Richmond, Va.----The 22nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs took advantage of a strong defensive effort, which included 14 points scored by the unit alone, to roll to a 32-7 win at #14 Virginia Union in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Play-offs. The Bulldogs improve to 10-2 overall and advance to next week's second round, while the Panthers end their season at 9-2.
KEY STATS
- Wingate out-gained Virginia Union 274-259
- The Bulldogs gained 119 on the ground, while adding 155 passing yards
- The Panthers tallied 95 rushing yards and picked up 164 through the air
- VUU had 12 first downs to Wingate's 10
- The 'Dogs were five-of-13 on third down, while holding the Panthers to five-for-15
- WU scored in both red zone trips; VUU did not run a play inside the Wingate 20
- The Bulldogs piled up seven sacks while not allowing one the other way
- Wingate turned the Panthers over twice, returning both interceptions for touchdowns
- WU was turnover-free on offense
- The 'Dogs held a slight advantage in the time of possession battle
- The Bulldogs also registered a safety on the day
KEY BULLDOGS
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Shaw Crocker completed 14-of-21 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns
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Kalen Clark tallied 74 rushing yards on 11 carries
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Kamal Desor hauled in three catches for 79 yards and a touchdown
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Myles Dillon caught three passes for 19 yards and a score
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Davon Gilmore racked up a team-best four tackles for loss including two sacks and forced the safety
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Jordon Thomas returned an interception for a touchdown and recovered a fumble
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Jaquan Edwards recorded Wingate's other pick-six
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Dontorian Best,
Kai Russell,
Sirod Cook,
Daniel Morrison and
Dre Witherspoon also tallied sacks for the Bulldogs
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Tre Morrison had three pass breakups
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Marquise Fleming forced the VUU fumble
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Ethan Evans put five punts inside the 20-yard line, including pinning one at the one-yard line that resulted in a safety the next play
NOTES
- Wingate earns its third play-off win in program history
- The 'Dogs are now 3-4 all-time in postseason action
- WU's second 10-win season in program history
- Eighth time the 'Dogs have held its opponent to 10 points or fewer this season
- Wingate is now has won 37 of their last 38 when scoring 30 points or more
- The Bulldog defense has allowed 10.6 points per game this season, which would be a program-record
- Virginia Union's offense came into Saturday's game ranked third in the country in scoring, averaging 43.9 points per game
- The Panthers had not scored fewer than 21 points in a game this season prior to Saturday
- Jada Byers came into the game leading the country with 1,801 rushing yards
- Wingate held Byers to 60 yards below his per-game average and out of the end zone
- The Bulldogs are now 2-0 against ranked teams on the road this season
- Second play-off win over a ranked team in program history
- Wingate will play for its first-ever trip to the national quarterfinals next week
FIRST QUARTER
- Virginia Union converted one third down on their opening possession before stalling and punting away
- Wingate took over at its own 28 and put together an 11-play scoring drive
- Crocker hit Desor for 29 yards to get it to the Virginia Union 10
- Crocker hit Dillon for an eight-yard touchdown to give the 'Dogs the lead
- The teams traded punts in their ensuing drives with WU leading 7-0
SECOND QUARTER
- Wingate pushed the ball into Panther territory after forcing a VUU punt, but stalled themselves
- Evans' punt was downed at Virginia Union's 11-yard line
- On the first play of their drive, Thomas picked off VUU's Jahkari Grant and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-0
- Virginia Union converted a third and 17 from its own three-yard line in the next drive, but was once again forced to punt it away
- The Bulldogs could not get anything going, as they were forced to punt it away again
- Wingate scored its second defensive touchdown of the quarter, as Edwards picked it off and took it to the house for a 38-yard pick-six, as Wingate took a commanding 20-0 lead at the 4:23 mark
- A penalty allowed Virginia Union to get into Wingate territory for the first time, but the 'Dogs picked up a stop on fourth down to keep the shutout alive
- The 'Dogs were content to run out the clock and take a 20-0 lead into the halftime locker room
THIRD QUARTER
- Clark picked up 25 yards on the first play from scrimmage, but the drive stalled from there
- Evans' punt was downed at the one-yard line, setting up a long field for the Panthers
- Gilmore stuffed VUU's running back in the end zone, forcing the safety and putting the 'Dogs up 22-0
- The free kick was returned into VUU territory, but Wingate was forced to punt, which was downed inside the 20 yet again
- WU's defense forced its third turnover of the game on the ensuing drive when Fleming forced a Byers fumble, which Thomas recovered
- Crocker connected with Desor for a 49-yard touchdown on third and 11, as Wingate took a commanding 29-0 lead with just over seven minutes left in the quarter
- Grant completed a 48-yard touchdown to John Jiles on VUU's first play on their next drive, cutting the deficit to 29-7
- Wingate converted a pair of first downs, but the drive stalled
- Evans pinned the Panthers to their own 10-yard line after another positive punt
- The Panthers couldn't get anything going yet again, and their punt did not make it past midfield
FOURTH QUARTER
- The 'Dogs drove it down to the VUU two-yard line, but couldn't punch it into the end zone, instead settling for a 19-yard Evans field goal to go up 32-7
- VUU went on a nine-play drive, but could not convert a pass play on fourth and seven fell incomplete
- The Panther defense held strong, but Evans once again pinned VUU deep in its own end with 2:20 left to go
- VUU could not make it down the field in their final possession
UP NEXT
- The Bulldogs will travel to Columbia, S.C. next Saturday for a matchup with #7 Benedict College in second round NCAA play-off action
- Wingate will look to punch its ticket to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history with a win over the Tigers
