MEC Football Week Five
• The Mountain East Conference football schedule shifts into high gear this weekend with five MEC contests all set for Saturday afternoon kickoffs.
• Unbeaten and nationally-ranked Charleston hosts Glenville State and UNC-Pembroke makes the long trek north to Wheeling in a pair of high noon showdowns before unbeaten Frostburg State welcomes W.Va. Wesleyan and Concord heads to West Liberty in 1 p.m. starts. Saturday’s slate concludes with a 2 p.m. tilt between Fairmont State and West Virginia State in Fairmont.
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 5
Glenville State (2-2, 2-0) at Charleston (4-0, 2-0) | 12 p.m. | Charleston, W.Va.
Last Meeting: September 30, 2023, Glenville, W.Va. (Charleston d. Glenville State, 52-17)
Notes: Charleston has reeled off seven straight wins in the series, dating back to a 35-28 Pioneer victory in 2016. …The nationally-ranked Golden Eagles held Concord to just 89 yards of total offense through the first 3 quarters in Saturday’s 42-7 win. …TB Chavon Wright ran for 165 yards and 3 TDs while QB Ean Hamric passed for 86 yards and ran for 84 more. …The Pioneers gave up a mere 202 yards of total offense to UNC-Pembroke in a 14-7 win. …Sean Scott’s last-minute interception at the GSU 16 sealed the win for Glenville State. …TBs Zavione Wood and Markquan Rucker combined for 194 rushing yards on 33 carries to pace the ground-oriented Pioneer attack
UNC Pembroke (0-4, 0-2) at Wheeling (2-2, 1-1) | 12 p.m. | Wheeling, W.Va.
Last Meeting: September 30, 2023, Pembroke, N.C. (UNC-Pembroke d. Wheeling, 41-20)
Notes: This is the fourth meeting between the two teams with the Braves having won the first three matchups. …Both teams are coming off tough losses. …UNC-Pembroke fell short in a 14-7 defensive struggle at Glenville State. …QB Colin Johnson completed 17-of-25 passes for 154 yards but was intercepted twice in Pioneer territory on the final two possessions of the game. …Fairmont State hit a 53-yard TD pass with 1:08 remaining to hand Wheeling a 52-49 home loss. …Cardinal WR/KR Tre Holloway made MEC history with 2 kick return TDs. …TB Steven Mitchell ran for 127 yards – highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown burst – while QB Javon Davis completed 15-of-24 passes for 240 yards and 3 scores
West Va. Wesleyan (0-4, 0-2) at Frostburg State (4-0, 2-0) | 1 p.m. | Frostburg, Md.
Last Meeting: November 5, 2022, Buckhannon, W.Va. (Frostburg State d. W.Va. Wesleyan, 37-0)
Notes: This is the fourth time these teams have met on the gridiron. …Frostburg State has won the first three encounters. …The unbeaten Bobcats ground out a 25-24 road win at FCS Mercyhurst (Pa.) on Saturday. …QB Myles Fulton completed 18-of-27 passes for 184 yards and 3 TDs while Owen Doyle led the FSU rushing attack with 97 yards on 18 carries. …Frostburg State ran for 203 yards on 40 attempts on the day. …W.Va. Wesleyan came out on the short end of a 48-22 tally at W.Va. State on Saturday. …Trailing 48-10, Bobcat QB Nate Payne fired fourth-quarter TD passes of 18 and 30 yards to narrow the final deficit. …PK Liam Depp drilled a 45-yard field goal, tied for the longest in the MEC this season
Concord (0-4, 0-2) at West Liberty (0-4, 0-2) | 1 p.m. | West Liberty, W.Va.
Last Meeting: September 30, 2023, Athens, W.Va. (West Liberty d. Concord, 23-21)
Notes: This is the 82nd meeting between the long-time rivals with WLU holding a slim 40-38-3 series lead. …Concord looks to rebound after a 42-7 loss to No. 19 Charleston on Saturday. …After a slow start, UC scored touchdowns on four straight possessions to take a 28-0 halftime lead. …Concord’s TD came on a 79-yard throw from Tristan Gabrels to Zion Odoms – CU’s longest pass completion in four years. …The Hilltoppers haven’t played since a wild 57-37 shootout loss at W.Va. State on Sept. 21. …QB Levi Gullion came off the WLU bench to complete 14-of-23 passes for 266 yards and a TD while running for 28 more yards and another score. …WR Ben Turner had an MEC season-high 207 receiving yards on 8 catches
West Va. State (3-1, 2-0) at Fairmont State (2-2, 1-1) 2 p.m. Fairmont, W.Va.
