SAC Week 3 Preview

September 20th, 2024 1:33pm

The non-conference part of the schedule is now over, and we finally get into cross-divisional play in the SAC. I’m excited for some old SAC rivalries being renewed for the first time since 2021 this week, such as two of the founding members of the conference in Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill. Last week brough a ton of top 25 upsets across the country in D2, and one was Wingate taking down a top 15 team in Delta State in dominating fashion. As I jokingly mentioned to a friend at Wingate, the Bulldogs seemingly always win if I do not pick them in big games. Like passing gas in church, it tends not to end well.

There are some big games on the schedule this week, and afterwards I feel some teams will be in playoff desperation mode if they fail to win this weekend. Just to remember the importance of every game, especially in league play here is a “SAC Stat of the Week”: EVERY SAC champion over the past decade has won their conference opener. The last time the conference champion lost their opener was Lenoir-Rhyne in 2012, a 47-23 loss to Carson-Newman.

Best of luck this weekend to all the players, coaches, trainers and other staff.

Players of the Week

Offense: Preston Brown (Catawba)- 24 for 29, 295 yards, 4 touchdowns.

Defense: Dontorian Best (Wingate)- 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL.

Special Teams: Cam Ferguson (Carson-Newman)- 92-yard kick return for a TD

SAC Power Rankings

1. Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0)
2. Wingate (2-0)
3. Carson-Newman (2-0)
4. Limestone (1-1)
5. Mars Hill (0-1)
6. Emory & Henry (2-0)
7. Newberry (0-2)
8. Tusculum (0-1)
9. Barton (1-1)
10. Catawba (1-1)
11. UVA Wise (1-1)
12. Anderson (2-0)

Last Week: 7-3

Season: 17-5

Limestone Saints at Anderson Trojans

Location: Anderson, SC / 1 PM

Line: Limestone -30.5 / SP+: Limestone 30.8, Anderson 23.0

Series: First Ever Meeting

Last weekend’s game against West Alabama (GSC) was one my friends in Saints country would love to have erased from their memory. Despite putting up nearly 400 yards on an excellent Tigers defense, and holding their offense under 300, the Saints lost by three scores, 33-14. West Alabama sacked Dustin Noller five times and forced six turnovers. Noller was 20 for 34, 302 yards and a score, but threw three interceptions and fumbled twice. Kevin Lalin continued to have a great start, rushing for 116 on 20 carries. Jalen Jones had a breakout game, 9 catches for 181 yards. Limestone’s defense has slowly improved each of the past 3 years but can’t be expected to carry things when you give up the ball so much. I’m thinking this isn’t a trend by any means.

Anderson is off to a 2-0 start, after handling business as expected against an undermanned LaGrange team, 44-14. The Trojans put up 574 yards of offense, held their opponent to 200, and put the game on autopilot after halftime when they lead 30-7. Anderson had four different receivers with 4+ catches and 55+ yards, and rising stud quarterback Tyler Wesley put on a show. Wesley completed 24 of 29 passes for 373 yards and 2 scores. It’s a challenge to know what to expect from Anderson still because they’ve looked outstanding in two games thus far, but the level of competition causes one to come back to reality. An upset win this weekend would certainly carry a ton of weight.

Prediction: Limestone rolls to improve to 2-1.

Limestone is significantly better than the two teams Anderson has faced thus far and I firmly believe the massive step up in competition is going to cause some issues in this game for the Trojans. Limestone’s offense is just too talented for me to think they have a repeat performance, and Anderson’s defense isn’t West Alabama’s (as far as we know). For the Trojans to pull the upset, they need to score touchdowns when they have the ball, control the clock to limit possessions for Noller, and force some turnovers. If the Saints offense coughs the ball up 5+ times again, the Trojans have a shot. It doesn’t matter how good you are as a team, that many turnovers is dang near impossible to overcome.

Barton Bulldogs at Emory & Henry Wasps

Location: Emory, VA / 1 PM

Line: Barton -2.5 / SP+: Emory & Henry 27.7, Barton 21.9

Series: First Ever Meeting

I mentioned this on X, but my dad always says sometimes you got to win ugly sometimes. No matter what it takes to get the win. That is what Barton did on Saturday against in-state rival (and future Conference Carolina’s football rival) Chowan. Surprisingly trailing 13-3 at the half, the Bulldogs reeled off 21 unanswered in about 13 minutes of game time to escape Murfreesboro with a 24-20 win. I thought Trevor Nored would throw the rock all over the place and it would be a blowout, but Barton could not throw it at all. Instead, Tay Long said “watch this”, rushing 22 times for 137 yards and a score. Long’s longest carry was five yards short of equaling his 2023 total! Excellent game young man. It’ll be interesting to see which way the Bulldogs offense leans this week.

After jumping out to a 19-7 lead early in the 2^nd quarter, Emory & Henry saw Bluefield State (CIAA) make it a one score game just before the half. The Wasps then decided they had enough of that nonsense in the 2^nd half on their way to a 40-13 win over the Big Blues. Outgaining their opponents 442-307 and winning the turnover battle was a successful formula for Coach Hunter’s team. Charles Mutter III threw for three scores (1 to Cam Abshire and 2 to Nate Tinnell) and was only sacked twice. Jordan Jackson had an outstanding day, carrying the rock 27 times for 177 yards and a score. If the Wasps can continue to run the ball successfully, keep Mutter on his feet (dude was straight up beat up all last year), and play solid defense, they may scare some folks this year.

