The word of the week for the West Virginia State football team, as it prepares for Saturday's visit to Urbana University in Ohio, is "momentum."
The Yellow Jackets know about grabbing it. They did just that when they staked a 13-point second-quarter lead over Fairmont State in their season opener. What WVSU needs to work on is reclaiming that momentum when it's ripped away from them.
State dealt with that, too, against the Falcons. FSU scored 23 unanswered points to hand the Yellow Jackets a 30-20 loss.
Since the 2015 season concluded, West Virginia State has been itching to show that it has progressed as a football program, that it is ready to climb into the upper rungs of the Mountain East Conference. Linebacker Dennis Gardeck said that opening setback knocked that mission a couple of steps backward.
"That sense of arrival is completely gone now," Gardeck said. "We've got everything to prove, still."
One way they'll try to prove that is to stave off late comebacks.
"We had a lot of momentum on our side early and lost it," WVSU coach Jon Anderson said. "Good football teams grab momentum back. We talked about how someone needs to take this team and put it on their shoulders.
"When one side of the football is down, the other has to be great," he added. "When both sides of the football are down, special teams needs to be great."
The Yellow Jackets will try to rebound against an Urbana team that served State one of those last-second losses in 2015. With the game tied in the final minute, quarterback Cale Burdyshaw hit Trevon Saunders for a 38-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left to escape Lakin Field with a 30-23 victory.
Tajuan Green will be the quarterback for the Blue Knights (0-1) this week, as they try to rebound from a 44-24 loss to Glenville State in their season opener. Green threw for 174 yards and a touchdown, but could gain just 14 on the ground after the Blue Knights were gobbled up for seven sacks by the Pioneers.
Anderson said Green is still dangerous with his feet.
"Their quarterback is a dual-threat guy," Anderson said. "He's not going to stand in the pocket like the guy we saw last week. He's going to get out and run around and they're going to design some things for him to run around."
Gardeck said the players have attacked the practice week with even more passion because of the way the Fairmont State game ended. The goal for Saturday is to stay on task for four quarters, honing in on the small details that Gardeck felt cost the Yellow Jackets last week's game.
"We have a motto - 'focus, finish,' " Gardeck said. "We're going to focus in and finish each play. We're going to finish each drive and finish each game."
The Yellow Jackets have high hopes for the 2016 campaign, and must shrug off last week's disappointment to get back on track.
"Our goal this week is to be the most improved team in college," Anderson said. "And I definitely think we can be."
Contact Derek Redd at 304-348-1712 or derek.redd@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @derekredd.