Greeneville, Tenn.----The 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are on the road for the fourth time in five weeks this season, traveling to Tusculum to take on the Pioneers Saturday at 2 p.m. Winners of 10 straight regular season contests, the Bulldogs enter Saturday's game at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SAC, while Tusculum is 1-3 overall and 1-1 in league play.

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Oct. 5 | 2 p.m.
#16 Wingate (4-0; 2-0 SAC) at Tusculum (1-3; 1-1 SAC)
Greeneville, Tenn. (Pioneer Field) | LISTEN | WATCH | LIVE STATS

SERIES HISTORY

- Wingate leads the all-time series 14-9
- The Pioneers are 7-5 at home against the Bulldogs
- The 'Dogs have won 10 of the last 15 meetings
- Tusculum has prevailed in three of the last five contests
- Wingate has not won at Tusculum since 2013
- The Pioneers handed the 'Dogs their lone regular season loss in 2017
- WU prevailed 16-12 at home in last year's contest
- The last three meetings and five of the last six have been decided by less than 10 points
- The Bulldogs won six of seven meetings from 2004-2010
- Tusculum has not won at Wingate since 2014
- The 12 points WU allowed last year were the fewest allowed vs. TU since a 21-3 win in 2006

COACHES

- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 19th season at Wingate (123-79)
- 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 fourth season as the Tusculum head coach (15-20)
- Odom is 1-2 all-time against the Bulldogs

MOST RECENT GAME

- Wingate prevailed 13-10 at Catawba last Saturday night
- WU outgained the Indians 444-273 on the night
- McLean Robertson's 34-yard field goal in the final minute was the difference
- The 'Dogs piled up 232 rushing yards and 212 passing yards
- Dom McNeill went for 112 rushing yards with Kalen Clark adding 100 rush yards
- WU converted 13-of-18 third downs on the night
- The 'Dogs piled up 27 first downs and had the ball for over 37 minutes
- Wingate scored just one touchdown in five red-zone trips
- Shaw Crocker was 17-28, throwing for 212 yards
- RaQuan Simmons had eight catches for 64 yards
- The Bulldogs punted just one time on the night
- Tusculum fell 30-20 at Tusculum last Saturday
- The Pioneers turned it over five times while Newberry scored 23 unanswered points
- TU outgained Newberry 424-249 on the night
- Tusculum had two turnovers inside the Newberry five
- Jordon Shippy ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate has started a season 4-0 for the second time in three years
- WU has made back-to-back NCAA play-off trips for the first time in program history
- The 'Dogs won nine games in back-to-back years for the first time ever
- The Bulldogs are 30-9 since 2016; most wins of any SAC team
- The 'Dogs have won 10 straight regular season games
- WU outscoring opponents 359-176 in the streak
- WU has won 11 of its last 12 contests overall
- The Bulldogs are 3-0 on the road this year
- Wingate has won six straight regular season road games
- WU has won seven of its last eight road contests overall
- The 'Dogs have 22 straight wins when scoring at least 30 points
- WU has scored at least 30 points 10 times since beginning of '18
- The Bulldogs are a league-best 18-5 in SAC play since 2016
- The Bulldogs were picked second in the preseason SAC poll
- WU will play four of its first five games on the road in 2019
- The 'Dogs will play three straight home games in October

WINGATE OFFENSE

- The 'Dogs are third in the SAC, averaging 29.8 points per game
- Wingate is fourth in the league with 414 total yards per contest
- WU is third in the SAC in rush yards per game (210.5) and fourth in pass yards (207.8)
- The Bulldogs are second in the conference with 23.3 first downs per contest
- Wingate ranks third in the league, converting 42 percent of third downs (22-53)
- The 'Dogs have scored on 11-of-16 red zone trips with eight touchdowns
- McNeill leads the SAC with 104.3 rushing yards per game, ranking third with three TDs
- Clark is sixth in the conference with 58.3 yards per contest, adding a pair of touchdowns
- Crocker is fourth in the SAC with 168.8 passing yards per game, throwing five TDs
- BJ Muckelvene is fifth in the SAC with 62.7 receiving yards per contest; third with three TDs
- Jalen Brooks is 10th in the conference with 46.5 rec. yards per game

