Wingate, N.C.----Wingate built a 16-0 halftime lead and made it stick, taking a 16-12 South Atlantic Conference victory over visiting Tusculum Saturday at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field. With its sixth-straight victory, Wingate (8-3 overall, 5-2 SAC) clinches second place in the final SAC regular season standings. Tusculum completes its season 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the SAC.
 
Wingate senior defensive back Cameron Mattison celebrated Senior Day in style with a 44-yard interception return for a TD. Bulldog true freshman running back Nijere Peoples carried the ball 25 times for 82 yards to finish his first WU season with 994 rushing yards.
 
THOUGHTS FROM WU HEAD COACH JOE REICH
 
"We are very proud of our seniors and the great leadership they provided all year. The defense came up big all game. The 10 points off turnovers were the difference."
 
"Tusculum is a great defense. Coach Odom is schematically really good…so the first TD drive to go up seven against the wind was huge."
 
KEY TEAM STATS 
 
-Wingate had seven QB sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.
-Tusculum fumbled six times, but only lost one.
-Wingate did not fumble Saturday.
-The Pioneers outgained the Bulldogs 280-140, with a 187-87 advantage in passing yards.
-Tusculum won the time of possession battle by 10 minutes (35:01-24:59).
-Wingate scored on both of its red zone chances (2-2).
-Tusculum converted two-of-four tries inside the red zone.
-Neither team had much luck on third downs.
-Wingate was two-of-12 on third-down conversions.
-Tusculum was four-of-15 in the same category.
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
-Senior defensive end Cardell Rawlings had eight tackles and seven QB hurries.
-Rawlings also posted 2.5 QB sacks and one forced fumble.
-Auntrell Mack, Robbie Wallace and Davion Washington also forced one fumble each.
-Redshirt junior linebacker Robbie Wallace led the 'Dogs with 11 tackles.
-Wallace added two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
-Freshman return specialist Ra'Quan Simmons returned the opening kick-off 51 yards.
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
-Simmons' aforementioned kick-off return set up Wingate's first touchdown, a Shaw Crocker-to-Mason Flynt 17-yard scoring connection.
-The Flynt TD was Wingate's only first-quarter score.
-Crocker had his longest pass play on Wingate's second possession, a 22-yard strike to redshirt senior Bryan Mitchell.
-Wingate had 61 of its 140 yards of offense in the first quarter.
-Tusculum freshman punter Andrew Cantrell had a 50-yard punt in the first frame.
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
-Mattison's pick-six came on Tusculum's second possession of the second quarter.
-On the Pioneers' next possession, the visitors fumbled.
-Wingate took advantage of the miscue, as redshirt freshman placekicker McLean Robertson nailed a 38-yard field goal to conclude the first half scoring.
-The Bulldogs led 16-0 at intermission.
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
-Tusculum missed two field goals in the third quarter.
-Wingate's Robbie Wallace blocked the second try (a 24-yard attempt) with 1:36 to go.
-Tusculum had the ball for almost eight minutes (7:43) in the third quarter.
-Neither team scored in the third frame.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
-The Pioneers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
-Both scores were touchdown passes by back-up quarterback Hunter Weismore.
-The TD drives were eight plays each.
-Weismore found Brian Burnett with a 15-yard strike (3:10 to go).
-On the next possession, the sophomore hit Jacob Moss for a 17-yard score (0:23 to play).
-The Pioneers two-point pass was intercepted on the first TD.
-Tusculum missed the extra point on the second score.
-Wingate recovered two-of-two on-side kicks.
 
UP NEXT
 
Wingate will hear about its potential inclusion in the NCAA Division II football playoffs on Sunday.