For the last few years, the battles between West Virginia State and UVa-Wise have gone down to the wire, and WVSU coach Jon Anderson doesn't expect that to change much when the two schools meet at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Lakin Field.
Each of those three games have been decided by seven points or less, including last year's game in which the Yellow Jackets rallied with 24 fourth-quarter points to sneak away with a 52-45 win.
This season, West Virginia State (1-3) will try to return to the win column against a UVa-Wise team that looks to be much improved under first-year coach Dane Damron. The Cavaliers (2-2) have already exceeded last year's win total and picked up that second victory of the season with a win over a talented Glenville State team last week.
"They're a big example of why the MEC is so tough," Anderson said. "They play with a big chip on their shoulder and we're definitely going to have quite a challenge with them."
UVa-Wise has emerged as one of the Mountain East Conference's better passing teams and had two receivers go for more than 100 yards in its win over the Pioneers. Quarterback Brycen Lee threw for a season-high 346 yards and four touchdowns to lead the way.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets have been showing a little more balance this season with the emergence of Juawan Etheredge in the running game.
West Virginia State has still been finding ways to put up solid numbers through the air with quarterbacks Matt Kinnick and Austin Hensley, but the added dimension of the run game has been a welcome addition. Etheredge sits at third in the conference at 89.8 yards per game on the ground.
"Every week in this conference you have to play mistake-free football if you want to win," Anderson said. "Our guys have been good this week, their mindset is where it needs to be. We just have to come out ready to play."
n The University of Charleston beat West Virginia State for its first win of the season, and it was a game the Golden Eagles want to use as a springboard for their defense.
After allowing at least 35 points in all three games to open the season, UC (1-3) beat the Yellow Jackets 35-7 on Sept. 22 and now head into Saturday's road matchup against Concord with a renewed sense of confidence.
"That game gave the team as a whole, but especially the defense, a big boost," Charleston coach Pat Kirkland said. "We've played some good football teams the first few weeks, but we put our defense in an even tougher spot by turning the ball over so much. Playing a clean game on both sides of the ball was something we really needed."
Concord has also been struggling at times offensively this year, making it another chance for UC to come out with a strong performance.
The Mountain Lions (2-2) are last in the league in scoring but are coming off a 20-17 win over West Virginia Wesleyan.
The Golden Eagles were able to build up a solid rushing attack last week against the Yellow Jackets and hope to establish the run consistently again against Concord. UC ran the ball 53 times for 298 yards, including a 185-yard performance from Tevion Cappe.
"[Concord] is a good team and defensively they find ways to get stops by forcing turnovers and things like that," Kirkland said. "They've had a lot of success and they have plenty of talent.
"When you look at the film, they look like a team that is ready to have a breakout game and we just have to go out there and make sure it doesn't come this week."
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.