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Wingate, N.C.----The 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are in the NCAA Division II play-offs for the third straight year, hosting a postseason game for the third time in program history Saturday at 1 p.m. when the West Florida Argonauts come to Irwin Belk Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff on ESPN3. The 'Dogs enter the play-offs 10-1 overall, while the Argos are 8-2 on the season. The winner advances to round two of the play-offs to take on top-ranked and defending national champion Valdosta State.

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Nov. 23 | 1 p.m. | NCAA Play-Offs Round 1
#16 Wingate (10-1; 7-1 SAC) hosts #20 West Florida (8-2; 7-1 GSC)
Wingate, N.C. (Irwin Belk Stadium) | ESPN3 | Live Stats
Wingate is the #4 seed in the region; UWF is the #5 seed
Winner will play at #1 Valdosta State Saturday, Nov. 30
 
SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the second meeting between the Bulldogs and Argonauts
- The first meeting was in the opening round of the 2017 D2 play-offs
- West Florida prevailed 31-0 at Irwin Belk Stadium in that meeting
- The Argos would advance all the way to the national championship game that season

WINGATE PLAY-OFF HISTORY

- This is Wingate's fourth play-off appearance in program history
- The first appearance came in 2010, when the 'Dogs won their first-ever SAC title
- Wingate hosted a play-off game in 2010, downing Morehouse 63-41
- The Bulldogs returned to the play-offs in 2017, falling to West Florida at home
- WU made back-to-back appearances for the first time in school history in 2018
- The seventh-seeded 'Dogs won 41-31 at second-seeded and 10th-ranked West Georgia in the opener
- Wingate dropped a 21-17 decision at LR in the second round on a last-minute touchdown
- WU is 2-3 all-time in play-off games and 1-1 at home
 
COACHES
 
- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 19th season at Wingate (129-80)
- One of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Pete Shinnick is in his fourth year as the West Florida head coach (30-17)
- Led UWF to the national title game in program's second season (2017)

MOST RECENT GAMES

- Wingate piled up a school-record 64 points to win 64-34 at Mars Hill last Saturday
- The Bulldogs trailed at halftime, but scored a school-record 48 second-half points
- Wingate outscored the Lions 55-12 over the final 31 minutes of the contest
- The 'Dogs had a season-high 550 total yards including 279 rushing yards
- Domineke McNeill had 130 rushing yards and three TDs on 11 carries
- Nijere Peoples added 11 rushing yards and a touchdown
- Shaw Crocker was 19-28 for 271 yards and four TDs
- BJ Muckelvene had seven catches for 115 yards and a score
- Ryder Martin hauled in his first two career TD receptions
- RaQuan Simmons had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
- West Florida defeated West Alabama 48-37 at home last week
- Austin Reed threw for 443 yards and five touchdowns
- Quentin Randolph had eight catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns
- The Argos piled up 544 yards of offense on the day
- UWF converted 10 of 12 third downs and only punted twice on the day
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
 
- Wingate has reached the 10-win mark for the first time in program history
- Wingate has scored 386 points this year, the fourth-most in program history
- The 35.1 points per game are the most in school history, just ahead of 2010 (34.8 ppg)
- The 199.2 rushing yards per game rank fourth in school history
- The 'Dogs won nine games in each of the last two seasons
- The Bulldogs are 28-7 overall the last three seasons (18-4 in the SAC)
- Wingate had a school-record 13 players earn All-SAC honors this week
- The 'Dogs had a league-best nine players earn first team all-conference honors
- WU is making its third straight play-off appearance and fourth all-time
- The 'Dogs are ranked 16th in the AFCA top 25 and have been ranked all year
- The Bulldogs are 36-10 since 2016; most wins of any SAC team
- The 'Dogs have won 16 of their last 17 regular season games
- WU outscoring opponents 626-333 in the streak
- The Bulldogs have won 17 of their last 19 contests overall
- Wingate has won eight straight home games
- The Bulldogs are a league-best 23-6 in SAC play since 2016
- The 'Dogs were the first NCAA D2 team to win four road games this year
- WU outscoring opponents 124-67 in the first quarter and 118-43 in the third
- The 'Dogs have 27 straight wins when scoring at least 30 points
- WU has scored at least 30 points 15 times since beginning of 2018
- 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
 
WINGATE OFFENSE

- The 'Dogs rank third in the SAC in scoring and fourth in total yards (407.7 ypg)
- WU is second in the SAC in passing yards (208.5 ypg) and third in rushing yards
- Wingate is third in the league with 21.0 first downs per contest
- The Bulldogs are fourth in the SAC in third-down conversions (36%)
- The 'Dogs have committed a league-low 11 turnovers
- Wingate holds the ball an average of 32:21 per game, good for third in the SAC
- McNeill is third in the SAC with 85.8 rush yards per game and second with 10 TDs
- Peoples is fourth in the conference with 84.8 yards per contest and nine touchdowns
- Crocker is second in the SAC with 182.5 pass yards per game and third with 18 TDs
- He ranks 12th nationally with 15.3 yards per completion and is 20th in pass efficiency
- Jalen Brooks is third in the SAC with 703 receiving yards and fourth with 63.9 yards per game
- Brooks ranks 18th nationally with 21.3 yards per reception
- BJ Muckelvene is averaging 60.3 yards per game, ranking second in the league with eight TD catches
- Simmons leads the team with 35 catches, compiling 381 receiving yards
- Freshman trio of R.J. Mobley, Trevor Grant and Kamal Desor has combined for 24 catches, 379 yards and three TDs
 
