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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon, hosting Tusculum at 3 p.m. on Senior Day on ESPN3 with second place in the SAC standings on the line. Wingate has won five straight to move to 7-3 overall, with a 4-2 mark in league play. Tusculum is also 4-2 in the SAC, with a 5-4 overall record. The Bulldogs enter the final week of the regular season ranked eighth in the NCAA Super Region 2 poll.
 
ABOUT THE GAME
Saturday, Nov. 10 | 3 p.m. | Senior Day
Wingate (7-3; 4-2 SAC) hosts Tusculum (5-4; 4-2 SAC)
Wingate, N.C. (Irwin Belk Stadium) | ESPN3
Winner finishes alone in second place in the SAC standings
 
SERIES HISTORY
- 23rd meeting between the two teams
- Wingate leads all-time series 13-9
- The Bulldogs are 7-3 against the Pioneers at Irwin Belk Stadium
- Tusculum has won three of the last four including 25-17 win last year
- Loss at TU was the only regular season loss for WU last season
- Wingate won 19-0 in last meeting at Irwin Belk Stadium
- WU won first four meetings; Each team has won nine times since 2000
- Four of last five games have been single-digit deficits
- The 'Dogs won eight of 10 from 2004-2013
 
COACHES
- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 18th season at Wingate (117-78 overall)
- One of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Jerry Odom is in his third season at Tusculum (14-15 overall)
- Became the 17th coach at Tusculum in December of 2915
- Was the Associate Head Coach at Jacksonville Univ. from 2010-2015
 
 MOST RECENT GAME 
- Wingate ran for a season-high 344 yards in a 49-26 win at Limestone
- The Bulldogs piled up season highs 8.0 yards per rush and 7.5 yards per play
- Nijere Peoples ran for 239 yards and five touchdowns
- Second-most rush yards in WU history; tied school record for rush TDs
- Noah Arnett ran for a career-high 63 yards on seven carries
- Shaw Crocker threw for 55 yards and ran for 10 yards
- Bryan Mitchell had two catches for 32 yards
- JT Stokes had five receiving yards and 23 rushing yards
- Ra'Quan Simmons had 107 kick return yards and 62 punt return yards
- Chris Birozes averaged 46.0 yards per punt on five punts
- Kam Johnson had three tackles and an interception
- Cal Hanford had two TFLs, a sack and a forced fumble
- Elijah Gilmore had a fumble recovery and touchdown
- Robbie Wallace had seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss
- Tusculum is coming off a 20-11 setback at VMI
- The Pioneers held VMI to 345 total yards but had just 307 total yards
- Tusculum made just three trips to the red zone, scoring only once
- Jordon Shippy ran for 90 yards on 12 carries
- Tommy Pistone threw for 146 yards and a touchdown
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
- Wingate has won five straight and is eighth in the NCAA Super Region 2 poll
- The Bulldogs are looking for a second straight trip to the NCAA D2 play-offs
- Wingate is 16-4 in the regular season over the last two years
- The Bulldogs have won 18 straight games when scoring over 30 points
- The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 224-96 during winning streak
- WU is looking to win eight games or more in back-to-back season for first time ever
- The Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 15 regular season home games
- Wingate started the season 2-0 for the fifth straight year
- This is Wingate's school-record seventh home game of the season
 
WINGATE OFFENSE
- The Bulldogs are averaging 34.8 points per game, ranking second in the SAC
- Wingate has scored over 21 points in nine of 10 games this season
- Fourth in the league with 396.3 total yards per contest
- WU is third in the SAC in passing yards; fourth in rushing yards
- Peoples leads the SAC with 114.0 rush yards per game and 13 rushing TDs
- Peoples has six more rushing scores than any other player in the league
- SAC Player of the Week has gone for over 130 rush yards five of last six weeks
- Has scored nine touchdowns in his last three games
- Crocker leads the SAC in TDs, third in yards and completion %
- Crocker ranks seventh nationally in yards per completion; 14th in passing efficiency  
- Domineke McNeill is fifth in the SAC with 66.3 rushing yards per contest
- Stokes is third in the league with 81.1 receiving yards per game
- Stokes is second in the SAC with nine receiving touchdowns
- BJ Muckelvene has 390 receiving yards and five TDs
- Mitchell is second on the team with 24 catches for 273 yards and three scores
- Wingate has scored on 38-of-44 red zone chances with 32 touchdowns
- The 'Dogs are 46-132 on third down (35 percent) / eight-for-12 on fourth down
 
