Mars Hill, N.C.----The 17th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon, traveling to Mars Hill for a 1 p.m. kickoff with plenty on the line. A victory would give the 'Dogs their first-ever 10-win season and would strengthen the chance of Wingate hosting a playoff game next week. The Bulldogs enter the weekend 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the SAC, ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Super Region 2 poll. The Lions are 5-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Nov. 16 | 1 p.m. | Final Regular Season Game
Wingate (9-1; 6-1 SAC) at Mars Hill (5-5; 4-3 SAC)
Mars Hill, N.C. (Meares Stadium) | Video | Live Stats
 
SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the 34th meeting between Wingate and Mars Hill
- The Lions have a 17-16 lead in the series
- MHU is 10-6 against the Bulldogs at home
- Wingate has won three straight in the series and four of the last five
- The 'Dogs won 58-21 at Irwin Belk Stadium last season
- WU prevailed 42-21 at Mars Hill in 2017
- The 2017 win was Wingate's first victory at Mars Hill since 2009
- The winning team has scored at least 40 points four straight years and 10 of the last 11
- The 58-21 win last season was Wingate's largest in the series and the second largest for either team
- Mars Hill won the first meeting 54-3 in 1986 at Wingate 
 
COACHES
 
- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 19th season at Wingate (128-80)
- One of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Tim Clifton is in his 27th season as the Mars Hill head coach (142-139)
- MHU's all-time winningest coach ranks second in wins in SAC history; active leader
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
 
- Wingate has won nine games for the third straight year
- The Bulldogs are looking for their first-ever 10-win season
- WU made back-to-back NCAA play-off trips for the first time in program history
- The 'Dogs are looking to earn their fourth play-off bid in program history
- Wingate is looking to host a playoff game for the third time
- The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the NCAA Super Region 2 poll
- The 'Dogs are ranked 17th in the AFCA top 25 and have been ranked all year
- The Bulldogs are 35-10 since 2016; most wins of any SAC team
- The 'Dogs have won 15 of their last 16 regular season games
- WU outscoring opponents 562-299 in the streak
- The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 18 contests overall
- The Bulldogs are a league-best 22-6 in SAC play since 2016
- The 'Dogs were the first NCAA D2 team to win four road games this year
- WU outscoring opponents 121-57 in the first quarter and 90-37 in the third
- The 'Dogs have 26 straight wins when scoring at least 30 points
- WU has scored at least 30 points 14 times since beginning of '18
- Wingate has won seven of its last eight regular season road games
- The Bulldogs have won 19 of their last 21 regular season home games
- Wingate is 69-33 at Irwin Belk Stadium since 2001
- WU is 13-1 all-time under the lights at Irwin Belk Stadium

LAST YEAR'S MEETING

- Wingate piled up a season-high 534 yards of offense in the 58-21 home win
- WU also had season highs in rushes (60), plays (79), first downs (33) and points
- Nijere Peoples ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns
- Shaw Crocker was 13-15 for 223 yards and two scores
- Six different Bulldogs had at least 10 rushing yards
- The 'Dogs held the ball for over 38 minutes, averaging 6.8 yards per play
- Wingate had just one punt on the day
- The Bulldogs had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries
- Robbie Wallace and Kam Johnson each had an interception; Johnson had a 52-yard return
 
WINGATE OFFENSE
 
- The Bulldogs are averaging 32.2 points per game, ranking third in the SAC
- Fourth in the league with 393.5 total yards per contest
- WU is third in the SAC in rushing (191.2 ypg) and passing (202.3 ypg)
- Wingate is fourth in the league with 20.5 first downs per contest
- The Bulldogs are fourth in the SAC in third-down conversions (35%)
- WU has scored on 31-38 red zone trips with 23 touchdowns
-  Peoples is third in the SAC with 81.5 rushing yards per game
- Domineke McNeill ranks fourth with 81.4 rushing yards per contest
- Both are in the top six in touchdowns, combining for 15 TDs
-  Crocker is third in the SAC with 173.7 pass yards/game and 14 TDs
- Crocker ranks 12th nationally in yards per completion (15.6)
- Jalen Brooks is fourth in the SAC with 66.8 receiving yards per game
- BJ Muckelvene is fifth with 53.5 rec. yards/game and second with seven TDs
- Brooks leads the SAC is 12th in the nation with 21.5 yards per catch
- RaQuan Simmons leads Wingate with 33 receptions, going for 366 yards
 
