WISE, Va. - Javonte Latney plunged in from a yard out with 21 seconds remaining to help Virginia-Wise hold off West Virginia State 34-24 in a Mountain East Conference football matchup Thursday night.
The Cavaliers move to 2-0 and hand the Yellow Jackets (1-1) their first loss of the season.
State outgained Wise 477-404, but committed four turnovers on the evening.
The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring when Calil Wilkins broke off a 54-yard touchdown run just 74 seconds into the game.
Wise took the lead late in the first quarter, as Donavan Montague picked off State quarterback Matt Kinnick's pass and returned it 21 yards for a TD and Carlton Griffith scored on a 3-yard run to put the Cavaliers up 14-7.
The two teams traded touchdowns just before the half and Wise carried a 21-14 lead into the break.
Kinnick connected with Quinton Gray for an 18-yard TD strike in the third, but Wise's Brycen Lee found Kaian Duverger for a 13-yard score to keep the Cavaliers up 27-21.
After Aaron Ball's 24-yard field goal with 8:35 left cut the Yellow Jackets deficit to 27-24, State held the Cavaliers on their ensuing possession, but Montague picked off Kinnick for the second time with 4:07 remaining.
Wise ended the game with a seven-play, 17-yard drive capped by Latney's TD to put State away for good.
Lee completed 15 of 25 passes for 251 yards and two scores against one interception and Griffith ended with 67 yards on 10 totes and a score for the Cavaliers.
Wilkins had a big night for State, rushing for 201 yards and a TD on 23 carries. Kinnick knocked down 15 of 33 passes for 195 yards and two scores against three picks, Gray hauled in 6 passes for 66 yards and a score and Zack Pate caught four balls for 74 yards for the Yellow Jackets.