The Matchup
• The Fairmont State (6-2, 4-2 MEC) football team hits the road on Saturday (Oct. 28) to play West Virginia State (4-3, 4-2 MEC) at Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium in Institute, W.Va. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. 
• The game will be broadcasted live on MEC TV. Fans can tune into SKY 106.5 FM with the voice of the Fighting Falcons Travis Jones on the call with color analyst Duane Cochran. Live stats will be provided on fightingfalcons.com.
• The Falcons are coming off of a 33-30 win versus previously undefeated Charleston. The win marked the first time FSU defeated UC since the 2017 season.
• Saturday's game will be the 55th meeting all-time between Fairmont State and WVSU, with the Falcons owning a 36-17-1 record versus the Yellow Jackets.
• WVSU has won the previous three matchups in the series. The Yellow Jackets knocked off Fairmont State in Institute last September in a 34-29 decision.

Fighting Falcons Facts
• Fairmont State football was listed "under consideration" in the first set of NCAA Super Region 1 Rankings that were unveiled on Monday (Oct. 23) night. The initial rankings were listed in alphabetical order and the numerical rankings will be revealed next week.
• The Falcons have doubled their win total from the 2022 season and have won the most games in a single season since 2018.
• As a team, Fairmont State leads the country in passes intercepted (16). The Falcons lead the conference in passing yards per completion (15.59 yds/completion) and turnover margin (1.50).
• Eltayeb Bushra has emerged as one of the premier defenders in the MEC and enters week nine as the conference's interception leader with six picks. The defensive back from Herndon, Va. was named the D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week and MEC Defensive Player of the Week after snagging a pair of interceptions versus Charleston. Bushra ranks second in Division II in interceptions per game (0.8 interceptions per game) and has been named conference defensive player of the week twice. He has accumulated 47 total tackles with six tackles for loss to go along with a pair of pass breakups and a forced fumble.
• Quarterback Michael Floria led the Falcons on a 16-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that ended with Fairmont State scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 10 seconds on the clock in the final quarter. Floria lofted a pass to tight end Carter Giacomo on fourth and goal from the one-yard line for the game-winning score versus the Golden Eagles. Floria has tallied 75 completions for 1,110 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
• LeJay Hatcher is Fairmont State's leading rusher and has chalked up 439 rushing yards on the ground. Hatcher ranks ninth on the conference leaderboard in rushing yards. Donovan Washington has entered the end zone five times on the ground while Leonard Farrow has rumbled for four touchdowns on the ground that has bolstered the Falcons' rushing attack. 
• Kobe Harris is Fairmont State's leading receiver and has racked up 22 receptions for 450 yards (sixth in the MEC) and three touchdowns. In the first half versus Wheeling, he returned a punt 74 yards for a score. The receiver from Atlanta, Ga. ranks 20th in the country in averaging 20.45 yards per reception.
• Sophomore wideout Winston Page hauled in five receptions for 74 yards and two scores versus NDC. Page has totaled 262 receiving yards and averages 12.48 yards/reception. 
• Gage Michael scored a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown versus Post. The Kent State transfer and Fairmont native has caught 17 passes for 299 yards in his first seven games donning the Maroon & White.
• Bushra is one of three Fairmont State defensive backs to record multiple interceptions this season. Isaiah Powell-Major and Sam Fairley have both nabbed three interceptions for the Falcons' defense. All three players have returned an interception for a score this season. The Falcons had two pick-sixes in their win versus Charleston after scores by Bushra and Fairley.
• Powell-Major set the Fairmont State school record for longest interception return on a 97-yard pick six in the first quarter versus Concord. The redshirt sophomore from Glen Burnie, Md. added his second interception of the night in the second quarter and finished the game with a pair of pass breakups, a forced fumble, a tackle for a loss and four total tackles. Powell-Major was awarded MEC Defensive Player of the Week for his standout performance.
• Jovon Jackson won MEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after creating two turnovers in the week two win at West Liberty. The junior from Gainesville, Va. has made 65.0 total tackles and has forced two fumbles to go along with an interception and two blocked kicks.
• Brocton Blair is Fairmont State's leading tackler and has tallied 66.0 total tackles. The Honorable Mention All-American from last season has added five quarterback hurries, four pass break ups and 3.0 tackles for a loss. He and Jackson are the lone two Falcons that have made over 60 tackles this season.
• The Falcons recorded a season-high eight sacks versus Concord, with Nemo Roberts leading the charge with 2.5 sacks. Roberts leads the defensive line with 4.5 sacks this season. Randy Robinson racked up 2.0 sacks in the Falcons' win versus UC, and sealed the win with a sack on the final play of the game. Nine Falcons (Roberts, Robinson, Donovan O'Malley, Matt Pack, Izuchukwu Igwe, Bryce Mumphrey, Ben Brzezinski, Josh Alt and Kylyn Macklin) have recorded at least 0.5 sacks in the season.
• On special teams, punter Scout Arthur earned MEC Player of the Week honors in week four after averaging 41.4 yards per punt and placing three punts inside the 20-yard line versus NDC. The AB transfer has averaged 38.1 yards per punt and has placed 13 punts inside the 20-yard line. Placekicker Emmanuel Richardson shined versus UC and was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and 3-for-3 on extra points. Richardson's season-long field goal is 43 yards. Pack and Jackson lead the MEC in blocked kicks and have blocked two kicks each. 
• Fairmont State Head Football Coach Jason Woodman is in his 11th season leading the Falcons. He secured his 58th career win versus Charleston and is the second-winningest football coach in school history. 

Scouting West Virginia State
• The Yellow Jackets have dropped their last two games after stringing together a four-game winning streak. WVSU is coming off of a 28-14 loss at Frostburg State on Thursday Night Football in week eight.
• WVSU quarterback Donovan Riddick leads the MEC in completion percentage and has completed 65.7% of his pass attempts. Riddick has completed 134 passes for 1,603 yards and 12 touchdowns. Halfback Joel Felder ranks second in the conference with nine rushing touchdowns and has totaled 853 yards on the ground. Joe Jones has tallied four receiving touchdowns, including a 93-yard score.
• Kameron Vargas is at the top of the Yellow Jackets' tackle chart and has made 39.0 total tackles. Jalen Jones, Avery Scott and AJ Joyce have each recorded a pair of sacks. Jy Martin leads the WVSU defense with three interceptions.
• Seven-year head coach John Pennington leads the WVSU football program and has won 38 career games during his tenure. Pennington was a wide receiver at West Virginia University from 2002-2004. He earned recognition from the WVU coaching staff and was selected as the "Ideal Mountaineer Man" in 2003 and 2004.