Last Meeting: October 28, 2023, Institute, W.Va. (Fairmont State d. W.Va. State, 21-20)
Notes: This is the 56th meeting between the Falcons and Yellow Jackets. …Fairmont State holds a commanding 37-17-1 series lead. …The Falcons pulled out a thrilling 52-49 road win at Wheeling on Saturday when QB Nino Marzullo lobbed a 53-yard TD pass to WR Winston Page with just 1:08 to play. …Marzullo, a mere freshman, completed 28-of-44 passes for an MEC season-high 435 yards and 3 TDs as the Falcons rolled up 633 yards of total offense. …W.Va. State coasted to a 48-22 win over W.Va. Wesleyan. …QB Isaiah Bess threw for 178 yards and 2 TDs while RB Justin Pessoa ran for 133 yards and a TD on 17 carries. …Fellow RB Joel Felder caught 4 passes for 119 yards and 2 TDs while running for 63 more yards and another score
NOTABLE
• Wheeling’s Tre Holloway became the first MEC gridder ever to post two kickoff return TDs in a single game in Saturday’s 52-49 loss to Fairmont State. Holloway also set MEC single-game records for kick return yards (288), kick return average (57.6 ypr.) and combined PR/KR return yards (292)
• Holloway’s 357 All-Purpose Yards on Saturday ranks among the Top 10 all-time in the MEC and is No. 2 nationally this season
• Fairmont State freshman QB Nino Marzullo completed 28-of-44 passes for 435 yards and 3 TDs in Saturday’s 52-49 win at Wheeling. That’s the most passing yards by an MEC quarterback since W.Va. Wesleyan’s Nate Payne threw for 439 yards in a 55-20 loss to Fairmont State on Nov. 11, 2023
• Marzullo’s big day are the most passing yards by an NCAA D2 freshman since David Wright of Allen (S.C.) threw for 455 yards and 4 TDs in a 46-34 loss at Central State (Ohio) on Oct. 2, 2021
• The FSU freshman also ran for 48 yards and 3 more TDs on Saturday. His 483 yards of total offense ranks No. 10 all-time in the MEC record book
• Half of the MEC’s 10 teams are averaging more than 30 points per game. Charleston leads the way, ranking 9th in the nation at 40.3 ppg. Frostburg State (39.8) and W.Va. State (39.3) are next, followed by Wheeling (35.0) and Fairmont State (32.3)
• Four MEC teams are averaging over 400 yards/game in total offense. Fairmont State leads with 428.3 ypg., just ahead of W.Va. State (427.5) and Frostburg State (423.3). Charleston is fourth at 415.0 ypg.
• Fairmont State rolled up a season-high 633 yards of total offense (435 passing, 198 rushing) in Saturday’s win at Wheeling
• Frostburg State leads the MEC in Total Defense, yielding an average of just 263.5 yards/game through the first four games. Charleston is second at 309.0 ypg. allowed
• Charleston leads the MEC in rushing (223.3 ypg.) and rushing TDs (14). Frostburg State is second with an average of 194.5 ypg. and 8 TDs
• Fairmont State has taken over the MEC passing lead with an average of 274.0 ypg. and 9 TDs through the air. Frostburg State and W.Va. State are tied for the lead in passing TDs with 11 each
• Charleston’s Chavon Wright leads the nation with 11 rushing TDs and ranks No. 2 nationally with an average of 160.5 rushing yards/game
• West Liberty’s Ben Turner leads the MEC with an average of 82.3 receiving yards/game. Charleston’s Yves Bosmans is second (80.0 ypg.)
• Bosmans leads the MEC with 25 catches and 5 touchdown receptions
• Frostburg State’s Myles Fulton continues to lead the MEC in passing yards/game (227.5), passing TDs (11) and pass efficiency (170.0), where he ranks No. 9 nationally this week
• Fairmont State’s Donovan O’Malley leads the MEC with 33 total tackles. Glenville State’s Shaun Sterling Jr. is tops in the conference with 22 solo stops
• Charleston’s Andrew Chamblee has been charted with 9.0 tackles-for-loss through the first four games to lead the MEC, just ahead of Frostburg State’s Leonard Scott (8.5 TFLs)
MEC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Fairmont State quarterback Nino Marzullo earned MEC Offensive Player of the Week honors while Frostburg State linebacker Colby Street was named MEC Defensive Player of the Week. Wheeling wide receiver/return specialist Tre Holloway was the MEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Marzullo, a 6-2, 210-pound freshman from Gaithersburg, Md., completed 28-of-44 passes for an MEC season-high 435 yards and 3 TDs while running for 48 yards and 3 more scores in the Falcons’ 52-49 win at Wheeling. His 483 yards of total offense ranks No. 10 all-time in the MEC while his 435 passing yards were the most by an NCAA Division II freshman since 2021.
Street, a 5-11, 230-pound senior from Roanoke, Va., charted a team-high 7 tackles – 6 solo – in Frostburg State’s 25-24 road win at FCS Mercyhurst (Pa.). Street’s clutch fumble recovery with less than three minutes to play sealed the victory for the unbeaten Bobcats.
Holloway, a 5-11, 195-pound junior from Washington, D.C., had kickoff return touchdowns of 99 and 95 yards to highlight a record-setting day in Wheeling’s 52-49 loss to Fairmont State. Holloway set MEC single-game records for kick return yards (288), kick return average (57.6 ypr.) and combined PR/ KR return yards (292) while his 357 All-Purpose Yards is No. 2 nationally this season.