WINGATE DEFENSE
 
- The Bulldogs rank second in the SAC, allowing 20.5 points per game
- WU is fourth in the SAC with 318.3 yards per game allowed
- The 'Dogs are second in rush defense (103.5) / eighth in pass defense (214.8 ypg)
- Wingate is third in the SAC with 88 tackles for loss
- WU is fourth in third down defense and third in fourth down defense
- The 'Dogs rank second in the conference with 36 sacks
- Elijah Gilmore leads WU with 74 tackles, adding 7.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks
- Robbie Wallace has 72 tackles, adding 8.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks
- Jesiah Carlton is fourth in the SAC with 12.0 TFLs, adding 19 QB hurries
- Cal Hanford has 7.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery and 11 hurries
- DJ Horne leads the Bulldogs with 7.0 sacks, adding 10 QB hurries
- Romario Johnson has collected 47 tackles with 3.0 TFLs and two break-ups
- Davion Washington has 10 pass break-ups and two interceptions
- Matthew Ellis-White has a pick-six, 42 tackles and 11 break-ups
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- McLean Robertson has hit a league-best 15 field goals
- Seven of his field goals have been from at least 40 yards out; long of 47
- Ethan Evans is third in the SAC with 39.5 yards per punt, adding 32 touchbacks on 70 kickoffs
- 20 of his 49 punts have ended up inside the 20; long of 57
- Simmons is third in the SAC with 27.4 yards per kick return, adding 11.2 yards per punt return
- Muckelvene has eight punt returns, averaging 12.2 yards per return
 
ABOUT WEST FLORIDA

- The Argos started their program in 2016 and went 5-6 in their first season
- West Florida reached the national championship game in its second season (2017)
- UWF went 6-5 last year, missing the play-offs
- The Argonauts are 8-2 with a 7-1 GSC record this season, making their second play-off appearance
- The two losses have come to Carson-Newman (20-13) and defending national champion Valdosta State (26-21)
 
WEST FLORIDA OFFENSE
 
- The Argos are second in the GSC in scoring (35.3 ppg) and third in total offense (400.9 ypg)
- UWF is second in passing offense (257.3 ypg) and seventh in rushing offense (143.6 ypg)
- West Florida has converted 51 percent of third downs this year
- The Argos have scored on 34 of 40 red zone trips with 30 touchdowns
- The Argonauts have scored 30 or more five time this year, scoring 69 against Virginia-Lynchburg
- Reed leads the GSC with 244.4 passing yards per game and 24 touchdowns
- He is completing 59 percent of his passes on the year (174-294)
- Tate Lehtio is third in the league with 63.6 receiving yards per game
- Randolph is fifth in the GSC with 61.1 yards per game, scoring five touchdowns
- Shomari Mason is averaging 41.6 rushing yards per game with five touchdowns
 
WEST FLORIDA DEFENSE
 
- The Argos lead the GSC and rank eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 15.1 points per game
- UWF is third in the league, allowing 317.7 yards per game
- The Argonauts rank fifth in the nation in red zone defense
- West Florida allows 165.5 pass yards (2nd in GSC) and 153.2 rush yards per game (4th in GSC)
- UWF has held six opponents under 15 points this year
- The Argos lead the league in turnover margin, recovering 13 fumbles and adding nine interceptions
- Trent Archie has 60 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks, forcing three fumbles
- Chan Ferguson also has 60 tackles with 5.5 TFLs and an interception
- Ian Bush has piled up 14.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks, forcing four fumbles
- Gael Lauren has five sacks, nine TFLs and two forced fumbles
- Sharod Oliver has a pair of interceptions and five pass break-ups, adding 32 tackles
 
WEST FLORIDA SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- Alex Virgilio has hit three-of-10 field goals and 33 extra points; long of 37
- Dawson Hamlin is averaging 44.2 yards per punt with 15 inside the 20
- UWF ranks second in the nation in net punting
- Marcus Clayton averages 23.0 yards per kick return on 12 attempts
- Ka'Ron Ashley has 82 punt return yards on 15 attempts
 
UP NEXT
 
- The winner advances to round two of the NCAA Division II play-offs
- The winner will take on top-seeded, top-ranked and defending national champion Valdosta State
- That contest will take place Saturday, Nov. 30 at Valdosta State
- The play-offs continue every week until the national championship game Saturday, Dec. 21
- The national championship game will be in McKinney, Texas at McKinney ISD Stadium

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.