WINGATE DEFENSE

- Wingate ranks third in the SAC, allowing 17.0 points per game
- The 'Dogs are also third in total defense, allowing 279.0 yards per contest
- WU is second in passing yards allowed (164 ypg) and third in rush defense (115 ypg)
- The Bulldogs are third in the conference with 11 sacks
- Jesiah Carlton leads WU with 24 tackles, adding 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and four QB hurries
- Elijah Gilmore has 23 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks
- Robbie Wallace has collected 22 tackles with 5.0 TFLs and 1.5 sacks
- Cal Hanford is fifth in the SAC with 3.5 sacks, adding three QB hurries
- Davion Washington has an interception, two pass break-ups and six tackles

WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS

- Robertson has hit seven-of-11 field goals and all 14 PATs
- Four of Robertson's field goals this year have been from at least 40 yards out
- Ethan Evans averages 39.7 yards per punt with a long of 54
- He also has five touchbacks on 21 kick-offs
- Robertson has one touchback on four attempts this season
- Simmons is fourth in the SAC with 191 kick return yards
- Muckelvene is third in the league, averaging 15.4 yards per punt return

ABOUT TUSCULUM

- The Pioneers went 5-5 last season, with a 4-3 record in league play
- Tusculum was picked to finish fourth in the preseason SAC coaches' poll
- TU has two SAC titles and one NCAA Division II play-off appearance
- Just the second home game of the year; started season with three of four on the road
- The Pioneers are 13-32 all-time vs. ranked teams; 3-0 vs. ranked Wingate teams

TUSCULUM OFFENSE

- The Pioneers ranks sixth in the SAC, scoring 20.5 points per game
- Tusculum is sixth in the league in total offense, averaging 343.3 yards per contest
- TU is third in the SAC in passing (207.8 ypg) and sixth in rushing (135.5 ypg)
- Tusculum has turned it over nine times in four games (six interceptions, three lost fumbles)
- Fifth in the conference with 19.8 first downs per game; eighth in third down conversion (31 percent)
- Shippy is third in the SAC with 82.8 rushing yards per game; also third with three touchdowns
- Bryce Moore is sixth in the conference with 137.8 passing yards per game, throwing three TDs
- Ajay Belanger is second in the SAC with 17 catches and fourth with 238 receiving yards
 
TUSCULUM DEFENSE

- The Pioneers are fourth in the league in total defense, allowing 311.5 yards per game
- Tusculum allows 27.8 points per game, ranking sixth in the conference
- TU has six interceptions on the year, ranking second in the league
- The Pioneers are still looking for their first sack of the season
- Ivan Hogans leads Tusculum with 25 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss
- Jackson Cauthen has 23 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception
- Ty'Koriah Brown has five pass break-ups on the year

TUSCULUM SPECIAL TEAMS

- Eli Shephered has connected on eight-of-nine PATs and his lone field goal (44 yards)
- Andrew Cantrell averages 32.5 yards per punt on 21 attempts with a long of 48
- Thurlow Wilkins has a SAC-best 429 kick return yards, averaging 35.8 yards per return
- He had a 93-yard TD return at Newberry last week
- Dee Alford has a SAC-best 217 punt-return yards, averaging 18.1 yards per return  

UP NEXT

- Wingate will return home next week, opening a three-game home stand
- The Bulldogs host Limestone next Saturday, Oct. 12 on Family Weekend
- WU hosts UNCP Oct. 19 and UVA-Wise Oct. 26 to finish the home stand
- The UVA-Wise contest is Homecoming weekend and Hall of Fame Weekend at Wingate
- All five Wingate home games this year will start at 6 p.m. and air on ESPN3
- Tusculum hosts Lenoir-Rhyne next weekend at 1:30 p.m.
- A trip to UVA-Wise is followed by home games with UNCP, Catawba and Mars Hill