Wingate, N.C.----The 22nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are in the NCAA Division II play-offs for the fourth time in five years, traveling to Virginia Union to face the 14th-ranked Panthers Saturday at 1 p.m. The 'Dogs enter postseason play at 9-2 overall, while Virginia Union is 9-1 on the season.  

NCAA Division II Super Region II
#22 Wingate (9-2) vs. #14 Virginia Union (9-1)
Saturday, Nov. 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Richmond, Va. (Hovey Field)
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Full Bracket

HOW THEY GOT HERE

- Wingate earned its fourth play-off bid in the last five years
- The Bulldogs went 9-2 in the regular season, with a 7-2 SAC record
- The 'Dogs finished in a four-way tie for first place in the Piedmont Division
- Wingate picked up key region wins over Fayetteville State, Limestone and Lenoir-Rhyne
- All three of those victories came on the road, where the Bulldogs are 6-0 this season
- WU started 3-0, then bounced back from a home loss to win five straight
- Virginia Union reeled off eight straight victories to start the season
- That run included a 27-24 overtime win at Bowie State
- The Panthers also took down Valdosta State 45-40 on the road
- Union added a 31-28 victory at Fayetteville State
- The Panthers had their one setback Oct. 29, falling 26-21 against Chowan
- They bounced back with a 33-21 victory over Virginia State in the regular season finale

WHAT'S AT STAKE

- The winner advances to next Saturday to take on top-seed Benedict
- The Tigers are 11-0 on the season, earning an opening-round play-off bye
- The Bulldogs are looking for their third play-off victory in program history

SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the second all-time meeting between Wingate and Virginia Union
- The two teams met in Wingate in 2001, with the 'Dogs prevailing 13-12

WINGATE NCAA PLAY-OFF HISTORY

- The 'Dogs are making their fifth NCAA D2 play-off appearance
- Wingate's first trip came in the 2010 season
- The Bulldogs made three straight trips from 2017 through 2019
- After missing the play-offs last season, WU is back for the fourth time in five years
- Wingate picked up a win in its first-ever play-off game in 2010, downing Morehouse 63-41 at home
- WU dropped a tight 30-28 contest at top-seed Albany State in round two
- The 'Dogs hosted West Florida in the 2017 opener
- The Argonauts defeated Wingate and made a run all the way to the national title game
- In 2018 Wingate went on the road and knocked off #10 West Georgia 41-31
- The Bulldogs then fell in the closing seconds at Lenoir-Rhyne 21-17
- Wingate hosted West Florida in the opening round in 2019
- The Argonauts won that contest and went on to win the national title
- WU is 2-4 in the play-offs, with a 1-2 record on the road

