GLENVILLE - Eight games into the season, the mission for the Glenville State College football team is clear - win out and the West Virginia Conference championship belongs to the Pioneers.
Second-year head coach David Hutchison's squad is seeking its third straight victory when No. 25 Charleston rolls into Morris Stadium for a 1:30 p.m. Saturday homecoming kickoff.
Three WVIAC programs, the G-men (4-4, 4-1), the Golden Eagles (7-1, 4-1) and preseason favorite Shepherd (6-2, 5-1) are the lone teams with just one conference setback.
While GSC still has a road trip to Shepherd next week followed by senior day versus Seton Hill on Saturday, Nov. 10, the Pioneers are in yet another must-win situation.
The task at hand Saturday will be anything but easy. GSC quarterback Darold Hughes is still questionable to play and that means Justin Feagin is likely to make a third straight start.
Feagin has helped guide the G-men, along with a solid running game behind Rahmann Lee, to consecutive victories the last two weeks versus W.Va. State (29-21) and W.Va. Wesleyan (28-21). In his two starts, Feagin hasn't thrown a pick, tossed two touchdowns and is 17 of 44 for 252 yards.
Fact Box
Matchup
#25 Charleston
(7-1, 4-1 WVIAC)
at Glenville State
(4-4, 4-1)
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. for Pioneer homecoming at Morris Stadium
Lee, ranked 26th in the country in rushing yards per game at 111.0, will face a stiff challenge from a UC defense that is allowing barely 100 stripes on the ground a contest, good for 14th in all of Division II.
With a passing offense ranked just 133 out of 158 nationally, there's no secret what UC's bread and butter is and that's using talented running back Jordan Roberts. Roberts leads the WVIAC and is 12th nationally as he averages nearly 134 yards rushing an outing.
Coach Hutchison's squad has a plus-four turnover margin the last two weeks and the G-men will need another strong effort in taking care of the pigskin versus the Golden Eagles' No. 8 defense that allows 270 total yards each week.
UC, which is riding a four-game winning streak, also features sack master Jeff Green (6th in D-II), aside from the fact Roberts is third in the land in kickoff return yard average.
Lee needs 112 yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau on the season.
Heading into this tilt, the GSC defense has been led by top tacklers James Johnson (70), Terry Reese (59) and Devin Cain (57). James Washington and Gary Henderson have combined for 10 sacks for the Pioneers.
