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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs play their fourth home game of the season Saturday afternoon, hosting Florida Tech at 3 p.m. on ESPN3. The Bulldogs are 2-2 overall, dropping each of their last two games after starting the season 2-0 for the fifth straight year. Florida Tech enters the weekend 3-1 overall, with a 1-1 record in the Gulf South Conference.  

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Sept. 29 | 3 p.m.
Wingate (2-2; 0-1 SAC) hosts Florida Tech (3-1; 1-1 GSC)
Wingate, N.C. (Irwin Belk Stadium)
ESPN3
Wingate picked second in preseason SAC coaches poll; FIT picked sixth in GSC poll

SERIES HISTORY

- First-ever meeting between two programs
- Florida Tech football is in its sixth season, starting its program in 2013
- The Panthers have played fellow SAC school Newberry four times, going 2-2
- Wingate is 2-4 against GSC teams all-time
- The Bulldogs are 2-0 against West Georgia, with losses to West Florida and Valdosta State
- WU played GSC opponent West Florida in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA D2 play-offs

COACHES

- Wingate head coach Joe Reich is in his 18th season at Wingate (112-76 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)
- Steve Englehart is in his sixth season at Florida Tech (34-26 overall)
- Started at Florida Tech in 2011, two years before the school's first game
- Indiana State Offensive Coordinator in 2010

 MOST RECENT GAME

- Wingate dropped a 31-24 SAC home game against Lenoir-Rhyne
- WU trailed 31-7 in the third quarter, but 17 unanswered made it a one-score game
- SAC Defensive Player of the Week Cardell Rawlings - 14 tackles, 5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks
- JT Stokes career-high 186 receiving yards and two TDs including 87-yard score
- Shaw Crocker career-high 288 passing yards, two TDs and a rushing TD
- Wingate's first loss under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium
- FIT coming off a 30-21 loss at #6 West Georgia
- Florida Tech led 21-17 entering the fourth quarter
- West Georgia scored twice in the final 14 minutes to secure the win
- FIT quarterback Trent Chmelik threw for 191 yards and three TDs
- Romell Guerrier had four catches for 56 yards and two scores
- Terrance Bynum hauled in a 41-yard touchdown reception
- J.T. Hassell had 10 tackles, one TFL and forced two fumbles
- Adonis Davis had 2.5 TFLs and a sack

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 saw their nine-game regular season home winning streak snapped last week
- Wingate is 6-1 all-time under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium
- Saturday will be the first regular season day game at Irwin Belk since Nov. 5, 2016
- The Bulldogs have won 11 of their last 12 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 opened the year with wins over JC Smith and Fayetteville State by a combined 63-13

WINGATE OFFENSE

- The Bulldogs are averaging 25.3 points per game, ranking third in the SAC
- Fourth in the league with 353.5 total yards per contest
- Crocker leads the SAC in passing yards per game (240.0), ranking second in touchdowns and third in completion percentage
- Domineke McNeill is fourth in the SAC with 86.3 rushing yards per contest
- Stokes is third in the league with 86.0 yards per game receiving; second with four TDs
- Wingate has turned it over six times the last two games; one turnover first two games
- The Bulldogs have scored on 10-of-13 red zone trips this season, with seven touchdowns
- WU has failed to score from opponent one-yard line two straight weeks (fumble / downs)
- Wingate has converted just 29 percent of its third downs (18-for-62), ranking sixth in the SAC
- The 'Dogs averaged 4.5 yards per rush first two games; just 1.9 yards per rush last two games

