WISE - - The 2016 season concludes Thursday when UVa-Wise visits the University of Charleston in a Mountain East Conference tilt. The contest pits two teams who have defied preseason expectations.
UVa-Wise has already captured six wins and stands in fourth place in the league standings. The Cavaliers won just one game in 2015 and were picked to finish tied for tenth in the preseason poll.
Meanwhile, Charleston received two first place votes and were picked second coming off a berth in last year's NCAA Division II Super Region I playoffs. The Golden Eagles have struggled in 2016, having won just two games. Charleston enters its Senior Day game having lost five consecutive games.
Thursday's game will be the finale for the one the top linebackers in UVa-Wise history. Senior
Zachary Blair broke the all-time NCAA Division II tackles for loss record in a career during last week's game against West Virginia Wesleyan. The former Skyline High School standout now has 78.5 during his career.
UVa-Wise has used its defense and its ability to spread the ball around for its five-win improvement. This season, the Cavaliers have seen nine different offensive players score a touchdown. Entering Thursday, quarterbacks
Brycen Lee and
Jeremy Eubank have combined to pass for 2,360 yards and 16 touchdowns. Seventeen different players have caught at least one pass this season with brothers Jacob (535) and James (533) Cousins leading the way with a combined 1,068 receiving yards.
On defense, UVa-Wise has forced 23 turnovers. Nine of the turnovers have come from interceptions with junior defensive back
Ed Kargbo leading the way with five. The Springfield, Va. native has an INT in four of the last five games and with five picks on the season he is tied for the league lead in the category.
Overall, the Cavs have forced 11 turnovers by their opponents in the last four games.
A seventh win by UVa-Wise would give the program its most wins since 2008 when the team posted an 8-3 mark. In its 26th season, the football program at the College has won seven games five times. Additionally, a seventh win this season would be just one shy of the combined win total from the past four seasons.
Charleston is looking to avoid its worst season since 2003 when the school restarted its football program. Regardless of Thursday's outcome, the Golden Eagles will have their first losing season since 2011 and just the third since 2003.