WINGATE DEFENSE
 
- The Bulldogs rank second in the SAC, allowing 19.1 points per game
- WU is fourth in the SAC with 308 yards per game allowed
- The 'Dogs are 3rd in rush defense (114.9) / 5th in pass defense (193.1 ypg)
- Wingate is third in the SAC with 78 tackles for loss
- WU is fourth in third down defense and fourth down defense
- The 'Dogs rank second in the conference with 32 sacks
- Elijah Gilmore leads WU with 72 tackles, adding 6.0 TFLs and 3.0 sacks
- Wallace has 70 tackles, adding 8.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks
- Jesiah Carlton is fourth in the SAC with 11.5 TFLs, adding 15 QB hurries
- DJ Horne has 6.5 sacks and eight QB hurries, adding a forced fumble
- Cal Hanford has 5.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks and eight hurries, adding a fumble recovery
- Romario Johnson has collected 46 tackles with 3.0 TFLs and two break-ups
- Davion Washington has eight pass break-ups and two interceptions
- Matthew Ellis-White has a pick-six, 37 tackles and nine break-ups
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- McLean Robertson has hit a league-best 14 field goals
- Half of his field goals have been from at least 40 yards out; long of 47 last week
- Ethan Evans is third in the SAC with 39.7 yards per punt; also has 26 touchbacks
- Reigning SAC Specialist of the Week has put 20 of his 47 punts inside the 20
- Simmons is fourth in the SAC with 23.9 yards per kick return; also averages 11.2 per punt return
- Muckelvene has seven punt returns, averaging 14.0 yards per return
 
ABOUT MARS HILL
 
- The Lions were picked seventh in the preseason SAC coaches' poll
- Mars Hill went 4-6 last season, with a 3-4 record in league play
- MHU has three SAC titles all-time, making a pair of appearances in the NCAA D2 play-offs
- The Lions are coming off back-to-back losses against Carson-Newman and Tusculum
- Mars Hill had won three of four, defeating Newberry, Limestone and Catawba
 
MARS HILL OFFENSE
 
- The Lions are third in the SAC with 426.9 total yards per game; fourth with 28.3 points per contest
- MHU throws for a SAC-best 293.3 yards per game; seventh in rushing (133.6 ypg)
- Mars Hill averages a league-best 23.6 first downs per game
- The Lions are third in third down conversions (37 percent); fourth in fourth down (50 percent)
- MHU has scored on 25-of-41 red zone trips with 24 touchdowns
- Jimmy Urzua leads the SAC with 187.7 passing yards per game, ranking second with 17 touchdowns
- Craig Rucker has piled up a league-best 117.5 receiving yards per game and 14 TDs
- Rucker has a SAC-best 83 receptions, averaging 8.3 catches per game
- Christopher Roberts averages 49.3 rushing yards per game
 
MARS HILL DEFENSE
 
- MHU is eighth in scoring defense (33.0 ppg) and sixth in total defense (377.7 ypg)
- Mars Hill is seventh in the conference with 19 sacks
- The Lions have eight interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries
- Dexter Fitzpatrick leads MHU with 74 tackles, adding 6.5 TFLs and a sack
- Carl Robertgeau has 59 stops, five interceptions and two forced fumbles
- Boris Lewis has 2.5 sacks and 4.0 TFLs
- Jaden King has 49 tackles and a pair of interceptions
 
MARS HILL SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- Steven Sanchez has connected on his only field goal attempt of the season from 33 yards
- Tanner Fox has hit 30 of 33 extra points and is 0-for-2 on his field goal attempts
- Fox averages 34.7 yards per punt, with 11 inside the 20 on 35 punts
- Tyler Ferguson averages 20.6 yards per kick return on 21 attempts with a long of 44
- Rucker has 19 punt returns for 256 yards, averaging 13.5 per return with an 84-yard TD
 
UP NEXT
 
- This is the final regular season game of the season
- The number four team in the region, the 'Dogs have a strong chance of earning a play-off bid
- The NCAA Division II play-offs begin Nov. 23
- The number one team in the region gets a bye, with seeds 2-4 hosting seeds 5-7
- The NCAA Division II selection show is Sunday at 5 p.m. (WATCH HERE)
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.