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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are at home for the sixth time this season Saturday night, hosting Mars Hill at 6 p.m. on ESPN3. Wingate is looking for its third straight victory this homecoming weekend, after piling up 86 points over the past two weeks to take down UNC Pembroke and Catawba and move back over .500 on the season at 4-3. The Bulldogs and Lions have been involved in numerous shootouts over the past decade, with the winning team scoring at least 35 points in nine of the last 10 meetings and 40 points or more on occasions in that span. 

WEEKLY INTERVIEWS
Head Coach Joe Reich: WATCH
WR Coach Nate Poole: WATCH
Safety Joe Kelly: WATCH

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Oct. 20 | 6 p.m. | Homecoming | Hall of Fame Weekend
Wingate (4-3; 1-2 SAC) hosts Mars Hill (2-5; 2-3 SAC)
Wingate, N.C. (Irwin Belk Stadium) | ESPN3
Wingate picked second in preseason SAC coaches poll; MHU picked seventh
 
SERIES HISTORY

- 32nd meeting between the two teams
- Mars Hill leads the all-time series 17-15
- The Bulldogs are 6-4 against the Lions at Irwin Belk Stadium
- Wingate has won two straight and three of the last four
- WU has won three of the last four home meetings
- Mars Hill won five straight from 1999-2003, longest streak in the series
- The winning team has scored exactly 42 points the last three years
- The winner has scored over 35 points nine of the last 10 meetings
- The winner has gone over 40 points eight of the last 10 contests
- Highest scoring affair was a 56-42 MHU home win in 2013
- Wingate doubled up the Lions 42-21 last year; won 42-39 in 2016
 
COACHES

- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 18th season at Wingate (114-77 overall)
- Winningest coach in WU history; one of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Tim Clifton is in his 26th season at Mars Hill (135-135 overall)
- Second in SAC history in career wins; active leader
- 2011 SAC Coach of the Year, leading the Lions to a share of the SAC title
 
 MOST RECENT GAME

- Wingate raced out to a 28-7 second-quarter lead, downing Catawba 35-25
- The WU defense had four interceptions including a Cal Hanford pick-six
- Shaw Crocker threw for 190 yards and four touchdowns
- Nijere Peoples had 22 carries for 151 yards
- JT Stokes pulled in two more TD catches, totaling 56 receiving yards
- Bryan Mitchell and Mason Flynt also had touchdown grabs
- Hanford, Joe Kelly, Robbie Wallace and Cameron Mattison had interceptions
- Elijah Gilmore had nine tackles, 2.0 TFLs and 1.0 sacks
- Cardell Rawlings collected 9.0 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks and two QB hurries
- Wingate overcame 185 penalty yards in the victory
- Mars Hill lost 49-27 at Carson-Newman, falling behind 35-7 in the second quarter
- Craig Rucker had 209 receiving yards and four total touchdowns
- Austin Brown threw for 220 yards and a TD
- Christopher Roberts ran for 81 yards on 17 carries
- MHU gave up 628 total yards, including 546 rushing yards
- Tray Smith led the defense with nine tackles
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Coming off historic 9-2 season, winning its second SAC title in program history
- The 'Dogs made their second appearance in the NCAA Division II play-offs
- Started the season 9-0, ranked as high as 12th in AFCA top 25 (highest ever)
- Wingate is 7-1 all-time under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium
- The Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 14 regular season home games
- Wingate started the season 2-0 for the fifth straight year
- WU has seven home games, including four its first five and six of its first eight
- Wingate has allowed 45 total points in four wins; allowed 88 in three losses
 
WINGATE OFFENSE

- The Bulldogs are averaging 30.0 points per game, ranking second in the SAC
- Fourth in the league with 382.4 total yards per contest
- Crocker leads the SAC TDs, second in yards and third in completion %
- Crocker ranks fourth nationally in yards per completion; eight in yards/attempt
- Domineke McNeill is fourth in the SAC with 73.4 rushing yards per contest
- Peoples averages 74.4 yards per game and is second in the SAC with four TDs
- JT Stokes is second in the league with 94.4 receiving yards per game
- Stokes is second in the SAC and ninth nationally with eight receiving TDs
- BJ Muckelvene averages 61.8 yards per game and is fourth with five TDs
- WU has 10 turnovers on the year, the same amount as opponents
- Wingate has scored on 22-of-26 red zone chances with 17 touchdowns
- The 'Dogs are 32-101 on third down (32 percent) / five-for-eight on fourth down
 
