WISE - - West Virginia State overcame a 28-point first quarter deficit to spoil Homecoming 2015 at UVa-Wise in a 52-45 win at Carl Smith Stadium Saturday. The Yellow Jackets scored 24 points in the span of 4:33 in the fourth quarter to complete a 42-point scoring reversal.

Errors plagued UVa-Wise (0-5, 0-4 MEC) all day. The Cavaliers turned the ball over four times, had a punt blocked and had numerous poor exchanges on punt attempts. A final miscue with less than two minutes remaining proved to be the "straw that broke the camel's back". UVa-Wise was cited a five-yard penalty for jumping offside attempting to get one final possession. The penalty, the 12th of the day assessed against Dewey Lusk's squad, gave West Virginia State (3-2, 3-2 MEC) a first down allowing the visitors to run out the clock.

For the third consecutive home game the Cavs jumped out to a large first half lead. Jeremy Eubank started the scoring as he scored from 35 yards out. Trent Martin made the point after giving UVa-Wise a 7-0 lead with 13:08 to play in the opening quarter.

Eubank engineered a second scoring drive in the first quarter. The junior signal caller finished off a five-play 59-yard drive with a one-yard scamper. The big play on the drive came when wide receiver Terrence Younger won a jump ball from a Yellow Jackets' defender for a 51-yard pass play.

The next two scores of the quarter came while the offense was standing on the sidelines. Defensive back Andre Hamilton picked off a Matt Kinnick pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. Martin's third PAT of the quarter extended the homecoming lead to 21-0 with 6:52 to play in the quarter.

Tray Billups scored the fourth touchdown of the quarter as he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. Following the extra point, UVa-Wise led 28-0 just 10 minutes into the contest.

Jon Anderson's West Virginia State squad began its comeback on the following possession. Kinnick found Quinton Gray and the receiver took the pass 71 yards for a score.  The Yellow Jackets cut the lead in half with 11:25 in the second quarter when Tyrone Barber darted into the end zone from seven yards out.

Four consecutive scoreless possessions by the UVa-Wise offense allowed the Yellow Jackets to stay in the contest and the guests took advantage.

Kinnick's second touchdown pass of the half, a 28-yard strike to Tyrell Henderson and subsequent extra point by Anthony Herrera made the score 28-21 with 6:16 to play in the half.

After seemingly having already put the game away once, UVa-Wise finished the first half on a flurry.

Martin capped off a 13-play 57-yard drive with a 35-yard field goal before Zachary Blair blocked a Herrera field goal attempt on the final play of the half. Maurice Watkins recovered the blocked kick and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Martin's extra point gave the Cavs a three-score lead at intermission, 38-21. Watkins' 100-yard scoring play tied an NCAA record.

The score would remain unchanged until 4:49 to play in the third period when the Yellow Jackets' Brady Cox caught a one-yard touchdown pass from D'Von Dorsey on fourth and goal. The extra point cut the deficit to 38-28.

The touchdown was the start of 31 consecutive points scored by West Virginia State. Herrera booted a 42-yard field goal, Barber produced two touchdown runs and Kinnick fired his third touchdown pass of the game during a run that saw the Yellow Jackets take a 52-38 lead.

UVa-Wise had one final shot with less than two minutes to play when Younger hauled in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Lewis. Martin's conversion kick made the score 52-45. The Yellow Jackets recovered an attempted onside kick meaning they would need just one first down to claim the victory.

On a second down and four play, the Cavs jumped offside giving the Yellow Jackets the needed first down. The five penalty yards ran the total to 112 on the day against UVa-Wise. It was the second consecutive game the Cavs were penalized over 100 yards.

West Virginia State was limited to just 22 yards on the ground but passed for 337 yards in their first ever victory over UVa-Wise. The Cavs had won each of the first two meetings.

Blair posted 13 tackles for the third consecutive game while Yellow Jackets' linebacker Dennis Gardeck led all players with 16 stops. Gardeck entered the game leading the Mountain East Conference in sacks, he added two on Saturday giving him eight on the year.

Younger caught nine passes for 133 yards. The total moved the senior into fifth all-time at UVa-Wise with 2,317 yards. Eubank and Lewis combined to pass for 224 yards on 46 attempts. The duo was sacked four times and picked off three times.

Kinnick passed for 336 yards and three scores. The sophomore entered the game without throwing an interception all season but he was picked off three times Saturday.

Gray matched Younger with nine receptions and led all players in yardage with 202 receiving yards on the day.

It was third time in as many home games in 2015 that UVa-Wise built a two-score first half lead.  Through five games, UVa-Wise has scored 104 points, 52 of those points have been scored in the opening quarter.

Next week, the Cavs travel to Athens, West Virginia to face preseason conference favorite Concord. The Mountain Lions are coming off a 29-21 loss at Charleston on Thursday.