BUCKHANNON, W.Va. - - West Virginia Wesleyan forced five turnovers and limited UVa-Wise to 3-of-17 on third down conversions to post a 10-7 win at Ross Field Saturday. The Bobcats scored all 10 of their points in the opening quarter as Tyler Fischer booted a 36-yard field goal and Aman Speed recovered a fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.
Wesleyan (3-4, 3-4 MEC) took the opening kickoff and marched to the UVa-Wise (4-3, 4-3 MEC) 25-yard line before being stopped on fourth and one.
Two plays later, the Bobcats were back in possession of the football as Nate Simmons intercepted a Jarome Johnson pass.
Again, the Cavaliers' defense was up to the task as the hosts advanced just seven yards before Fischer's field goal at the 11:09 mark of the opening quarter.
Dane Damron's team would put together one of its better drives of the half on its next possession before a penalty forced UVa-Wise to punt from the Wesleyan 47-yard line.
After forcing the Bobcats to punt, the Cavs again moved it across midfield only to see Tre Buford strip Javonte Latney and Speed recover to thwart the drive.
After picking up nine yards on its first two plays from scrimmage, Wesleyan was driven back by the UVa-Wise defense as Michael Tarrer stopped a third down attempt before Donavan Montague dropped Dante Satcher for a loss on fourth down to get his team the ball back.
The momentum was short lived for the visitors as Speed recovered his second fumble of the day and returned it 41 yards for his team's only touchdown of the contest.
Neither school would crack the red zone in the second quarter so the two sides entered halftime with Wesleyan holding a 10-0 advantage.
UVa-Wise received the third quarter kickoff and moved the ball to the Wesleyan 15-yard line before lining up to attempt a field goal on fourth down. Trevor Owens' 32-yard attempt was blocked by Trey Lee to keep the shutout intact.
Later in the period, the Bobcats would have a chance to go extend their lead but a strip sack and recovery by Tarrer gave the ball back to the Cavs at their own 45-yard line.
UVa-Wise would finally get on the board on its first drive of the fourth quarter when Von Purvis capped an eight-play 50-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown scamper. Owens' conversion kick made the score 10-7 with 13:26 to play.
The Cavs defense would limit the Bobcats to 26 yards of offense in the fourth quarter but it wouldn't be enough as UVa-Wise countered with just 17 yards of offense over the final 13:26 of play.
Seven Cavs had at least five tackles, led by Kwadwo Diawuo's seven. Chris White finished with six solo stops, including four tackles for loss while Tarrer and Funny joined White as UVa-Wise players with a sack in the game.
Next up, the Cavs play host to the University of Charleston at Carl Smith Stadium next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
