UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team opened the 2022 season with a decisive victory over West Virginia Wesleyan College on Thursday night at Wickes Stadium.

The Cardinals rushed for nine touchdowns and held the Bobcats to just five first downs in a 72-0 win to start the season 1-0. The 72 points is the most scored by the Cardinals since Sept. 6, 1997, when SVSU scored 73 in the season opener against Wayne State University.  

First Quarter:

• On the team's first drive of the game, Tyler Amos ran the ball in for a 5-yard score with 9:31 left in the first.
• Just over three minutes later, Dante Barthwell scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 14-yard run, while Isaiah Malcome rushed it in from three yards out with 2:26 remaining in the first to make it 20-0.

Second Quarter:

• After a 35-yard field goal from Connor Luksic early in the second for SVSU, starting quarterback Andrew Brito found the end zone for the first time as a Cardinal on a 2-yard run to push the lead to 30-0.
• Barthwell scored for the second time on a 21-yard scamper with 33 seconds left before the half to send the teams to the locker room with SVSU up 37-0.

Third Quarter:

• The SVSU passing game provided the lone score in the third with a 40-yard touchdown strike from Willie Taylor to Earnest Sanders IV.
• The Bobcats were held without a first down until midway through the third quarter, but the drive stalled on an interception by Jacoby Sanders at the SVSU 7-yard line to preserve the shutout.

Fourth Quarter:

• The Cardinals added four more touchdowns on the ground in the fourth. Austin Bills scored on a 2-yard run to cap a 12-play, 93-yard drive to make it 51-0.
• Colby Newburg took over at quarterback and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 29-yard run, followed by the third score from Barthwell on a 15-yard score.
• Newburg capped off the win with his second score from three yards after the Cardinals recovered a fumble deep in WVWC territory.

Inside the Box Score:

• The Cardinals rushed the ball 52 times for 372 yards and eight scores
• Bills finished with 10 carries for 73 yards, while Newburg had six carries for 57 yards.
• Brito finished 7-for-13 passing for 59 yards, and Taylor was 5-for-8 for 71 yards.
• Sanders IV led the receiving corps with two catches for 61 yards.
• Micah Cretsinger led the Cardinals in tackles with six. Brandon Rawls and Alfred Dailey Jr. each had five.
• Leonard Henry IV had the lone sack for the Cardinals, dropping the quarterback for a nine-yard loss.

Up Next:

The Cardinals remain home to host No. 8 Bowie State University at 1 pm on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Wickes Stadium. The game will conclude a week of events to celebrate the HBCU traditions.

Post-Game Interview with Head Coach Ryan Brady Below: