Wilson, N.C.----The eighth-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are on the road for the second straight week, traveling to Barton for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday night (VIDEO | LIVE STATS). The Bulldogs are 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in league play, coming off a 35-17 victory at Limestone last weekend, erasing an early 14-0 deficit with a 28-0 second quarter while scoring 35 of the game's final 38 points. The 'Dogs have outscored opponents 173-83 this season.  

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Oct. 16 | 6 p.m.
#8 Wingate (5-0; 3-0 SAC) at Barton (3-3; 2-3 vs. SAC opponents)
Wilson, N.C. (Truist Stadium) | VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the second meeting all-time between the first two teams
- Barton's inaugural season was the 2021 spring season
- Wingate prevailed 55-14 at Barton in March
- This will be the second straight season the two teams meet in Wilson

COACHES
 
- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 21st season at Wingate (136-83)
- One of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Has led Wingate to four NCAA D2 play-off bids, including each of last three seasons
- Chip Hester is in his second season at Barton (4-7)
- He spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Catawba, going 70-49 overall   

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
 
- Wingate has started a season 5-0 for the fourth time in six years
- The 'Dogs also started 5-0 in 2015, 2017 and 2019
- Prior to 2015, the last time WU won its first five was 2008, winning the first seven
- The Bulldogs are looking to start 6-0 for the third time in the last four full seasons
- WU started 6-0 in 2017 and 2019
- The 2017 season saw the Bulldogs win their first nine games and climb to #12 in the AFCA poll
- That #12 ranking was the highest in program history prior to two weeks ago when WU cracked the top 10
- The 'Dogs won their first eight of the 2019 season, again climbing to 12th in the AFCA top 25
- Wingate is seeking its fourth straight season with at least nine wins
- WU has made three straight 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 in 2017 & 2018
- Wingate won a school-record 10 games in 2019
- The Bulldogs are 43-13 overall since the start of the 2016 season
- Wingate has the most overall wins and SAC victories since the start of the 2016 season
- After spending all of 2019 in the AFCA top 25, WU has been in all seven 2021 polls
- Wingate is 73-35 at Irwin Belk Stadium since 2001
- Wingate has 33 straight wins when scoring at least 30 points
- Wingate is ranked eighth in the AFCA top 25, the highest ranking in program history
- The Bulldogs have won 23 of their last 26 regular season home games
 
WINGATE OFFENSE
 
- The Bulldogs lead the SAC, averaging 34.6 points per game
- Wingate is third in the league with 412.6 total yards per contest
- The 'Dogs ranks fourth in rushing yards (169.2) and passing yards (243.4) per game
- WU is the only team ranked in the top four in rushing yards and passing yards
- Wingate has scored 118 first half points this season, outscoring opponents 118-45
- WU is outscoring the opposition 74-21 in the second quarter this season
- The 'Dogs dominate time of possession, ranking second in the nation (35:25)
- Wingate is fourth in the nation, converting 56 percent of third downs (38-68)
- The Bulldogs have converted 22 of 32 third downs their last two games
- WU has scored on 89 percent of red zone trips, leading the SAC (25-28)
- The balanced attack has over 220 pass yards and 130 rush yards every game this year
- Shaw Crocker is 94-141 for 1,179 yards and 11 touchdowns this season
- He leads the SAC in completion percentage (66.7%) and is third in yards per game (235.8)
- Crocker also leads the SAC in QB efficiency (159.8)
- The All-SAC QB has 58 career TD passes
- Peoples is second in the SAC with 87.0 rushing yards per game
- He has 435 yards on the season with four touchdowns, going for 4.8 yards per rush
- Peoples has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season and 11 in his career
- The All-SAC and All-Region running back has 27 career TDs and over 2,000 yards
- The balanced receiving attack has six players with at least 10 receptions
- RJ Mobley has 18 catches for 260 yards and three TDs
- He had career highs of six catches and 94 yards in last week's win
- Kamal Desor has 14 receptions for 159 yards and four TDs
- He had a pair of touchdown grabs last week
- Trevor Grant has hauled in 13 catches for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns
- Ryder Martin has 12 grabs for 202 yards and a TD, averaging 16.8 yards per catch
- Ra'Quan Simmons has 10 catches for 135 yards
 