WINGATE DEFENSE

- Wingate leads the SAC and ranks third nationally with 18 sacks
- Rawlings leads all of NCAA football with his eight sacks
- Rawlings leads NCAA Division II with 11.5 tackles for loss
- WU ranks rank third nationally in tackles for loss
- Wingate allows 18.8 points per game, good for third in the SAC
- The 'Dogs rank third in the SAC in total defense, allowing 297.3 yards per game
- WU allows a league-low 146.8 passing yards per contest; fifth in rush defense (150.5)
- Wingate holds opponents to 23 percent on third down (14-for-60)
- 10 different Bulldogs have recorded a sack this year
- Rawlings is the team leader with 33 tackles, four QB hurries and two forced fumbles
- Joe Kelly is second on the team with 23 tackles, adding three TFLs
- Gabe Price has 4.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks
- Cameron Mattison has 3.0 TFLs, three passes defended, two breakups and an interception
- Matthew Ellis-White has six break-ups, six passes defended and 17 tackles

WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS

- McLean Robertson has hit five-of-six field goals including a 43 yarder; only miss from 53
- Robertson is 12-for-12 on PATs; also has four touchbacks
- Academic All-America honoree Chris Birozes is third in the SAC with a 43.6 average on 28 punts
- Birozes has nine punts of over 50 yards and eight inside the 20
- Birozes was the SAC Special Teams Player of the Week in week one
- BJ Muckelvene has five punt returns for 46 yards (9.2 yards per return)
- Ronnie Procopio is averaging 25.3 yards per kick return
- Procopio had a career-long 48-yard return against Fayetteville State
- Ra'Quan Simmons has nine returns for a team-best 176 yards

ABOUT FLORIDA TECH

- Started football program in 2013, going 5-7
- Went 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the GSC in 2015
- Made the NCAA Div. II play-offs in 2016, finishing the year 8-3 overall
- Coming off a 5-6 season in 2017, going 3-5 in league play
- Currently receiving votes in AFCA Top 25 at 3-1 overall
- Started the year with wins over Benedict, Newberry and Delta State
- Picked sixth in preseason GSC poll

FLORIDA TECH OFFENSE

- Averaging 25.3 points and 310 yards per game, ranking sixth and eighth in the GSC
- Chmelik is throwing for 196.5 yards per game, with five touchdowns and three interceptions
- Guerrier is second in the league with 75.8 receiving yards per game, hauling in 21 catches
- Antwuan Haynes ranks fifth in the conference with 62 rush yards per game, scoring twice
- The Panthers are converting 32.7 percent of third downs (18-for-55)
- Florida Tech has allowed only six sacks all season; Panthers have five turnovers
- Panthers have scored on eight-of-11 red zone trips, with six TDs
- FIT went for a season-high 219 rushing yards in the Delta State win

FLORIDA TECH DEFENSE

- Florida Tech allows just 300 yards and 16.5 points per game, ranking third in the GSC
- FIT ranks second in the league, allowing 110.5 rush yards per game
- The Panthers limited Benedict to 61 rushing yards on 40 attempts in the opener
- FIT tied for second in the league with 11 sacks
- Florida Tech holding opponents to 29.3 percent on third down (17-for-58)
- The Panthers have four interceptions and have forced 12 fumbles, recovering three
- Opponents have seven red zone trips vs. FIT, going five-for-seven with just three TDs

FLORIDA TECH SPECIAL TEAMS

- Trey Schaneville has hit two-of-three field goals; long of 31
- Kyle Cullikson is averaging 40.25 yards per punt on 28 punts; long of 58
- Cullikson has nine punts inside the 20; also has three touchbacks on kick-offs
- Kiaryn Davis has 111 yards on six kick returns
- Brian Spurgeon has 83 yards on three punt returns with a long of 46 yards

UP NEXT

- Wingate will play its second road game of the season next Saturday
- The Bulldogs travel to UNC Pembroke for a 7 p.m. kickoff Oct. 6
- WU will play two straight home games after the trip to UNCP
- Wingate hosts Catawba Oct. 13 and Mars Hill Oct. 20, both games at 6 p.m.
- FIT is home for its next two GSC games, hosting Mississippi College Oct. 6
- The Panthers host Valdosta State Oct. 13 for their homecoming game
- Challenging road stretch sees back-to-back weeks at West Florida and West Alabama