles/game, respectively
• West Liberty’s Bre’Andre Horsley leads the MEC with 3.5 QB Sacks and is one of four players tied for the conference lead with 4.5 tackles-for-loss