WINGATE DEFENSE

- Wingate is second in the SAC and 10th nationally with 24 sacks
- Rawlings leads the nation with 11 sacks; third with 15 TFLs
- WU ranks rank ninth nationally in tackles for loss
- Wingate allows 19.0 points per game, good for third in the SAC
- The 'Dogs rank second in the SAC, allowing 319.4 yards per game
- Wingate holds opponents to 29 percent on third down (30-103); 22nd nationally
- 12 different Bulldogs have recorded a sack this year
- Rawlings leads team with 52 tackles, eight QB hurries and two forced fumbles
- Elijah Gilmore has 39 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and two QB hurries
- Joe Kelly has 37 tackles, adding 3.5 TFLs and an interception
- Kam Johnson has 34 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two break-ups and a pick
- Gabe Price has 5.0 TFLs and 2.5 sacks
- Cameron Mattison has 3.5 TFLs, four breakups and two interceptions
- Matthew Ellis-White has eight break-ups and 33 tackles
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS

- McLean Robertson is 7-9 on field goals with a 42 and 43 yarder
- Robertson is 24-for-26 on PATs; also has eight touchbacks
- Chris Birozes is second in the SAC with a 42.8 average on 44 punts
- Birozes has 11 punts of over 50 yards and 12 inside the 20
- Muckelvene has 11 punt returns for 112 yards (10.2 yards per return)
- Ronnie Procopio is averaging 21.3 yards per kick return
- Procopio had a career-long 48-yard return against Fayetteville State
- Ra'Quan Simmons has 11 returns for a team-best 227 yards
 
ABOUT MARS HILL

- Coming off a 3-7 season, going 1-6 in the SAC
- Picked seventh in the preseason SAC poll
- Opened the year with losses to ETSU, Shaw and Lenoir-Rhyne
- Scored 90 total points in SAC wins over Catawba and Limestone
- Suffered a tough 31-28 loss to Tusculum, followed by C-N loss
- The Lions have three all-time SAC titles and five second-place finishes
- Won 2011 SAC title, finishing second in 2012 and 2015
 
MARS HILL OFFENSE

- The Lions average a SAC-best 464.9 yards of offense; 19th nationally
- Mars Hill is fourth in the league with 26.9 points per contest
- MHU throws for league-high 290.6 yards per game
- The Lions are fourth in the conference with 174.3 rush yards per game
- Craig Rucker leads the nation with 140.7 receiving yards per game
- Rucker leads the country with 985 receiving yards, third with 13 TD catches
- Rucker leads the nation with 16 total TDs and 96 points scored
- Five 100-yard receiving games this year including two of over 200 yards
- Austin Brown is third in the SAC with 223.1 pass yards per game
- Brown is third in the league with 13 passing touchdowns
- Jaques Buchannon leads the Lions with 66.2 rush yards per game
- Rucker leads the team with three rushing touchdowns
 
MARS HILL DEFENSE

- Mars Hill allows a league-high 482.9 yards per game
- The Lions are seventh in the SAC, allowing 38.3 points per contest
- MHU ranks seventh in rushing defense (262.5 yards per game)
- The Lions are seventh in pass defense (253.0 yards per game)
- Tray Smith leads the Lions with 53 tackles
- Chris Fedinand has 47 tackles, 3.0 TFLs and a forced fumble
- Earl Adams has eight TFLs and two sacks
- Malcolm Means has five pass break-ups and an interception
 
MARS HILL SPECIAL TEAMS

- Tanner Fox has hit three-of-four field goals; long of 42
- Fox is 21-for-26 on PATs
- Fox averages 32.7 yards per punt on 18 punts
- Fox has a long of 48 with two inside the 20
- Javon Harbison has seven punt returns for 50 yards (7.1 per return)
- Rucker averages 18.4 yards per return on 11 kick-off returns
 
UP NEXT

- Wingate will play back-to-back road games for the first time this year
- The 'Dogs are at Newberry next Saturday at 3 p.m.
- WU travels to Limestone Nov. 3 at 4 p.m.
- Next home game for Wingate is Nov. 10, hosting Tusculum at 3 p.m.
- Mars Hill is off next week, returning to action Nov. 3 at UNC Pembroke
- MHU wraps up the season Nov. 10, hosting Newberry
 
WINGATE HALL OF FAME

In addition to Homecoming weekend at Wingate, this weekend is also Sports Hall of Fame Weekend, with five new Bulldogs being added during Friday night's ceremony. They will be honored during halftime of Saturday's contest as well. The five inductees are basketball forward Sean Barnette ('08), volleyball setter Melissa DeLuca Schuett ('08), baseball outfielder Jason Foster ('99), basketball forward/center Bryan Grier ('08) and Wingate University Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Poston.