INSTITUTE, W.Va. - - Trent Martin's Mountain East Conference record-setting sixth field goal of the game proved to be the game-winner as UVa-Wise upended West Virginia State 39-37 at Dickerson Stadium Saturday. Martin's final field goal, a 28-yarder came with one second to play and completed a game that saw seven lead changes, including two in the final 25 seconds.
West Virginia State (1-4, 1-4 MEC) seemingly won the game when Akil Washington hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Austin Hensley with 25 seconds to go. The score gave the Yellow Jackets a 37-36 advantage. West Virginia State attempted to go for two to push their lead to three but the conversion attempt proved to be unsuccessful.
UVa-Wise (3-2, 2-2 MEC) took over on its own 20-yard line following the ensuing kickoff. Redshirt freshman Brycen Lee started the drive with a completion to Austin Atkinson, leaving 20 seconds on the clock. A play later, Lee hooked up with Corey Hillberath across the middle of the field for a 33-yard completion.
The connection gave the Cavaliers the ball on the Yellow Jackets' 42-yard line with 10 seconds to play. UVa-Wise used one of its remaining two timeouts to set up a 16-yard completion to James Cousins. The play moved the ball to the West Virginia State 26-yard line with five seconds to play.
UVa-Wise received a huge break on the play as West Virginia State was called for a personal foul moving the game winning field goal attempt from 43 yards out to 28.
Martin's field goal allowed him to go a career-high 6-6 in attempts while setting a conference record in the process. It was his second game-winning kick of 2016, the senior also booted a game-winning field goal in UVa-Wise's double overtime victory at Tusculum to begin the season.
Saturday's game was a roller coaster ride from the opening kickoff. UVa-Wise took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown only to see it called back for a block in the back.
The Cavaliers eventually fell behind 10-0 in the first eight minutes of the game. Hensley got the Yellow Jackets on the board when he fired a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Henderson with 12:30 to play in the opening quarter. After making the PAT, Anthony Herrera was good on a 20-yard field goal attempt to give West Virginia State the two-score lead on Homecoming 2016.
UVa-Wise began its comeback later in the period as Martin booted his first field goal of the contest. The Virginia Beach product finished off a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal. Later in the period the Cavs tied the game as Lee found James Cousins for a 7-yard touchdown. The touchdown pass capped a nine-play, 79-yard drive. Martin's ensuing PAT knotted the score at 10-10.
Dane Damron's Cavs took their first lead of the day when Martin's second field goal of the day sailed through the uprights. The 31-yard kick finished off a 43-yard scoring drive and gave the visitors a 13-10 lead.
The second lead change of the opening half would come when Hensley Henderson caught his second touchdown of the day, a 55-yard reception. Herrera's conversion kick left the score 17-13 with 2:23 to play in the half.
UVa-Wise answered quickly as Lee and James Cousins hooked up for a 35-yard touchdown. Martin's PAT sent the game to intermission with the Cavs leading 20-17.
West Virginia State took the second half kickoff and promptly regained the lead. Hensley orchestrated a 65-yard drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barrette. The PAT gave the Yellow Jackets a 24-20 lead with 10:59 to play in the third quarter.
The only other points of the period would come on Martin's fourth field goal of the game, a 24-yard kick that sent the game to the final 15 minutes with West Virginia State leading by just one at 24-23.
The lead would see-saw again in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Trent Martin's fifth field goal of the day, a 21-yarder gave the guests a two-point margin.
Senior linebacker Zachary Blair would come up with what was the biggest play of the day, to that point, on West Virginia State's next possession. The Front Royal native picked off a Hensley pass and raced 82 yards for the touchdown. Blair's interception highlighted a day that saw him finish with 14 tackles and two for loss in the win.
Trailing by nine, West Virginia State wasted little time getting the game back within one score. The Yellow Jackets moved 74 yards on eight plays for a touchdown. Dionte Brown finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown scamper. The PAT made the score 33-31.
Steady as they come, Martin connected on his fifth field goal of the day, a 32-yarder with 1:36 to play. The kick put West Virginia State in a situation where they had to score a touchdown to win the contest, trailing 36-31.
While the Yellow Jackets would score, the Cavs had thought the game was over. Ed Kargbo picked off a Hensley pass inside UVa-Wise territory but the interception was wiped out by a roughing the passer call.
West Virginia State would also pick up an extra set of downs inside the 10-yard line on a targeting call in the end zone before the final 30 second heroics transpired.
UVa-Wise posted a season-high 549 yards as part of a game that featured 1,069 yards of total offense. Lee passed 423 yards as he connected with eight different receivers. James Cousins finished with 127 yards while Hilberath added 91 yards. Atkinson finished with a season-best five catches for 57 yards.
In addition to Blair, freshman Will Clift had a big day on defense. The defensive back registered 12 stops while Alvin Enahoro rounded a trio of UVa-Wise defenders with double digit stops with 10.
Hensley passed for 494 yards and four touchdowns. A trio of Yellow Jackets had at least 100 receiving yards, Barrette led the way with 166 yards.
With the win, the Cavs have now won back-to-back games for the first time since 2011.
Next week, UVa-Wise welcomes Concord University to Carl Smith Stadium for a Thursday kickoff. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and all fans will be admitted free as part of "Community Appreciation Night".
