Wingate football will get a chance to avenge its only loss of the regular season. This time, a trophy will be on the line.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1) will host Carson-Newman (9-1, 7-1) on Saturday in the South Atlantic Conference championship game. The contest will kick off at Irwin Belk Stadium at 3 p.m. and will be streamed by FloSports (paid).
Here are 10 things to know about this blockbuster match-up, which also will have D2 playoff implications:
1. Carson-Newman hit a field goal in overtime, while Wingate missed a 42-yard attempt in the extra period, resulting in a 31-28 Eagles’ victory on Sept. 21 in Jefferson City, TN.
Wingate has been on a tear since that defeat. The Bulldogs have won six straight – three by shutout – and have outscored foes by a 197-37 margin. Other than Carson-Newman, no team has scored more than 15 points on the ‘Dogs defense.
2. Wingate won the Piedmont Division of the SAC by sweeping Barton (50-0), Limestone (38-12), Catawba (24-15), Lenoir-Rhyne (14-10) and Newberry (38-0). The Bulldogs had one league game canceled by Hurricane Helene, a Sept. 28 meeting with cross-divisional rival Mars Hill.
Carson-Newman’s lone stumble came against Emory & Henry, a 17-10 defeat on Oct. 26. The Eagles won 1-point games against Catawba (35-34) and Mars Hill (28-27) in conference play.
3. Wingate features one of the best defensive units, statistically speaking, in all of D2 football. The Bulldogs rank first in the nation in red zone defense and third-down defense, second in first-down defense, third in total defense and fifth in scoring defense.
Opponents are managing 216 yards-per-game and a mere 9.67 points per game against coach Rashaan Jordan’s stoppers. Wingate averages 29.2 points per contest.
4. Wingate has won three SAC championships during its history in the league, which began in 1989. The Bulldogs tied for the Piedmont Division title in 2022 but were knocked out of the actual championship game because of a tiebreaker scenario. Wingate earned outright championships in 2010 and 2017.
Carson-Newman, meanwhile, leads all conference teams with 21 titles. The most recent one, though, came in 2009. The Eagles have played in the SAC since its inception as a D2 league in 1975.
5. Wingate currently sits in second place in the latest NCAA Division II Super Region 2 rankings, released Monday. Carson-Newman is fourth.
Seven teams from each of the four Super Regions will be slotted into the 28-team D2 playoff field once this weekend is complete. The regional rankings shine light on who the selection committee views as the most deserving teams to make the final bracket.
Wingate was No. 1 two weeks ago but dropped one spot in favor of undefeated Valdosta State. The SAC has three teams in the top five, with 2023 conference champion Lenoir-Rhyne occupying the No. 5 slot.
—> READ MORE: Wingate occupies top spot in this week’s Fabulous 15 statewide rankings
6. Jayden Sullins powers a run-heavy Carson-Newman offensive attack. He crossed the 1,000-yard plateau against Tusculum on Saturday in a 56-14 victory and now sits at 1,063 yards on the season with 10 touchdowns. He only managed 29 yards, with no scores, in the game against Wingate in September.
The Bulldogs’ top rusher is O’Brien Barnett, who has 521 yards and six touchdowns in eight games of action.
7. Brooks Bentley has been Wingate’s mainstay at starting quarterback the past two seasons. He’s played in all nine games this fall, completing 126-of-224 passes for 1,678 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has been intercepted five times.
8. Carson-Newman has utilized multiple signal callers this fall and has only thrown the ball 99 times, completing 48 for 911 yards. In last Saturday’s win over Tusculum, the Eagles attempted just four passes, completing one for 10 yards.
Against Wingate, Carson-Newman was held to 45 rushing yards but went for 190 through the air, including three touchdown throws (Gavin Gosnell 2, Tre Luttrell 1).
9. Marquise Fleming has been a monster on the Wingate defensive line, recording eight sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss – among the best in D2. An All-American in 2023, Fleming has 49 total tackles and a forced fumble as teams (wisely) try to run away from him. Dontorian Best leads Wingate in total tackles with 63, including an interception and fumble recovery.
10. Wingate has won seven of the last 12 meetings with Carson-Newman, but the Eagles own the early part of the series – winning 21 of the first 22 contests.
The SAC title game alternates sites between the Mountain and Piedmont divisions. Since the Mountain Division hosted a year ago, Wingate gets to privilege this time around.
The Bulldogs-Eagles showcase will not be the only SAC game on Saturday. The rest of the league’s teams will play bonus crossover games (Piedmont vs. Mountain division): Mars Hill at Limestone, Anderson at Lenoir-Rhyne, UVA Wise at Barton, Tusculum at Catawba and Emory & Henry at Newberry.
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