WINGATE DEFENSE
- Wingate is second in the SAC and 22nd nationally with 31 sacks
- Cardell Rawlings is fourth in the nation in sacks (12.5) and fifth in TFLs (17.5)
- WU ranks rank 20th nationally in tackles for loss
- Wingate allows 19.7 points per game, good for second in the SAC
- The 'Dogs rank second in the SAC, allowing 302.9 yards per game
- Wingate holds opponents to 28 percent on third down (40-142); 15th nationally
- WU defense has 19 turnovers, 31 sacks and two touchdowns
- 14 different Bulldogs have recorded a sack this year
- Rawlings leads team with 68 tackles, 10 QB hurries and two forced fumbles
- Joe Kelly has 52 tackles, 4 TFLs, two interceptions and two break-ups
- Elijah Gilmore has 49 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, a fumble recovery & TD
- Robbie Wallace has 48 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and two picks
- Cameron Mattison leads the Bulldogs with three interceptions
- Cal Hanford has 5.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, an interception and a touchdown
- Kam Johnosn has 47 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, six break-ups and two interceptions
- Matthew Ellis-White leads the 'Dogs with 10 break-ups, adding a pick and 42 tackles
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS
- McLean Robertson is 8-10 on field goals with a 42 and 43 yarder
- Robertson is 43-for-45 on PATs; also has 19 touchbacks
- Chris Birozes is second in the SAC with a 43.4 average on 54 punts
- Birozes has 14 punts of over 50 yards and 16 inside the 20
- Wingate ranks seventh nationally in net punting
- Simmons leads the SAC with 425 kick return yards
- Reigning SAC Specialist of the Week averages 15.5 yards per punt return
 
ABOUT TUSCULUM
- Coming off a 5-5 season, going 3-4 in the SAC
- Picked fifth in the preseason SAC poll
- Tusculum has two SAC titles all-time (2008, 2003)
- Bounced back from season-opening loss with wins over Shorter and Limestone
- Back-to-back SAC wins included 14-0 shutout over Newberry
- After a 55-37 loss at Catawba, downed Carson-Newman 41-28
 
TUSCULUM OFFENSE
- The Pioneers rank fifth in the SAC with 27.2 points per game
- Fifth in the league with 374.8 total yards per contest
- TU ranks fifth in the conference in rushing and passing
- Pistone is fifth in the SAC in passing yards per game and TDs
- Shippy is third in the league with 83.8 rush yards per game
- Lor'Renzo Pratt averages 58.1 rush yards per game; both have five rush TDs
- Ajay Belanger has a team-best 316 receiving yards, scoring three TDs
- Jacob Moss has 219 receiving yards with four touchdowns
- The Pioneers convert 39 percent of third downs
- TU has scored on 30-of-35 red zone trips; 23 touchdowns
 
TUSCULUM DEFENSE
- Tusculum ranks third in the SAC in total defense (332.1 yards per game)
- Pioneers allow 22.6 points per game, good for fourth in the league
- TU ranks second in passing defense and fourth in rush defense
- The Pioneers rank third in the conference with 23 sacks
- Opponents convert 40 percent of third downs against Tusculum
- Ivan Hogans leads Tusculum with 80 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, two sacks and two picks
- Hogans is fourth in the SAC with 8.9 tackles per game
- Randy Hooks has 52 tackles with 6.0 TFLs
- Nelson Louis has eight sacks and 13 TFLs, adding 10 QB hurries
- CJ Bartley has nine tackles for loss and four sacks
- Dee Alford has 10 break-ups and two interceptions, adding 44 tackles
 
TUSCULUM SPECIAL TEAMS
- Joe Defatta has hit nine-of-14 field goals; long of 48
- Defatta is 28-for-30 on PATs
- Brandon Glick has 14 touchbacks in 49 kickoffs
- Andre Cantrell averages 38.5 yards per punt on 49 punts
- Pratt has 13 kick returns for 377 yards and a touchdown (29.0 average)
- Dee Alford has 19 punt returns for 142 yards (7.5 average)
 
UP NEXT
- Final regular season game for both teams
- The NCAA Division II play-off field will be announced Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m.