INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- Yes, it has been said that any win is a good one. But the Yellow Jackets' 24-21 victory over visiting Glenville State felt a little better than most.
It moved WVSU into third place in the Mountain East Conference standings. The Yellow Jackets have not been that high this late in the season in years.
It assured the Jackets of at least a break even season in league play with two more conference contests still on the schedule.
The win was the first for the program over a team with a winning record at kickoff this season (opening game opponent Fairmont State improved to 4-3 with a win Saturday).
The Yellow Jackets had lost seven straight to the Pioneers.
With a mark of 5-3 overall and in MEC play the Yellow Jackets now need just one win in their remaining three games to record the program's first winning season since 2008 and only their third in the last 22 years.
All of the above resulted from Saturday's victory.
Though the final score reflects just how close the game was in the early going it looked like WVSU might just cruise to an easy win.
But while the Yellow Jackets never trailed they also could never pull away from the Pioneers (5-3, 4-3 in MEC) in a contest full of twists, turns, and sudden shifts in momentum.
"We started very hot and weathered the momentum swings," WVSU Head Coach Jon Anderson said. "Then we made enough plays down the stretch."
WVSU received the opening kickoff and promptly ate up 5:09 of the clock with a 12 play, 69-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead on a Dionta Brown 1-yard run.
"The game plan was to go out and be physical," Anderson said. "We wanted to establish the running game early."
On Glenville's first possession the Jackets quickly added to their league leading interception total when Jesse Umeh came down with a deflected pass at the Pioneers' 27 and returned it to the 20.2421
WVSU capitalized as quarterback Matt Kinnick (right) found Joe Morris on third and nine with a 19-yard scoring strike to push the score to 14-0 with 8:02 remaining in the first period.
Pioneer quarterback Sean Steele ahd been intercepted just three times all season going into Saturday. Mitch Rowell's pick later in the game gave WVSU two on the day.
Glenville State pulled to within 14-7 on the Pioneers' next possession but the Yellow Jackets answered immediately with a six-play, 69-yard drive capped off by Kinnick's 47-yard scoring toss to Tyrell Henderson.
That gave WVSU a 21-7 lead after one quarter.
Then as quickly as the points had been rolling onto the scoreboard, the defenses of both teams became factors.
While the visitors ended up ahead in nearly all of the statistical categories there was one critical area where the Jackets dominated.
Glenville converted just 2-of-17 third down attempts.
"That's outstanding," Anderson said. "The defense did a great job."
Both squads struggled to move the ball in the second quarter with the only score coming on a 19-yard pass play from Glenville 4:32 before halftime.
The Pioneers' first drive of the second half ended when the Jackets' Wesley Sackey-Rush (below, right) forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Ayinde Warren.
2446 The Yellow Jackets were then forced to punt on their next possession.
Glenville took advantage of good field position going 53 yards on six-plays to knot the score at 21-21
"Their were huge momentum shifts in that game," Anderson said. "(The players) just kept playing, they believed in each other."
Morris returned the ensuing kickoff from the three to the 33 where WVSU began what proved to be the game-winning drive.
After 11 plays the Yellow Jackets had advanced the ball to the Glenville 19 where Anthony Herrera hit a 36-yard field goal for a 24-21 lead that would hold for the rest of the contest.
"The offense gave us the lead," Anderson said. "Then the defense protected it in the fourth quarter."
Kinnick hit eight of his first 10 passes and finished 18-of-30 for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Brown ended up with 47 yards on the ground while Henderson caught three passes for 61 yards and Morris four for 43.
The WVSU defense held the Pioneers 21 points bel
ow their scoring average and 124 yards under their conference leading 501.7 per game.
Sophomore Dennis Gardeck paced the Yellow Jackets with 13 tackles including two sacks. Rowell added 12 tackles and Jordan Pierce 10.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY WEST VIRIGNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTSI NFORMATION
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