Columbia, S.C.----The 22nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are in the second round of the NCAA Division II football play-offs this weekend, traveling to Benedict to face the seventh-ranked Tigers Saturday at 1 p.m. The 'Dogs are 10-2 overall after prevailing 32-7 at #14 Virginia Union last weekend. Benedict is 11-0 overall, getting a first-round bye as the top seed in Super Region 2.

NCAA Division II Super Region II Round 2
#22 Wingate (10-2) at #7 Benedict (11-0)
Saturday, Nov. 26 | 1:00 p.m. | Columbia, S.C. (Charlie W. Johnson Stadium)
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 7-0 this season
- WU started 3-0, then bounced back from a home loss to win five straight
- Wingate opened play-off action with a 32-7 win at Virginia Union last Saturday
- The Bulldogs are in the second round of the play-offs for the third time in program history
- WU is looking for its first-ever appearance in the third round
- Benedict is making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II play-offs
- The Tigers received the top seed and opening-round bye with an 11-0 record
- They are the only undefeated team in the region and one of four in all of D2 football

WHAT'S AT STAKE

- The winner advances to next Saturday's Super Region 2 title game
- Next week is also the national quarterfinals
- The winner will face the winner of the Delta State vs. West Florida contest
- The 'Dogs are looking for their fourth play-off victory in program history
- Wingate is looking for its first-ever trip to the third round
- Benedict is looking for its first-ever play-off win in its first-ever appearance

SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the second all-time meeting between Wingate and Benedict
- The teams met in 1998, with the Tigers prevailing 34-33 at home

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
- The 32-7 win last Saturday is the largest margin of victory in WU play-off history
- Second play-off road victory for the 'Dogs
- The seven points are the fewest allowed in program history
- WU is 3-4 in the play-offs, with a 2-2 record on the road

LAST TIME OUT

- The 'Dogs prevailed 32-7 at #14 Virginia Union in the play-off opener last Saturday
- Wingate jumped out to a 29-0 lead, getting pick-sixes from Jordon Thomas and Jaquan Edwards
- Davon Gilmore's tackle in the end zone resulted in a safety
- Shaw Crocker added TD passes to Myles Dillon and Kamal Desor
- The Bulldogs held the Panthers to 259 yards of offense and 12 first downs, forcing three turnovers
- Benedict's last game came Nov. 12, prevailing 58-21 at Tuskegee to cap a perfect regular season
- The Tigers raced out to a 42-14 halftime lead
- Benedict piled up 573 yards of offense and allowed Tuskegee to convert just one of 12 third downs
- Eric Phoenix threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, adding 91 rush yards and a TD
- He used 10 different receivers on the day, with Tayven Grice and Joshua Gaddy each scoring a TD
- Loobert Danelus led the defense with four tackles for loss and three sacks
- Daythan Peterson added two forced fumbles and a pass break-up

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate has had its best stretch in program history
- The 'Dogs are 57-16 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
- The 10 wins this season tie the 2019 season for the most wins in program history
- Wingate has won 37 of its last 38 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, tackles for loss and third down defense
- Wingate is second in sacks and third in scoring defense and red zone defense
- WU is sixth in the nation in rush defense and seventh in pass defense
- The Bulldogs are also fifth nationally in net punting
- Wingate has held eight of 12 opponents to 10 points or less this season
- The 'Dogs are allowing 10.6 points per game, allowing 127 points in 12 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 127 tackles for loss and 53 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 17.5 tackles for loss
- Horne has 43 total tackles, adding 10 QB hurries and a forced fumble
- Marquise Fleming is a first team All-SAC honoree
- He is fifth in the nation with 20.5 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 three forced fumbles, notching 61 tackles on the year
- Tre Morrison is a first team All-SAC honoree
- He leads the nation in passes defended, piling up 19 pass break-ups and four interceptions
- Morrison also has 32 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 has 81 tackles, registering eight TFLs and three QB hurries, adding a pick-six last week
- Davon Gilmore is a second team all-conference honoree
- He has piled up 85 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, seven pass break-ups and a forced fumble
- Sirod Cook is also a second team All-SAC selection
- He has 13.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, 11 QB hurries, four pass break-ups and a forced fumble, adding a scoop-and-score TD in the regular season finale
- Dequan Mosley earned second team All-SAC honors
- He has three interceptions, four pass break-ups and 32 tackles, with 4.5 TFLs
- Jordon Thomas was named the Division Defensive Freshman of the Year
- He has 11 break-ups, two interceptions and 31 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 568 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 35 of his 68 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 38 of 39 PATs, while hitting 10-of-16 field goals and adding 40 touchbacks on 60 kickoffs
- Shaw Crocker has thrown for 2,164 yards and 22 touchdowns this year, averaging 183 yards per game
- He has 90 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 34 catches for 40 yards and six touchdowns
- Ra'Quan Simmons has 23 receptions for 338 yards and a pair of TDs
- Kamal Desor has 25 catches for 371 yards and four touchdowns
- Trevor Grant has 19 receptions for 308 yards and four TDs
- Kalen Clark has added 555 rushing yards and a touchdown
- Simmons has added 283 punt return yards, going for 16 yards per return
- Kyron Thomas has 270 yards on 13 kickoff returns

ABOUT THE TIGERS

- Benedict is one of four undefeated teams in D2 football
- The Tigers lead the nation in pass defense, ranking fifth in total defense and scoring defense
- They rank 10th nationally in sacks and 12th in tackles for loss
- Benedict has won 13 straight games, the longest winning streak in the country
- The Tigers average 38 points per game, giving up just 12 points per contest
- Phoenix throws for 159 yards per game, notching 14 TD passes while completing 64 percent of passes
- He also has 219 rush yards and four TDs
- Noah Zaire Scotland averages 52 rushing yards per contest, scoring eight touchdowns
- Deondra Duehart averages 51.7 rush yards per game with nine rushing TDs
- Reginald Harden has 20 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns, leading the nation with 25.25 yards per catch
- Denelus is sixth in the nation with 20 TFLs and fifth with 13 sacks
- Jayden Broughton has added seven tackles for loss and six sacks
- Troy Frazier and Olajuwone have two interceptions apiece

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.