BUCKHANNON – Michael Anderson ran for 176 yards and a score to help lead the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats past the Urbana Blue Knights by a 34-7 score today on Homecoming weekend in a Mountain East Conference outing at Ross Field.
The victory ended a seven-game losing streak that stretched into last season for the Bobcats.
Wesleyan dominated on both sides of the ball in the win over Urbana.
The Bobcats racked up 432 yards of offense while the defense held Urbana to a season best 149 yards.
Wesleyan scored first when Ryan Deal hit Anthony Okray for a 14-yard pass with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.
Nick Banta's point-after-kick was good to give Wesleyan a 7-0 lead.
Urbana tied the game at 7-7 with a touchdown with 4:57 left in the second quarter.
That 7-7 tie was the score at the half.
Wesleyan opened up the second half with a bang as on the first play, wide receiver Marcus Smith took the hand-off and then threw a perfect strike to Stephen Rogalski (pictured) for a 62-yard score.
Banta's kick was good to give Wesleyan to a 14-7 lead.
Smith scored the old fashioned way four minutes later when he hauled in a 13-pass from Deal that put Wesleyan up by a 20-7 score with 11:04 remaining in the third quarter.
Deal floated a pass to the corner of the end zone that Ryan Gumbita caught to increase the Bobcat lead to 26-7 with 10 seconds gone in the fourth quarter.
Banta's kick was good as Wesleyan led by a 27-7 score.
Anderson capped off an 88-yard, 10-minute drive with a three-yard run with 2:59 remaining in the game.
Deal ended his day completing 19 of his 32 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns.
Deal has thrown 11 touchdowns in his last three starts.
Anderson was his favorite target as he hauled in five passes for 74 yards while Rogalski caught four passes for 91 yards.
The Wesleyan defense limited Urbana quarterback Eric Pelfrey to just 93 yards passing after completing eight of his 25 passes.
Wesleyan defensive lineman Kevin Pharon led the defense with six tackles and two sacks.
Wesleyan, now 1-6 overall and 1-6 in the MEC, will be idle until they visit the University of Charleston for the Thursday Night MEC Game of the Week on Oct. 29.
Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.
(Photo courtesy of Peter Galarneau Jr.)