Prediction: Emory & Henry moves to 3-0.

I haven’t loved what I’ve seen from Barton early in the season, especially from a consistency standpoint. Couldn’t run the ball at all or stop the run against West Virginia State. Couldn’t throw the ball against Chowan. If the Bulldogs are going to win this one, they will need to find some consistent play on offense and need some guys to step up on defense. Matt Smith is a tremendous player, but he can’t be expected to cover 50 yards sideline to sideline every play. The Wasps have been balanced and have been forcing a lot of turnovers early on. The recipe for success is the same as before: keep the QB upright, run the ball, and control the clock.

Wingate Bulldogs at Carson-Newman Eagles

Location: Jefferson City, TN / 1 PM

Line: Wingate -6.5 / SP+: Wingate 22.0, Carson-Newman 19.8

Series: Carson-Newman leads 25-8. (Wingate won last meeting, 25-3, in 2021)

As I should have foreseen, Wingate looked awesome in a game I thought they were going to lose. Coach Jordan’s defense put on an absolute clinic over the final three quarters, shutting out and frankly manhandling the Delta offense in a 21-7 “upset” win over the then 12^th ranked Statesmen. Fleming, Morrison, Edwards, Russell all tormented the Delta offensive line. Dontorian Best, the SAC defensive player of the week, had to pay rent because he was in the backfield so often. 13 tackles and 2.5 TFL’s for that young fella. Even the Wingate offense played efficiently, only turning the ball over once on a Brooks Bentley interception. Wingate played nearly perfectly. This week presents a different kind of challenge, the option.

Carson-Newman’s game last week was pushed back a day due to the tragic death of former Eagle (and current West Virginia State) linebacker Jyilek Harrington. Coach Ingram’s squad raced out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, cruising to a 56-25 win in West Virginia. The Eagles offense rushed for 341 yards and had five different Eagles score a touchdown. Despite the blowout win, there were some things to work on: penalties, putting the ball on the ground (5 fumbles, lost 1), and a few defensive lapses allowing Joel Felder to have some big plays. Through 8 quarters of the new offense, the Eagles have looked stellar, way ahead of what many thought they would in year 1. The toughest test of the regular season though, is on it’s way to the Creek.

Prediction: Wingate escapes, goes to 3-0.

This is the Game of the Week in the conference, and the game I dreaded picking the most. On one hand, my friends in Bulldog country seem to thoroughly enjoy it when I pick against them in big games and had some fun at my expense with my selection of Delta State last week. The front seven of the Wingate defense is one of the best in the country and dominates the line of scrimmage. But they will have their hands full this week against an offense that almost none of them have seen before, making it very challenging to play against in a week’s time. I said last week that Wingate would have to play perfectly, and they did. Could there be some hangover from a very big emotional win? The offense tends to do just enough and is efficient. The Eagles do have an advantage, running a different offense than what the ‘Dogs have seen and have looked tremendous through two weeks in year 1. Carson-Newman’s defense is almost under the radar in this game. Wingate's defense has always been tough and one of the best in the country, but it's not as if Coach Ingram is rolling out 22-25 guys he found wandering around the cafeteria either. IF the Eagles are going to win they are going to need to take care of the football, force some mistakes on defense and avoid tons of penalties. You can’t be a good team like Wingate with 13 penalties and 5 fumbles (only lost 1 but still).  

On the other hand, who knows…maybe I’m trying to give my alma mater some bulletin board material😉. Maybe the national championship reunion teams coming back to Mossy Creek give the Eagles an additional burst.

#12 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at Mars Hill Lions

Location: Mars Hill, NC / 1 PM

Line: Lenoir-Rhyne -16.5 / SP+: Lenoir-Rhyne 35.1, Mars Hill 15.0

Series: Lenoir-Rhyne leads 25-24-1 (Lenoir-Rhyne won last meeting, 31-16, in 2021)

Lenoir-Rhyne took advantage of four Tiffin (GLVC) turnovers on their way to a resounding 38-17 win between the bricks last week, moving to 2-0 on the young season. Chris Brown’s 68-yard pick six was the ignitor needed and the Bears never looked back, as Tiffin never got within one score after that. The defense was the big difference, picking off two passes and forcing two fumbles, as the Bears offense looked fine on Saturday. I thought they would’ve put up more yardage, but often short fields mean less yards obviously. The trio of Jalen Ferguson, Zayvion Turner-Knox, and Songa Yates all did their jobs in leading the offense. Coach Socha’s guys are doing exactly what is needed early on.

