If you were tempted to write off Wingate football after back-to-back losses a few weeks ago, you might want to reconsider your position.
Yes, the Bulldogs face an uphill climb to retain the South Atlantic Conference championship trophy they earned last season. But the ‘Dogs aren’t out of the race yet and still could factor into the playoff chase over the next four weeks even if they don’t win the league title.
Wingate muddied the conference standings this past Saturday with its biggest win to day, knocking off No. 22 ranked Emory & Henry 27-20 on the road. The Bulldogs scored the winning touchdown with 1:50 left when Xavier Pugh found the end zone on a 1-yard run.
Wingate earns North Carolina College Football Team of the Week honors for its latest triumph. Emory & Henry had been on top of the South Atlantic standings with a 5-1 mark and was just getting used to being in the D2 national rankings after a few weeks.
BULLDOGS WIN!!!!!@WingateFb goes on the road and takes down #22 Emory & Henry 27-20!
Holmes threw for 279 yards & a touchdown, adding a rushing TD; Pugh scored the winning TD with 1:50 left#OneDog pic.twitter.com/CuwdcFtGxT — Wingate Bulldogs (@WU_Bulldogs) October 18, 2025
Remaking Its Identity
Wingate has been a defensive juggernaut for several years and ranked among the national D2 leaders in several defensive categories last season. With key pieces from that team gone, like consensus All-American defensive end Marquise Fleming, the Bulldogs have had to rely more on their offense while a youthful defense catches up.
To that end, both units fared well Saturday. Wingate outgained Emory & Henry 409-290. The Bulldogs converted on 10 of 17 third-down plays.
Elijah Holmes completed 17-of-28 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown. Holmes spread the ball among multiple targets, including Xavier Jackson (3 catches, 91 yards), Jaylen Himes (6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD), Laron Warner (5 catches, 56 yards), Silas Tate (a 41-yard reception).
Wingate took a 20-10 lead late the third quarter when Himes caught a 14-yard TD pass from Holmes. But Emory & Henry answered with a touchdown and field goal to tie the score with 9:48 left in the fourth.
The Bulldogs responded with an 11-play, 61-yard march to retake the lead, this time for good. Pugh scored on a short rush, and the Wingate defense forced a turnover on downs to end the game.
Ryan Green paced the Bulldogs’ improving stopping unit with eight tackles. Ephraim Wright added seven stops.
One thing that hasn’t changed from last season: placekicker Caleb Bonesteel being clutch. Bonesteel hit field goals from 37 and 27 yards and made all three PAT attempts.
Crowded Conference Standings
Newberry’s win over Mars Hill on Saturday puts the Wolves in the pole position in the SAC race for now. Newberry, which edged Wingate 43-42 in overtime a few weeks ago, improved to 5-1 in league play.
Emory & Henry is now 5-2 in conference, followed by Wingate, Catawba and Carson-Newman at 3-2. Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne lurk at 3-3.
There are four weeks left in the regular season. Wingate football has games remaining against Anderson, Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum and Mars Hill as the 10-team league concludes its complete round-robin schedule. There will be no SAC title game like the past few years. If Wingate can run the table, the D2 playoffs could be in the cards again.
Team of the Week | Honorable Mention Picks
- It was a rough week overall for North Carolina college football teams. Only nine won games out of the 27 that played. Among the victors, here are some performances that stood out:
- North Carolina Wesleyan knocked off Huntingdon, the defending USA South champions, by a 21-20 score on the Hawks’ home field. Huntingdon had been the preseason favorite to repeat as champs and won its first two USA South games. Quarterback Javier Rice and running back Nahjiir Seagraves powered the Battling Bishops offense in the win. Huntingdon missed and extra point after scoring what would have been the game-tying TD in the final period.
- Johnson C. Smith improved to 6-1 – the best record in North Carolina college football, all divisions – with a 52-0 shutout of Shaw. The Golden Bulls have outscored their last three conference foes 152-33 since suffering its lone loss to Virginia Union.
- Winston-Salem State bullied Livingstone 42-10 in front of 16,000+ homecoming fans, The Rams enjoyed two 100-yard rushers – JaQuan Kelly (139, 2 TDs) and Timothy Ruff II (135, 1 TD) – and played their most complete game of the season.
- It’s rare in college football to get a rematch opportunity. Louisburg, our state’s lone junior college program, had the chance to play Central Georgia Tech a second time after losing to the Titans 41-36 in late August. The Hurricanes prevailed this time, 42-35 in overtime to improve to 3-4 overall.
