Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University redshirt freshman running back
Jason Willis needed just 13 carries to pile up 177 rushing yards and four touchdowns Saturday night, as the Bulldogs rallied for a 41-27 victory over visiting UVA Wises in South Atlantic Conference football action at Irwin Belk Stadium and Founders Field. Wingate moves to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the SAC, while the Cavaliers go to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in league play.
KEY STATS
- Wingate had 278 rushing yards and 220 passing yards for 498 yards of offense
- UVA Wise had 189 passing yards and 29 rushing yards for 218 total yards
- The Bulldogs had a 25-13 advantage in first downs
- The Cavaliers had five of the seven turnovers on the night
- UVAW was four-for-13 on third down and two-for-three on fourth down
- WU was three-for-13 on third down and one-for-four on fourth down
- The 'Dogs held the ball for nearly 38 minutes on the night
- Wingate outscored UVA Wise 27-0 in the second half
KEY BULLDOGS
- Willis averaged 13.6 yards per carry on his 13 attempts, going for 177 yards and four scores
- He added an eight-yard reception
- Willis had TD runs of 38, 21, 11 and 54 yards on the night
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Brooks Brien was 17-for-25 for 214 yards and a touchdown
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Xavier Jackson had seven receptions for 83 yards and a TD
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Aaron Griffin added two grabs for 58 yards
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Kayden Bash had three receptions for 36 yards
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Jesse Clinesmith added two catches for 16 yards
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Ethan Wallace ran for 64 yards on 14 carries
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Jayshawn Appling added nine carries for 32 yards
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David Squires led the 'Dogs with 10 tackles
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Elijah Evans had eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble
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Chris Harris added eight stops
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Tyson Brown had six tackles, 2.5 TFLs, a sack and a fumble recovery
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Anthony Dangerfield added five tackles with a sack and pass break-up
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Tory Kelly,
Ephraim Wright and
J'Von Mack each had an interception
- Wright also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble
FIRST QUARTER
- McCalan Beason connected with Hunter Purdue for a 36-yard TD to give UVAW a 7-0 lead four minutes in
- Wingate answered by going 74 yards in four plays
- Brien connected with Bash for 25 yards, eight yards and three yards to get to the Wise 38
- Willis scored on the next play to tie it at seven
- A Joshua Graham interception set the Cavs up in WU territory late in the quarter
- Beason connected with Elijah Thompson for 31 yards, giving UVA Wise a 13-7 lead
SECOND QUARTER
- Beason hooked up with Tre'mell Washington for a 27-yard TD to make it 20-7 at the 11:55 mark
- A Wright interception set Wingate up at the UVA Wise 40 with nine minutes left
- Brien's seven-yard completion to Griffin got the 'Dogs in the red zone
- Brien connected with Jackson in the back of the end zone from three yards out to make it 20-14
- Beason connected with Jeremiah Augustin for a 21-yard TD with 1:44 left, making it 27-14 at halftime
THIRD QUARTER
- UVA Wise's opening drive of the third was halted by Kelly's interception at the Wingate 30
- A Gunnar Hilsinger 30-yard field goal at the 6:32 mark pulled the 'Dogs within 10
- The Bulldogs regained possession at their own 25 with 4:37 to go in the quarter
- A Willis 16-yard run and Jackson 38-yard reception got the 'Dogs to the Wise 21
- Willis scored on the next play to pull the Bulldogs within three
FOURTH QUARTER
- The Cavs started the fourth quarter with a third-and-one at the Wingate 21
- Wright forced a fumble and recovered it, giving the ball back to the Bulldogs
- UVA Wise got it back, but Evans forced a fumble on a sack, with Brown recovering at the UVAW 11
- Willis scored from 11 yards out on the next play to put the 'Dogs on top 31-27 at the 6:37 mark
- Beason was picked off by Mack on the first play of the ensuing drive
- Hilsinger drilled a 37-yard field goal to make it 34-27 with 3:24 remaining
- The Cavs got it to the WU 46, but turned it over on downs with 1:35 to go
- Willis capped his incredible night with a 54-yard TD run, making the final margin 41-27
UP NEXT
- Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to Catawba for a 6 p.m. start
