Wingate, N.C.----The 18th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs raced out to a 21-0 lead Saturday night, then held on for a 35-28 victory over visiting Newberry College in South Atlantic Conference football action at Irwin Belk Stadium. Wingate improves to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the SAC, while the Wolves fall to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in league play.

THOUGHTS FROM ROBBIE WALLACE

"It was a great team win. Even though we got down a little bit, we kept our composure, kept grinding it out, and the results showed that in the end."
 
THOUGHTS ABOUT MOVING TO FOURTH ON WU ALL-TIME TACKLE LIST

"Oh wow, that's amazing. I didn't think I had that many, but that is nice. I'm excited about that. It was just all the hard work and dedication that I have put in since day one, since I was a freshman coming in through college. I just really trusted my coaches. I really have to give a big thanks to my D-Line, because they made it easy. Playing behind them for the past four years, things were really smooth and easy. I really appreciate them."
 
THOUGHTS ON THIRD STRAIGHT NINE-WIN SEASON

"I learned that we may have some bumps ahead, but the outcome shows we can still win regardless of what happens throughout the game. Right now, I know we have a chance to make history, to get a 10-win season and I think we can do it."

THOUGHTS FROM JALEN BROOKS

ON THE BOUNCE BACK WIN

"This means a lot. We were able to get back at it at practice, just attack each and every day, knowing that we just lost and having that chip on our shoulder."
 
ON THE BIG NIGHT

"Big shout out to the offensive line. Big shout out to the running backs, they're always doing their thing. Big shout out to Shaw, who is putting the ball where it needs to be, and we just execute."
 
ON NEXT WEEK'S REGULAR SEASON FINALE

"We still lost to Lenoir Rhyne, we might be out of the SAC championship talk, but we've got that mentality that we want to make the deep run in playoffs, and we got to win this game."

NOTES

- Wingate has won nine games in three straight seasons
- The Bulldogs are seeking their first ever 10-win season
- The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the NCAA Super Region 2 poll
- Wingate is seeking its third straight play-off appearance and fourth all-time
- The 'Dogs are ranked 18th 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
- Wingate has won eight straight home games
- The Bulldogs are a league-best 22-6 in SAC play since 2016
- 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
- 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

KEY STATS

- Newberry outgained Wingate 437-421 on the night
- Each team had 20 first downs
- The 'Dogs had 225 rush yards compared to 136 from the Wolves
- Newberry threw for 301 yards; Wingate threw for 196
- Wingate converted four-of-11 third downs; Newberry was five-for-14
- Each team had a turnover
- Both teams scored touchdowns on all three red zone trips
- Newberry had the ball for 32:28 in the contest

KEY BULLDOGS

- Jalen Brooks had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown (all in first half)
- Shaw Crocker was 12-for-18 for 174 yards and a touchdown
- Kamal Desor had two catches for 46 yards
- Domineke McNeill ran for 87 yards and a touchdown
- Nijere Peoples ran for 72 yards and a score
- BJ Muckelvene had four carries for 62 yards
- McLean Robertson hit field goals of 40 and 47 yards
- Ethan Evans averaged 40.3 yards per punt, putting two inside the five
- Robbie Wallace had 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack
- Elijah Gilmore added 11 tackles
- DJ Horne had seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a QB hurry
- Matthew Ellis-White had six tackles and two break-ups
- Jordon Anderson had two TFLs, a sack and four tackles

FIRST QUARTER

- Wingate went 60 yards on seven plays in the opening drive
- Crocker hit Brooks for 35 yards to get it inside the Newberry five
- Peoples scored from a yard out to make it 7-0
- WU went 72 yards on five plays its next drive
- Brooks had catches of 17 and 15 yards, along with Muckelvene's 14-yard run
- Crocker hit RaQuan Simmons from 14 yards out to make it 14-0 at the 4:30 mark

SECOND QUARTER

- Wingate went 83 yards on seven plays to take a three-score lead
- Muckelvene's 38-yard rush got it into Newberry territory
- Darquez Lee hit Brooks for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 12:38 left in the half
- Newberry went 56 yards on five plays, capped by Colton Bailey's one-yard TD run
- The Wolves added a 12-play, 54-yard drive to get within seven
- Bailey hit Bobby Irby for a two-yard TD on fourth and goal to make it 21-14
- Crocker connected with Brooks for 17 yards to get it to the Newberry 23
- Robertson hit a 40-yarder as time expired in the half to make it 24-14

THIRD QUARTER

- Newberry went 75 yards on three plays in 1:27 to get within three
- Bailey hit Deshun Kitchings for a 64-yard touchdown to make it 24-21
- The Wolves struck again, going 97 yards in eight plays to take the lead
- Tylik Johnson scored from 10 yards out to cap the drive and put Newberry on top 28-24
- Wingate got within a point when Robertson connected on a career-long 47-yard field goal

FOURTH QUARTER

- Wingate regained the lead with a four-play, 63-yard drive
- McNeill started the drive with a 33-yard run
- McNeill capped the drive with a nine-yard TD run
- Crocker hit Muckelvene on the two-point conversion to make it 35-28 with 12:15 left
- Newberry had four more possessions to tie it, but the Wingate defense held strong
- Horne halted a drive with a strip-sack, with Jaquan Edwards recovering the fumble
- A 47-yard Evans punt pinned Newberry at its own two to start its final drive with 26 seconds left
- The Wolves did not make it past their own 15

UP NEXT

- Wingate is in action next week, playing at Mars Hill at 1 p.m.
- The Bulldogs are looking to earn a play-off bid for the third straight year
- The play-offs begin Nov. 23
- The top four seeds are guaranteed at least one home game in the play-offs