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WHEELING – Over the last month, the Wheeling University Football team (0-0, 0-0) has been working through training camp as they prepare for 2026. On Saturday, the Cardinals will get to hit a different colored jersey for the first time this season, when they welcome in Thomas More with kick-off at noon. The Cardinals and Saints are meeting for the first time in program history as Wheeling Football plays on the brand new turf at Bishop Schmitt Field for the first time.
The 2025 season saw the Cardinals put together one of their best finishes in program history, going 6-5 overall and 5-3 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. They woudl finish tied for third in the MEc standings, their highest finish in an 11-game schedule, and were competing for the conference title down to the final day of the regular season. They were backed by a strong defensive effort that allowed 30.27 points per game, fourth fewest across the MEC.
They held the opposition to 28 points or fewer in five contests during the year, while having five of their All-MEC award winners on that side of the ball. On the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals would average 27.82 points per game and 356.0 total yards per game. That offense came to life over the final two games of the season, scoring a combined 102 points between the two games, including setting the single-game points record with 67 against West Liberty.
As they head into 2026, the Cardinals offense will look to carry the load, led by Graduate Quarterback Landon Lutz. Lutz battled injury throughout the 2025 season but was still able to throw for 1,072 yards and six touchdowns to just two interceptions. He is approaching a pair of milestones in the opening week of the season, needing just 202 yards to reach the 4,000 passing-yard plateau and just 382 yards to break the program’s career passing-yards record. He has thrown for 1,300+ yards in two of his three seasons, and looks to set himself a top the all-time quarterback leaderboards at Wheeling.
He will be surrounded by his top two returning targets from a season ago in Jordan Kaiser and Colin Oberdick, who each set career-highs last season with Kaiser picking up 585 receiving yards and five touchdowns, while Oberdick pulled in 442 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Despite losing their top six tacklers from a season ago, the Cardinal defense will look to continue to improve on last year’s number under new Defensive Coordinator Arthur Smith III. The veteran presence in the defensive secondary will be Day Day Bates, who was a key contributor on special teams a season ago. Bates picked up 12.0 total tackles, seven solo and five assisted, while adding one pass break-up on the season. In the box, it will be redshirt junior Awwal Osinuga leading the charge at outside linebacker. He led the Cardinals with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks a season ago. Osinuga enters this season sitting fourth in program history with 7.5 sacks and will be a key part of the Cardinal’s pass rush throughout the season.
Unlike last season when the Cardinals played three of their first four games on the road, the Cardinals will flip that script with three of their first four games at home to start 2026. Saturday will mark the start of the 70th anniversary of Wheeling Athletics, with the department holding an Opening Day Tailgate before the noon kick-off. Wheeling will be starting their season at home for the first time since the 2024 season, and the team is 3-2 when they start the season at home dating back to their inaugural 2018 season. In 2025, the Cardinals went 2-3 at Bishop Schmitt Field, averaging 21.4 points per game on their home turf and allowing 23.4 points per game. The Cardinals are looking to start the season strong and take advantage of the early home stretch.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Saints will be meeting for the first time in program history when they match-up Saturday at Bishop Schmitt Field. Thomas More began its transition process to NCAA Division II starting in the 2022-23 season, and were granted full membership on September 1st, 2025. Since joining NCAA DII, the Saints have gone 16-28, including a 13-22 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. The 2025 season would see them go 1-10 overall and 1-8 in conference play, with their lone win coming in a 14-11 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan College to round out the season.
The Details
Kick off for Saturday’s game is scheduled for noon inside Bishop Schmitt Field on the campus of Wheeling University.