VIDEO | Joe Reich Interview
VIDEO | Jalen Brooks Interview
VIDEO | RaQuan Simmons Interview
VIDEO | Jesiah Carlton Interview

Charlotte, N.C.----Wingate University redshirt sophomore quarterback Shaw Crocker completed 18-of-20 passes for a career-high 296 yards and three touchdowns Thursday night, leading the 21st-ranked Bulldogs to a dominant 42-6 victory at Johnson C. Smith University in NCAA Division II football action. Six different Bulldogs scored on the evening, with three different players scoring their first career Wingate touchdown. The 'Dogs move to 1-0 on the year, while JCSU falls to 0-1.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH REICH

"I thought we were very efficient for a first game. I like how we performed. It was very workmanlike and business like. I wasn't pleased with the special teams, but offensively and defensively we were just really efficient and effective. We got up on them early and kept them down. Just overall pleased with how we did."

REICH ON THE RECEIVING CORPS

"Wow. Some of those younger guys are really good. Those older guys too, obviously, but I don't even know where to start there. That's just a good, deep group. We thought that coming in, but you never know until you get out there. The nice thing is that the two or three freshman tonight can gain experience in a game like tonight and as the competition tends to get a little better over the next few weeks, hopefully those guys will have gotten the field experience they need to continue to get better. There's no doubt we need to continue to get better, but like I said, for a first game I'm overall pretty pleased."

THOUGHTS FROM JALEN BROOKS

"I'm feeling good but I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. It was good to get the first one out early out on the field to have a good start to the game so we could finish strong. Huge thanks to the offensive line for the protection and the running backs for always blocking, always running so that we could be able to pass the ball. It was great.

BROOKS ON THE FRESHMEN RECEIVERS

"It makes it even easier now, because I think what really helped is going against our defense for so long, so they got a good look of everything. We have one of the most powerful defenses in the SAC, but I'm excited for them, they look great. They're looking a lot better than RaQuan and myself did coming in as freshmen so I'm just excited to see how they do and the sky's the limit. We have so much talent. We had so many freshmen come in and I know not all of them will get the opportunity to play but it is crazy how good they are."

NOTES

- The Bulldogs have won seven straight season openers
- Wingate is 17-2 in season openers in the Joe Reich era
- The 'Dogs are 7-0 all-time vs. JC Smith and 4-0 in Charlotte
- WU has outscored the Golden Bulls 225-64 in the seven wins
- Wingate has won by a combined 72 points over JC Smith in the last two season openers
- The Bulldogs are now 27-9 over the last three seasons, the most wins of any SAC team
- Wingate has won seven straight regular season games and eight of its last nine contests overall
- Career high in passing yards for Crocker, second-most completions in his career
- Fourth time Crocker has thrown at least three TD passes in a game
- Jalen Brooks has four TD catches in his last three games
- Brooks had three TD grabs in the two play-off games last season
- 10th career touchdown reception for BJ Muckelvene
- Nijere Peoples has 15 rushing touchdowns in 12 career games
- First career TDs for RaQuan Simmons, Kalen Clark and Kamal Desor
- The WU defense has held JCSU to six points over the last eight quarters of action

KEY TEAM STATS

- Wingate outgained JCSU 493-275, holding the Golden Bulls to 59 yards of offense in the first half
- WU had 26 first downs compared to Johnson C. Smith's nine
- The 'Dogs threw for 368 yards while the Golden Bulls had 194 passing yards
- The Bulldogs won the time-of-possession battle by seven minutes
- Neither team turned the ball over
- Wingate had the only two sacks of the evening
- The 'Dogs had three touchdowns of 49 yards or more

KEY INDIVIDUAL STATS

- Darquez Lee completed two of his three passes for 72 yards and a touchdown
- Brooks had three catches for 90 yards and a score
- Muckelvene hauled in three catches for 89 yards and a TD
- Simmons added five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown
- True freshman R.J. Mobley had four catches for 52 yards
- Desor registered a pair of grabs including a touchdown
- Peoples had 43 yards on six carries including a touchdown
- Noah Arnett and Dom McNeill added 34 and 32 rushing yards respectively
- Kalen Clark added a touchdown run
- Colton Beard led the defense with five tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss, adding a pass break-up
- Kam Johnson added four stops including a TFL
- Robbie Wallace also had four tackles and 0.5 sacks, while Justin Armwood added a sack
- McLean Robertson hit all six PATs; Robertson and Ethan Evans each had a touchback on the night

FIRST QUARTER

- Wingate went 59 yards on seven play on its opening drive of the season
- Simmons had a pair of catches on the drive to get the 'Dogs inside the 10
- Crocker hit Simmons from six yards out for the sophomore's first career TD
- The 'Dogs went 73 yards on two plays on their next drive
- Crocker connected with Simmons for 13 yards on the first play
- He then found Brooks down the left sideline for a 60-yard TD to make it 14-0

SECOND QUARTER

- A six-play, 67-yard drive put the 'Dogs on top by three scores midway through the second quarter
- Lee hit Simmons for 23 yards to get the 'Dogs inside the 20
- Peoples scored from 13 yards out to make it 21-0

THIRD QUARTER

- Wingate received the opening kickoff in the second half and went 86 yards in four plays
- Completions to Muckelvene and McNeill got Wingate to its own 43 yard line
- Crocker went deep again, connecting with Muckelvene for 57 yards to make it 28-0 with 13:30 left in the third
- The 'Dogs used a 10-play, 71-yard drive to take a 35-point lead
- Mobley had four catches in the drive, going for 52 yards to get WU inside the JCSU 20
- Clark scored from four yards out to put the Bulldogs on top 35-0 with 4:32 left in the frame

FOURTH QUARTER

- Wingate topped the 40-point mark early in the fourth quarter, thanks to an eight-play, 74-yard drive
- WU had a third and five at midfield when Lee hit Desor for a 49-yard catch and run to make it 42-0
- The Golden Bulls got on the board thanks to a Damon Rice 90-yard TD run, making the final margin 42-6

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back on the road next Saturday, traveling to Fayetteville State at 6 p.m.
- The 'Dogs won 27-13 at home against the Broncos last year
- Fayetteville State is receiving votes in the preseason AFCA top 25
- WU is 5-0 all-time against Fayetteville State
- The 'Dogs open their home slate Sept. 21, hosting Carson-Newman at 6 p.m.
- That is followed by two more road games, traveling to Catawba and Tusculum