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BELHAVEN 28, UVA-WISE 21

Cavs Drop Homecoming Match Against Belhaven
October 2, 2004

WISE, VA - Belhaven (Miss.) College spotted UVa-Wise a 14-point halftime lead but rallied for four second-half touchdowns to take 28-21 Mid-South Conference win over the Highland Cavaliers on homecoming Saturday is Wise.

Super prolific passer Brian Zbydniewski struggled early, but later showed the Carl Smith Stadium crowd why he is one of the top-rated passers in the nation.

Zbydniewski tossed three interceptions and completed less half his passes against the Cavs' defense -- most of the incompletions came in the opening half -- but did throw for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. His one-yard keeper put the Blazers ahead to stay, 21-14, at the 7:08 mark in the third quarter.

While the Blazers (4-1 overall and 3-1 in the MSC) came to Wise sporting a revved-up passing attack, the Mississippi team also showed it could run the ball.

Jeffery Johnson led the Blazers with 75 yards on 12 carries, and Alton Wade totaled 65 yards and a rushing touchdown.

UVa-Wise (2-4 overall and 2-3 in the MSC) started Saturday's game in impressive fashion while looking to upset Belhaven, one the MSC's most-improved teams.

After a Tim Smith (Marion, Va./Marion Senior High) interception to stop the Blazers' opening drive, the Cavaliers drove the ball 54 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Josh Mabe (Appalachia, Va./Appalachia High) to senior receiver Dieontea Stewart (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton Township).

The Cavaliers increased their lead to 14-0 just more than five minutes later when Made kept the ball rolled six yards into the end zone. Mabe, a sophomore, completed nine of 23 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Stewart led the Cavaliers' receiving corps with three catches good for 42 yards.

Junior Larry Smith (Fredericksburg, Va./Brooke Point High) got off to a good start and finished the game with 65 yards rushing. Smith had a long-distance run into the end zone that was called back on a holding penalty.

Freshman Ben Robertson (Morehead City, N.C./West Carteret High) led the Cavaliers' defense with 15 tackles -- two of which resulted in negative yardage for the Blazers.

Senior Josh Hamm (Thomasville, N.C./Ledford High) made 13 stops for UVa-Wise, and sophomore linebacker Cory Wheeler (Manassas, Va./Stonewall Jackson High) had the Cavs' only sack.

The Cavaliers get next weekend off, giving them and extra week to prepare for a tough road showdown against the nation's fourth-ranked team, Georgetown (Ky.) College. The two MSC teams square off at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 16 in Georgetown.

CAVS NOTES: Saturday's win was the first for the Blazers over UVa-Wise in four tries. Last year, the Cavs took a 38-35 win over Belhaven on a last-second field goal in Jackson, Miss. Two years ago, UVa-Wise won 20-13 in overtime in Wise.