Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs scored the fourth-most points in program history Saturday night, racing out to a 44-14 halftime lead en route to a 58-21 victory over visiting Mars Hill University in front of a capacity crowd on Homecoming weekend at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field in South Atlantic Conference football action. Wingate wins its third straight, improving to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the SAC. The Lions fall to 2-6 overall and 2-4 in league play.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH REICH

"It was a very physical, aggressive game for us. We did a really nice job of getting after them physically. I have great respect for coach Clifton at Mars Hill, he's an offensive genius so you feel like you can never score enough points, because they can always come back. I have a lot of respect for their program and what they do, but it was a great win for us. It was good to be able to come out here and have a dominant performance from Nijere Peoples. He's kind of a rising star, so we need to keep him healthy and make sure we do a great job up front for him."

NOTES

- Wingate is now 16-17 all-time against Mars Hill and 7-4 at Irwin Belk Stadium
- The 'Dogs have won three straight over the Lions and four of the last five
- This marks the ninth time in the last 11 meetings the winner has scored over 40 points
- Fourth most points in school history
- WU has scored 63 points three times, most recently in the 2010 play-off win over Morehouse
- 16th straight win for the 'Dogs when scoring over 30 points
- Wingate improves to 8-1 under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium
- WU has now scored 144 total points the last three weeks
- First time since 2009 Wingate has scored over 50 twice in one season

KEY TEAM STATS

- Wingate piled up a season-high 534 yards, 284 rush yards and 33 first downs
- Mars Hill had 259 total yards and 15 first downs
- WU forced five MHU turnovers (3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries)
- Wingate won the time-of-possession battle by over 16 minutes
- The 'Dogs had the ball for nearly 22 minutes in the second half
- Wingate scored touchdowns on all seven red zone trips
- The Bulldogs were three-for-nine on third down and two-for-three on fourth down
- The Lions converted five-of-13 on third down and scored TDs on all three red zone trips
- Wingate outgained MHU on the ground by 240 yards (282-42)

KEY BULLDOGS

- Shaw Crocker was 13-for-15 for 223 yards and two TDs
- Crocker did almost all of his damage in the first half, but ran for a TD in the second half
- Peoples had career highs of 33 carries, 166 yards and two touchdowns
- Malik Bledsoe had five catches for 87 yards and a score
- J.T. Stokes had three catches for 89 yards and a TD; also ran for a score
- Ronnie Procopio ran for 37 yards and a pair of touchdowns
- Kam Johnson, Joe Kelly and Robbie Wallace each had an interception
- Gabe Price and Cardell Rawlings had fumble recoveries
- Price, Juan Pagan-Gonzalez and Isaac Allen each forced a fumble
- Rawlings had nine tackles, 1.5 sacks and a QB hurry
- Kelly added eight tackles, while returning the pick 19 yards
- Price had six stops; Wallace and Cameron Mattison collected five tackles each

FIRST QUARTER

- MHU got a 54-yard kick return to start the game from Dawson Williams
- Austin Brown found Clarenton Cowart for an 11-yard TD to give MHU a 7-0 lead
- WU answered with a four-play, 62-yard drive that started with a Ra'Quan Simmons 33-yard return
- Crocker hit Stokes for 42 yards to get it inside the 20
- Stokes scored his first rushing TD on the next play from 13 yards out
- A bad snap on a Mars Hill punt resulted in a safety
- Wingate's Floyd Louallen put the finishing touches on the MHU punter in the end zone
- The 'Dogs went 81 yards on six plays on the next drive
- Bledsoe pulled in catches of 20 and 14 yards to get Wingate to the Mars Hill 25
- Crocker hit Bledsoe on the next play for his first TD of the year to make it 16-7
- Brown's one-yard touchdown throw to Cowart capped Mars Hill's 75-yard TD drive
- Wingate had the answer, going 69 yards on eight plays on the ensuing possession
- A Peoples 14-yard run and 16-yard catch got the 'Dogs back in the red zone
- Crocker hit Stokes on a 17-yard touchdown to make it 23-14; 10th TD of the year for Stokes

SECOND QUARTER

- Johnson picked off Brown and returned it 52 yards to get WU back in the red zone
- Five straight carries from Peoples turned into another TD to make it 30-14
- Price forced and recovered a fumble to get the ball right back to the Bulldogs
- Peoples capped the five-play, 61-yard drive with a two-yard TD run
- Rawlings recovered a fumble forced by Pagan-Gonzalez at the MHU 25
- Crocker ran it in from 11 yards out to make it 44-14
- Kelly picked off Brown late in half to preserve the 30-point halftime lead

THIRD QUARTER

- Wingate went 79 yards on 12 plays to top the 50-point mark late in the frame
- A Peoples 21-yard run and Procopio 10-yard rush got it into MHU territory
- Procopio scored his first career touchdown from eight yards out to make it 51-14

FOURTH QUARTER

- Mars Hill capped a 75-yard drive with a seven-yard TD catch from Roberts
- The Bulldogs went 65 yards on the ensuing drive to go back up by 37
- Jordan Lane hit Adam Riley for 16 yards to get Wingate in the red zone
- Procopio scored from nine yards out to make it 58-14

UP NEXT

- Wingate is on the road the next two weeks after playing six of eight at home
- The Bulldogs are at Newberry Saturday at 3 p.m.
- WU travels to Limestone the following weekend