WISE - - UVa-Wise will look to win back-to-back games for the first time since winning three consecutive games in the 2011 season when the team visits West Virginia State in a 1:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

Coming off a 26-17 victory in front of nearly 2,700 fans on Homecoming 2016, the Cavaliers will seek their second road victory of the year. Head Coach Dane Damron's team upended Tusculum 13-10 in double overtime on the road to begin the season before falling at No. 4 Shepherd in its second road contest.

Last week, the Cavs rode the arm of redshirt freshman quarterback Brycen Lee and a strong second half defensive effort to knock off the previously undefeated Pioneers. Lee passed for a season-high 346 yards, 242 coming to brothers Jacob and James Cousins.  The UVa-Wise defense did not allow a point after falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter. Glenville State's only other points came on a 61-yard punt return. The Cavs' defense was even more impressive once the Pioneers crossed mid-field as Glenville State failed to score on four consecutive trips across the 50-yard line.

West Virginia State has lost back-to-back games and enters Saturday's contest at 1-3. The Yellow Jackets have relied on their passing game and ability to stop the pass in the early going. Opponents are averaging fewer than 200 passing yards per game against West Virginia State while Yellow Jackets' quarterbacks are tossing for 278.8 yards per game, the second highest number in the conference.

Receiver Akil Washington has been the Yellow Jackets' playmaker. The 6-foot-1 senior has at least one touchdown reception in each game thus far. Washington's biggest game of the year came in the season opener when he caught five passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Fairmont State.

Last year, West Virginia State wide receiver Quinton Gray was a thorn in the side of UVa-Wise. The 5-foot-11 native of Stafford, Va. caught nine passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets rallied from a 28-0 deficit to defeat the Cavs 52-45. This season, Gray has 289 receing yards in three games. Gray caught four passes for 74 yards last week after missing the previous contest.

All-time UVa-Wise is 2-1 against West Virginia State. The Cavs won the only meeting in Institute 16-13 in 2014.  That game saw then freshman running back Carlton Griffith carry the ball a career-high 30 times for 111 yards. The win was the first Mountain East Conference victory for the Cavs.

Saturday's game will mark the second straight Homecoming Game UVa-Wise has played in. West Virginia State is playing its Homecoming Game seven days after UVa-Wise defeated Glenville State in its Homecoming contest.

UVa-Wise will have a quick turnaround after Saturday's game. The Cavs welcome Concord University to Carl Smith Stadium for a 7 p.m. Thursday night kickoff. The Yellow Jackets go on the road to South Euclid, Ohio to face Notre Dame College.