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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are on the road for the second time this season, traveling to UNC Pembroke for a 7 p.m. start Saturday night. The Bulldogs are 2-3 overall, having lost three straight with the last two setbacks coming by a combined 10 points. UNC Pembroke is 1-2 overall after having two games cancelled due to Hurricane Florence.

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Oct. 6 | 7 p.m.
Wingate (2-3; 0-2 SAC) at UNC Pembroke (1-2 overall)
Pembroke, N.C. (Grace P. Johnson Stadium)

SERIES HISTORY

- 10th meeting between the two teams; WU leads 6-3
- Wingate is currently riding a two-game winning streak; third two-game streak in the series
- The two teams met eight straight years from 2007-2014
- WU won the first meeting 57-14 at UNCP
- The 'Dogs are 2-2 all-time at Pembroke
- Wingate won 31-28 at home last season

COACHES

- Wingate head coach Joe Reich is in his 18th season at Wingate (112-77 overall)
- The winningest coach in WU history, he is one of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Shane Richardson is in his fifth season at UNC Pembroke (21-24 overall)
- Has been on the UNCP coaching staff since 2005; was the Def. Coordinator from 2006-14

 MOST RECENT GAME

- Wingate dropped its second straight one-score game, falling 26-23 to Florida Tech
- The Panthers are receiving votes in the AFCA top 25 poll at 4-1 overall
- JT Stokes had another huge game with 185 receiving yards and a score
- Stokes has 14 catches for 371 yards and three TDs the last two games
- True freshman Nijere Peoples had 133 rushing yards and two TDs on 23 carries
- Shaw Crocker threw for 219 yards and a score
- Crocker has thrown for at least 200 yards every game this season
- Robbie Wallace and Auntrell Mack each had 11 tackles
- WU held a 390-383 edge in total yards with 171 rushing yards compared to 110 from FIT
- Florida Tech had seven sacks on the day, while Wingate did not record a sack
- The Bulldogs won the time of possession battle by over six minutes
- UNCP lost 20-0 against Newberry last week
- It was the first game for the Braves since Sept. 8, losing two games due to the hurricane
- Second time being shutout in program history
- UNCP had just 213 total yards

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate is coming off a historic 9-2 season, winning its second SAC title and first since 2010
- The 'Dogs made their second appearance in the NCAA Division II play-offs
- Wingate started the season 9-0 and were ranked as high as 12th in the AFCA top 25 (highest ever)
- The Bulldogs have lost three straight for the first time since the end of the 2015 season
- WU has not lost four straight since losing last three of 2011 and the 2012 opener
- Saturday will be the fourth night game of the year for the Bulldogs
- The Bulldogs look for the first road win of the year after going 5-1 on the road last year
- WU went 12-5 in road games from 2015-17
- Wingate started the season 2-0 for the fifth straight year

WINGATE OFFENSE

- The Bulldogs are averaging 24.8 points per game, ranking fifth in the SAC
- Fourth in the league with 360.6 total yards per contest
- Crocker leads the SAC in passing yards per game (235.8), ranking third in touchdowns and completion percentage
- Domineke McNeill is fifth in the SAC with 79.6 rushing yards per contest
- Stokes is third in the league and 15th in the nation with 105.8 yards per game receiving
- Stokes ranks third in the conference with five receiving touchdowns
- Wingate has turned it over seven times the last three games; one turnover first two games
- The Bulldogs have scored on 13-of-17 red zone trips this season, with nine touchdowns
- WU failed to score from opponent one-yard line each of first two losses (fumble / downs)
- Failed PAT to tie the game in the final minute of the Florida Tech loss
- Wingate has converted just 29 percent of its third downs (22-for-76), ranking eighth in the SAC
- The 'Dogs averaged 1.9 yards per rush first two losses, but had 3.6 per rush vs. FIT