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate has had its best stretch in program history
- The 'Dogs are 56-16 overall in the last five fall seasons
- WU is 37-10 in SAC play during that time
- The Bulldogs have the most overall wins and league wins in the SAC since 2016
- Wingate has won eight or more games each of the last six fall seasons
- The 'Dogs won nine games in 2017 and 2018, then won 10 games in 2019
- Wingate has won 36 of its last 37 games when scoring 30 points or more
- The Bulldogs have gotten it done with one of the most dominant defenses in the country
- The 'Dogs lead the nation in total defense, sacks, tackles for loss and first down defense
- Wingate ranks second in red zone defense and third down defense and third in scoring defense
- WU is fourth in the nation in rush defense and seventh in pass defense
- The Bulldogs are also fourth nationally in net punting
- Wingate has held seven of 11 opponents to 10 points or less this season
- The 'Dogs are allowing 10.9 points per game, allowing 120 points in 11 games
- Entering the season, the program records were 192 total points allowed and 17.5 points per game allowed in 2006
- The 'Dogs have a program-record 115 tackles for loss, tying the school record with 46 sacks
- 11 Bulldogs earned All-SAC honors, with eight defensive players picking up league accolades
- DJ Horne was named the Piedmont Division Defensive Player of the Year, adding first team honors
- He ranks seventh in the nation with 9.5 sacks and 18th nationally with 15.5 tackles for loss
- Horne has 40 total tackles, adding nine QB hurries and a forced fumble
- Marquise Fleming is a first team All-SAC honoree
- He is fifth in the nation with 19.5 tackles for loss and sixth with 10.5 sacks
- Fleming ranks third in program history for single-season TFLs and sacks
- He also has 14 QB hurries and two forced fumbles, notching 58 tackles on the year
- Tre Morrison is a first team All-SAC honoree
- He leads the nation in passes defended, piling up 16 pass break-ups and four interceptions
- Morrison also has 29 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a 66-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown
- Jaquan Edwards is also a first team All-SAC selection
- The linebacker leads the 'Dogs with 79 tackles, registering eight TFLs and three QB hurries
- Davon Gilmore is a second team all-conference honoree
- He has piled up 79 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, seven pass break-ups and a forced fumble
- Sirod Cook is also a second team All-SAC selection
- He has 12.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 11 QB hurries, four pass break-ups and a forced fumble, adding a scoop-and-score TD his last time out
- Dequan Mosley earned second team All-SAC honors
- He has three interceptions, four pass break-ups and 30 tackles, with 4.5 TFLs
- Jordon Thomas was named the Division Defensive Freshman of the Year
- He has 10 break-ups, an interception and 30 tackles, adding 1.5 tackles for loss
- The offense had three players earn league honors, led by Evan Surgeon
- The first team All-SAC honoree earned the Jacob's Blocking Trophy, going to the league's top offensive lineman
- Fellow offensive lineman Hunter Jolly picked up second team All-SAC accolades
- Alex Wilson is a second team all-conference running back
- He leads the 'Dogs with 543 rush yards, scoring four TDs while adding 75 receiving yards
- Ethan Evans is an All-SAC kicker and punter
- He leads the nation, averaging 46.4 yards per punt, putting 30 of his 61 punts inside the 20
- 28 of his punts have been at least 50 yards, earning SAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors three times
- Evans is a two-time National Player of the Week honoree
- As a kicker, Evans has hit all 35 PATs, while hitting nine-of-15 field goals and adding 37 touchbacks on 54 kickoffs
- Shaw Crocker has thrown for 2,009 yards and 20 touchdowns this year, averaging 183 yards per game
- He has 88 career TD passes, adding nine rushing touchdowns
- Crocker had three touchdown passes and a pair of rushing scores against UVA Wise last week
- Myles Dillon leads the 'Dogs with 31 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns
- Ra'Quan Simmons has 22 receptions for 338 yards and a pair of TDs
- Kamal Desor has 22 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns
- Trevor Grant has 17 receptions for 284 yards and four TDs
- Kalen Clark has added 483 rushing yards and a touchdown
- Simmons has added 270 punt return yards, going for 16 yards per return
- Kyron Thomas has 246 yards on 12 kickoff returns

ABOUT THE PANTHERS

- Virginia Union has gotten it done on the offensive end
- The Panthers average 43.9 points per game, ranking third in the nation
- Union has the ninth-best rushing attack in the nation, going for 235 yards per contest
- Virginia Union is 20th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 16.5 points per game
- The Panthers have scored over 40 points five times this season
- They have scored over 65 points on two occasions
- Jada Byers leads the nation with 1,801 rushing yards
- He averages 6.8 yards per carry and 180 yards per game, scoring 19 touchdowns
- Byers has gone for 98 yards or more in every game, going over 200 yards three times
- He had 319 yards in the Valdosta State win and 277 yards against Bowie State
- Jahkari Grant has completed 120 of 204 passes for 1,752 yards and 17 touchdowns
- John Jiles leads the receivers with 34 catches for 541 yards and eight TDs
- Shamar Graham leads the Panthers with 70 tackles, including 7.5 TFLs and two sacks
- Isaac Anderson has 14 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks
- Armonii Burden leads the team with eight sacks
- Virginia Union leads the nation with 10 blocked kicks on the season
- The Panthers rank fourth nationally with five punt blocks

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University 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 is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.