WINGATE DEFENSE
 
- Wingate leads the SAC in scoring defense and total defense
- The Bulldogs allow a league-low 16.6 points per game and 293.6 yards per game
- WU ranks third in the conference in pass defense and rush defense
- The 'Dogs are the only team ranked in the top three in both categories
- WU leads the SAC and is 13th in the nation in third down defense
- Wingate has allowed opponents to convert 30 percent of third downs (18-60)
- The 'Dogs have allowed just nine red zone trips through five games
- Teams have scored on just six of the nine trips with five touchdowns
- Wingate also leads the SAC and ranks fourth nationally in fewest penalties
- The Bulldogs have 12 sacks, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries
- Jaquan Edwards leads the 'Dogs with 30 tackles, adding 2.5 TFLs, a sack and three break-ups
- Sirod Cook has 6.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, four QB hurries and a forced fumble
- Jesiah Carlton has 20 tackles, 2.0 TFLS and five QB hurries
- DJ Horne has collected 3.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and three QB hurries
- Justin Armwood has 3.0 TFLs, two break-ups, two interceptions and a 94-yard pick-six
- Daquan Mosley also has an interception for the Bulldogs
- Tre Morrison has piled up eight pass break-ups on the season
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- The Bulldogs rank ninth in the nation with three blocked kicks
- Wingate also has a blocked punt
- The 'Dogs ranks fourth in the nation in punt return defense and ninth in net punting
- Wingate also leads the league in kick return average
- McLean Robertson has already made 10 field goals this season
- The two-time SAC Special Teams Player of the Week has made 10-11 field goals on the year
- He already has three field goals of at least 40 yards this season, adding 17 PATs
- Robertson tied a career long with a 49-yarder in the Tusculum win
- Ethan Evans averages 40.9 yards per punt, with nine of 14 inside the 20
- He has three punts of at least 50 yards on the season
- The Bulldogs have not allowed a punt return yard this season
- Evans also has 18 touchbacks on 35 kickoffs this year
- Kyron Thomas leads the SAC and is fifth in the nation with 32.4 yard per kick return
- J. Max Swaim leads the SAC and is 12th nationally with 12.7 yards per punt return
- Swaim also has two kickoff returns for 62 yards

ABOUT BARTON

- Barton re-started its football program after a 71-year absence
- Barton's game in 2020 was its first since 1950
- The Bulldogs are 3-3 this season, playing five of their six games against SAC teams
- Barton picked up wins over SAC foes Limestone and Carson-Newman
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 40-32 setback at Mars Hill last weekend
- Barton is 1-1 at home this season, defeating Carson-Newman and losing against Newberry
 
BARTON OFFENSE
 
- Barton is averaging 27.1 points per game and 385 total yards per contest
- Those numbers would rank sixth and fifth in the SAC, respectively
- Barton is piling up 238.7 rushing yards per game, which would be second in the league
- The Bulldogs average 163.7 passing yards per contest
- BC is 23-75 on third down (43 percent) and six-for-11 on fourth down (54.5 percent)
- Barton has scored on 16-of-19 red zone trips with 11 touchdowns
- Jordan Terrell is already over 1,000 rushing yards on the season, going for 1,071 through six games
- He has six touchdowns, averaging 178.5 yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry
- Terrell leads the nation in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game
- He has gone over 100 yards in every game this year, including two games over 225 yards
- Jaquan Lynch has completed 63-of-109 passes for 954 yards and seven touchdowns
- He also has 207 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs
- Kameron Johnson has 21 catches for 419 yards and four touchdowns
- Jack White has 10 receptions for 50 yards and a pair of TDs  
 
BARTON DEFENSE
 
- Barton allows 22.8 points and 371.0 total yards per game
- Those numbers would rank fourth and sixth in the SAC, respectively
- The Bulldogs allow 163.7 passing yards and 154.3 rushing yards per game
- They have forced 14 fumbles, with eight recoveries
- Barton has piled up 16 sacks on the season, adding five interceptions
- Opponents are 30-72 on third down (41.7 percent)
- The opposition has scored on 15-of-18 red zone trips with 13 TDs
- Shane Perry has piled up 50 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles
- Kendarius Jenkins has 48 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and two interceptions
- Franklin Wheeler has 26 tackles and five pass break-ups
- Toney Black has collected 7.5 TFLs, five sacks and two QB hurries
- JL Ledbetter has 7.0 TFLs, three forced fumbles and an interception
 
BARTON SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- Jackson Brooks has made five-of-six field goals with a long of 37
- Jayden Lewis averages 37 yards per punt with a long of 51 and one inside the 20
- Johnson has 113 yards on six kick returns with a long of 25
- Anton Popov has 14 yards on three punt returns  
 
UP NEXT
 
- Wingate wraps up the three-game road trip next Saturday
- The Bulldogs are at UVA Wise Saturday at 12 p.m. before returning home the next week
- WU hosts Lenoir-Rhyne Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.
- Wingate then travels to Newberry before closing the regular season at home against Mars Hill
- Barton travels to Tusculum next week before returning home to host Bluefield State and Lenoir-Rhyne