When Mars Hill takes the field Saturday, it will be for the first time in 23 days. We shall wait and see if there is any rust, or if the Lions took advantage of the long break. The last time we saw them on the field, it was quite forgettable. The Lions trailed Delta State 10-7 at halftime, before getting absolutely shellacked in the second half, falling 47-16. The defense gave up 500 yards of total offense, and even though the offense put up 326, and picked off Cole Kirk 3 times it just never truly felt competitive. Delta State’s offensive line also sacked JR Martin 7 times in the win. With the long gap in between games and how bad things looked in week 0, it’s hard to really get an idea of what to expect now for Clifton’s team. Was that great Delta State or bad Mars Hill is the question we will find out shortly, although the Lions early schedule is BRUTAL.

Prediction: Lenoir-Rhyne goes to 3-0.

I’m rolling with the Bears in this one, mostly due to a saying my GLIAC colleague Tony Nicolette has used many times, “known commodity over the unknown”. We know early on that Lenoir-Rhyne is a tough ball team that doesn’t beat itself and isn’t ranked #12 in the nation because of luck. They haven’t been fantastic overall but have played stellar defense and made things easy on their offense. Mars Hill did not look good at all in week zero and having only played one game, it’s hard to know still what the 2024 Lions look like. If they are going to pull the home upset, they are going to need to force and take advantage of some Bears miscues. The Lions defense will have to be perfect for them to pull it off.

Newberry Wolves at Tusculum Pioneers

Location: Greeneville, TN / 1 PM

Line: Tusculum -3.5 / SP+: Tusculum 24.9, Newberry 23.8

Series: Newberry leads 13-11. (Newberry won last meeting, 24-19, in 2021)

Coach Knight and Newberry dropped their second consecutive home game to start this season, losing 42-33 to Keiser (NAIA). The Wolves trailed by 11 to start the 4^th quarter but could just not make the necessary stops defensively to give their offense a chance to win it, scoring a touchdown as time expired to make it a 9-point game. The big thing I noticed from week 1 to week 2 was the improvement in the offense both running and passing the football. The Wolves may have also found their QB: Reed Charpia. The senior from Cayce, South Carolina came off the bench to throw for 226 yards and rush for another 72 (and 2 scores).  The downside for the Wolves was the defense regressed from the Valdosta game, giving up 470 yards.

The Pioneers were off this past weekend, giving the coaches and players a slight break before getting in league play. Tusculum has played just once this season and got shelled by West Alabama (GSC) 45-9 in Livingston. They led 6-0 in the 1^st quarter, before giving up 14 unanswered points going into halftime trailing 14-9. Coach Taylor and Co. would prefer to forget the 2^nd half I’m sure, where they were shutout and outscored 31-0. Three quarterbacks attempted at least 2 passes, but Zaron Collins was the lone bright spot on the night, 4 catches for 64 yards and a 50-yard rushing touchdown. It may take some time with new systems on both sides of the ball.

Prediction: Newberry gets win #1.

Like the Lenoir-Rhyne/Mars Hill game, I’m going with what I know and have a larger sample size of. The Wolves offense has looked a little better in two games compared to the one for the Pioneers, but neither defense has exactly made me think of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The keys to the game are almost identical for both teams: who gets better quarterback play? Who can force more turnovers and make things simpler for the offense? Last year the Pioneers defense was forcing turnovers at a staggering rate. Unfortunately, they turned it over just as much. I think Palazzo is the best quarterback of the four who have played for the two teams, and maybe the first game was more great West Alabama and not bad Tusculum. Could be wrong in this one two, but expect a game like, 19-17.

Catawba Indians at UVA Wise Cavaliers

Location: Wise, VA / 2 PM

Line: Catawba -6.5 /  SP+: UVA Wise 26.3, Catawba 25.9

Series: UVA Wise leads 2-0. (UVA Wise won last meeting, 30-7, in 2021)

Catawba got their first win of 2024 last week, defeating Shaw (CIAA) in an exciting game between two stellar quarterbacks, 37-28. The Indians and Bears were tied 7-7 after the 1^st, and 21-21 at the half. A Bryson Sims field goal and Jordan Mitchell touchdown catch gave the Indians some cushion in the 3^rd, before Christian Peters closed the gap early in the 4^th, 30-28. SAC Offensive Player of the Week Preston Brown put the game on ice with just under four minutes remaining with his fourth touchdown pass of the day. Winning without Bo Pryor makes this win that much more impressive for Coach Haines squad.

Coach Gary Bass got a shutout and his first win as head honcho for UVA Wise, as the Cavaliers blanked Concord (MEC), 28-0. Jake Corkren hit three different receivers for touchdowns across the first three quarters, before DJ Powell ran one in from 17 yards out in the 4^th. Corkren finished 27 of 39 for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns and had just 1 turnover to lead the way, while the defense held Concord to under 250 total yards. While the Mountain Lions of Concord aren’t exactly a powerhouse (and I mistakenly picked them last week), it was an encouraging win for the rebuilding Cavaliers. Efforts like that are what they will need at minimum to give teams some problems heading into SAC play.

Prediction: Catawba moves to 2-1 early on.

I think this one may be over by the 3^rd and not as close as some think. Catawba has the better defense, better offense, and I’m concerned about UVA Wise’s ability to make enough stops, or force enough turnovers, to keep it close. Even without Bo Pryor last week, Catawba’s offense showed out and should put up a plethora of points in this one as well.

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