Bragging rights between the University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and West Virginia State University are on the line Saturday afternoon at University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Stadium at Laidley Field.
The Golden Eagles are searching for their first undefeated regular season since 1950, when they went undefeated and won the Tangerine Bowl in Florida.
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä enters Saturday’s game at 10-0.
UC has won five of the last seven meetings against the Yellow Jackets.
“They’ve got a really good team,†UC coach Quinn Sanders said of WVSU. “Coach [John] Pennington has done an incredible job there since he’s taken over. You’ve seen that program continue to rise under his leadership. They’ve got two incredible tailbacks [Joel Felder and Justin Pessoa]. They’ve got an offensive line that’s physical.
“Defensively, [WVSU defensive coordinator] George Shehl, who was actually my position coach in college, has done an incredible job. He tries to create mismatches defensively by getting some things you might not have seen all year.â€
Entering play Saturday, WVSU is in a three-way tie for third place in the Mountain East Conference with Fairmont State and UNC Pembroke.
The Yellow Jackets have lost three of their last four after starting the season 5-1.
Sanders is expecting a physical WVSU team, despite the recent Yellow Jackets struggles.
“They’re going to come out and play us tough. They always do,†Sanders said. “It’s rivalry week. I tell the guys that it’s bigger than Ohio State-Michigan or Alabama-Auburn. For us, this is the game. We got to go out there and play our brand of football and not let the emotions get to us.â€
West Virginia State’s last two wins against UC came in 2017 and 2022.
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä is the league’s highest-rated offense and defense, scoring 43.7 points per game while holding teams to 16.7 points.
“It obviously starts [for UC] at running back, with Chavon Wright,†Pennington said. “He’s just an incredible player and probably the best player in the entire country. You have to plan for him. They’ve also got great receivers, linebackers and tacklers. We’ve been able to run the ball all year. We’re going to have to be able to run the ball.â€
Wright sits atop NCAA Division II in rushing yards this season with 1,843 yards, which is 351 yards more than second.
The Golden Eagles running back is averaging 184.5 yards per game.
He has also accounted for 67% of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s rushing yards.
“The only answer is more people in the box,†Pennington said. “He’s maybe the best running back that I’ve ever seen at getting extra yards. There’s a lot of times when there’s maybe a 3- or 4-yard run there, and he ends up getting 8 to 10 yards. He falls forward. He does a good job getting downhill. It all starts with being physical.â€
WVSU has increased its win total by two wins since finishing 4-6 last season.
The Yellow Jackets enter this weekend’s matchup with a 6-4 record.
“This is a resilient team,†Pennington said. “The rivalry is there. We’ve got 24 seniors that are playing their last game. They gave their speeches on Friday. You just hear so many stories of perseverance. The resilience this team has had through what we’ve had to deal with throughout the year, in the beginning of the year, has brought them close together.â€
Pennington was referencing the death of the Yellow Jackets’ Jyilek Harrington, who was shot and killed the night before the scheduled date for WVSU’s home opener.
“They’re playing for each other with, this is the last time this team will ever be together,†Pennington said. “It’s a very close-knit team that has fought through adversity.â€
Both sides understand the circumstances of the rivalry game, with bragging rights on the line.
“We have to have them understand how we got here,†Sanders said. “We didn’t get here by playing emotional football. We’re a mature team. We understand how to play with our head a little bit, not always our heart. That’s the biggest thing for us is, at the end of the day, every opponent that we play, we’re going to prepare the same. We treat everybody the same.â€