WINGATE DEFENSE

- Wingate is second in the SAC and 11th nationally with 18 sacks
- Cardell Rawlings leads the SAC and is fourth in the nation with 8 sacks
- Rawlings is third nationally with 11.5 tackles for loss
- WU ranks rank seventh nationally in tackles for loss
- Wingate allows 20.2 points per game, good for third in the SAC
- The 'Dogs rank third in the league in total defense, allowing 314.4 yards per game
- WU ranks third in the conference in rushing defense and fourth in passing defense
- Wingate holds opponents to 23 percent on third down (17-for-73); fifth-best in the nation
- 10 different Bulldogs have recorded a sack this year
- Rawlings is also the team leader with 40 tackles, six QB hurries and two forced fumbles
- Auntrell Mack is second on the team with 29 tackles, collecting 2.5 TFLs
- Joe Kelly is third on the team with 28 tackles, adding three TFLs
- Gabe Price has 4.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks
- Cameron Mattison has 3.5 TFLs, four passes defended, three breakups and an interception
- Matthew Ellis-White has six break-ups, six passes defended and 20 tackles

WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS

- McLean Robertson has hit six-of-eight field goals
- Has hit from 42 and 43 yards; his only misses have been from 44 and 53 yards
- Robertson is 14-for-15 on PATs; also has five touchbacks
- Academic All-America honoree Chris Birozes is third in the SAC with a 43.6 average on 35 punts
- Birozes has 10 punts of over 50 yards and eight inside the 20
- BJ Muckelvene has seven punt returns for 61 yards (8.7 yards per return)
- Ronnie Procopio is averaging 23.5 yards per kick return
- Procopio had a career-long 48-yard return against Fayetteville State
- Ra'Quan Simmons has 10 returns for a team-best 191 yards

ABOUT UNC PEMBROKE

- Re-started football program in 2007 after over 50 years off
- Went 4-7 in the 2007 season
- The Braves are an NCAA Division II Independent program
- UNCP is coming off a 2-8 season
- UNC Pembroke went 1-6 against SAC teams in 2017
- The Braves had games cancelled against SAC foes Tusculum and Catawba
- UNCP opened the season with a 23-20 loss at Winston-Salem State
- The Braves rolled to a 51-6 victory over Elizabeth City State at home Sept. 8

UNC PEMBROKE OFFENSE

- Averaging 23.6 points and 295.0 yards per game
- QB Josh Jones averages 165 yards per game, completing 60 percent of passes
- Jones has three touchdowns and one interception
- Three Braves have at least 11 rush attempts, led by Josh Sheridan's 55 yards per game
- Sheridan has three of the four UNCP rushing scores
- Sheridan averages 5.0 yards per rush; Travis Prince averages 4.9 yards per carry
- Corey West has a team-best 11 catches
- Tyshawn Carter leads the team with 117 receiving yards and two TDs
- Quay Threatt has 76 receiving yards and the other two receiving touchdowns
- The Braves convert 31.7 percent of third downs (13-for-41)
- UNCP has scored on eight-of-nine red zone trips with five touchdowns
- UNC Pembroke has just one lost fumble and two interceptions this season
- The Braves are two-for-seven on fourth down
- UNCP has allowed nine sacks through three games

UNC PEMBROKE DEFENSE

- UNC Pembroke allows 16.3 points and 232.3 total yards per game
- The Braves have forced four turnovers and have 11 sacks through three games
- UNCP allows 120.7 rush yards and 111.7 pass yards per game
- Opposing quarterbacks have completed less than 50 percent of passes
- UNC Pembroke held Elizabeth City State to 76 yards of offense
- Opponents are just 10-for-41 on third down against the Braves (24.3 percent)
- Colton Weeks leads the Braves with 20 tackles; Josh Manns has 18 tackles
- Tyler Hinton has a team-best three sacks and is tied with Tajai Liles with 5.0 TFLs
- Shawn Everett has eight tackles and an interception

UNC PEMBROKE SPECIAL TEAMS

- Alex Alvarado is two-for-four on field goals with a long of 37; eight-for-eight on PATs
- Alvarado has four touchbacks on the year in 13 attempts
- Isaac Parks has 16 punts with an average of 44.8 with a long of 53; seven inside the 20
- Devin Jones has two kick returns for a team-best 26 yards
- Jones has six punt returns for 77 yards with a long of 31 against ECSU

UP NEXT

- The Bulldogs will return home for the next two weeks
- Six of Wingate's first eight games are at home
- WU hosts Catawba next Saturday at 6 p.m.
- Wingate welcomes Mars Hill to Irwin Belk Stadium Oct. 20 for homecoming
- Next road game is Oct. 27 at Newberry at 4 p.m.
- WU has a school-record seven home games this year
- UNC Pembroke travels to Central State next Saturday at 1 p.m.
- The Braves return home Oct. 20, hosting Concord on homecoming