October 11th, 2024 8:00am
Hard to believe we are already at the halfway point of the season and are already talking about playoffs. It’s the beginning of divisional play in the SAC this weekend, which means the rivalries heat up and the games get even more intense and crucial. Four SAC schools already have two D2 losses, and while it’s not impossible to make the postseason with 3 losses, it’s extremely challenging when you are in the same super region with powerhouse GSC, the CIAA and the SIAC. No pressure or anything!
This week’s game are highlighted by the Bishops’ Trophy (Lenoir-Rhyne vs Newberry), Limestone vs Catawba (two best quarterbacks in the conference), and the game we refer to in our family as the “Gladwin Bowl”. If you are new to the column, this is the one game a year I openly hope for one school to beat another. My sister is a Mars Hill alum, and I graduated from Carson-Newman. The loser of this one must wear the opposing University’s stuff to work on Monday, and so it’s been a sad three straight years for me.
I wanted once again take a moment and bump a fundraising opportunity going on right now for our guy Brandon. If you don’t know, Brandon Misener is the founder of D2football.com and has done more to bring attention to football at our level than almost anybody. He suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in May and is currently receiving ongoing care in Kansas City. Although he is making strides, he faces a long recovery. Partnering with Custom Ink, you can go and buy some t-shirts or hoodies with a special D2 BM logo, wit all funds going directly to Brandon. Here is the link and the fundraiser ends in just a couple days:
Brandon Misener - D2 Football Custom Ink Fundraising
Players of the Week
Offense: LJ Turner (Catawba)- 35 carries, 329 yards, 5 touchdowns
Defense: Marquise Fleming (Wingate)- 3.5 TFL’s, 6 total tackles
Special Teams: Trace Butcher (Emory & Henry)- 4/4 XP’s, 1/1 FG’s
SAC Power Rankings
1) Carson-Newman
2) Wingate
3) Limestone
4) Emory & Henry
5) Lenoir-Rhyne
6) Mars Hill
7) Newberry
8) Barton
9) UVA Wise
10) Catawba
11) Tusculum
12) Anderson
Last Week: 4-2
Season: 30-8
Newberry Wolves at #19 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears
Location: Hickory, NC / 1 PM
Line: Lenoir-Rhyne -18.5 / SP+: Lenoir-Rhyne 37.7, Newberry 15.9
Series: Lenoir-Rhyne leads, 48-35-7. (Lenoir-Rhyne won last meeting, 24-10, in 2023)
Newberry at Lenoir-Rhyne
1-3, 1-1 SAC Record 4-1, 2-1 SAC
26.5 Offensive Scoring 31.2
30.7 Defensive Scoring 22.2
334.5 Total Offense 389.4
160.3 Rushing Offense 121.8
174.2 Passing Offense 267.6
349.8 Total Defense 271.8
187.5 Rushing Defense 86.0
162.3 Passing Defense 185.8
It looked early on as if we were in for another Mars Hill vs Newberry thriller last Saturday, as has happened the last couple times these two foes have met. The Lions led 7-3 after the 1st quarter, and the Wolves even got it to 14-9 with under four minutes to go before halftime. Mars Hill scored twice in the last 44 seconds of the first half to stretch the lead to 15 and that was all she wrote. Mars Hill pitched a 2nd half shutout en route to a 34-9 win. Reed Charpia and Izayah Whiteside went a combined 13 for 29 for 156 yards; the run game was entirely absent again and the defense just couldn’t get off the field on third downs. The loss was a huge blow to the Wolves, as they now sit with two D2 losses already.
A Jake Brown field goal with 1:54 left in the game put Lenoir-Rhyne back on top, 20-17, against Emory & Henry last Saturday. The Wasps then drove down the field to take a 4-point lead, before Jacob Robinson picked off Jalen Ferguson and took it to the house with :11 to go, sealing the stunning upset for the Wasps over then-#11 Lenoir-Rhyne, 31-20. The Bears outgained their opponent 369-263, were 61% on 3rd down, won the turnover battle and shut down the run game. They also controlled time of possession. But the Bears also allowed five first downs via penalty and allowed the Wasps to stick around for WAY to long, leading to the biggest win of the D2 era for Emory & Henry. Jalen Ferguson finished the day 25-36, 265 yards and a touchdown. But he also threw two picks (fumbled twice but didn’t lose them). Alex Boyd filled in for the injured Turner-Knox, but I think his absence is a bigger hurdle than some realize.
Prediction: LENOIR-RHYNE MOVES TO 5-1.
The Bishops’ Trophy is on the line and will be staying with the Bears. I thought that maybe Newberry had turned a corner after they spanked Tusculum, but the game last week said, ‘maybe not yet’. If Newberry is going to pull off the upset, a couple of things must take place: 1) muck it up. The uglier this game is the better it serves the Wolves 2) passing game must be effective. You probably aren’t running the ball effectively against the Bears front 3) put the ball in the endzone. Cannot let them stick around. For Doug Socha’s bunch, stick to the bread-and-butter. Alex Boyd ran well enough last week, though I’m interested still to see how the Bears continue to adjust the offense without Zayvion Turner-Knox. Jalen Ferguson and the receiving corps is talented, but the Bears don’t want to have to throw it 50 times a game (though Songa Yates and the fellas probably won’t complain). For the Bears, just stick to your bread-and-butter. This one could get ugly because Lenoir-Rhyne is going to be furious after losing the game last week in Emory.
#18 Carson-Newman Eagles at Mars Hill Lions
Location: Mars Hill, NC / 1 PM
Line: Mars Hill -3.5 / SP+: Carson-Newman 27.9, Mars Hill 23.5
Series: Carson-Newman leads 46-14. (Mars Hill won last meeting, 21-17, in 2023)
Carson-Newman at Mars Hill
5-0, 3-0 SAC Record 1-2, 1-1 SAC
40.0 Offensive Scoring 23.7
22.2 Defensive Scoring 28.3
398.8 Total Offense 280.0
286.0 Rushing Offense 87.0
112.8 Passing Offense 193.0
274.2 Total Defense 367.3
91.2 Rushing Defense 104.7
183.0 Passing Defense 262.7
Ashley Ingram and the Eagles are 5-0 for the first time since the 2007 season, after throttling Barton by putting up 450 yards on the ground and over 500 total yards. There were some miscues: opening kickoff return for a touchdown; Zane Whitson’s fumble for a touchdown; not finishing some drives; but overall, the Eagles dominated. Jayden Sullins probably wins offensive player of the week most every week when he rushed for 261 yards on 31 carries, most of which were after 1st contact. Zane Whitson had control of the offense, as the Eagles QB was once again efficient: the theme for Eagles quarterbacks thus far in 2024. The defense also played very well, bouncing back from the week before against Catawba. Major Williams and the rest of the crew were fast and physical, flying to the ball and preventing Barton’s pass game from getting going.
Coming into the 2024 season, I had Tim Clifton’s crew pegged as the team I thought would win the Mountain division. With only playing two games the first 20+ days of the season it was hard to get a read on the Lions and know what to expect. Last week was the first time that the Lions looked like what we’ve come to expect, as they beat up on Newberry 34-9. The defense stepped up, got off the field on third down, and held Newberry to under 200 yards of total offense. JR Martin delivered some magic once again, going 17 for 24 for 215 and 2 scores, while leading the team in rushing as well with 2 scores on 51 yards. The supporting cast (Gullette, Thompson, DeBerry, Laurent) all also had their first really good games of the season as well.
Prediction: EAGLES STAY UNDEFEATED, AND MY SISTER IS WEARING ORANGE AND BLUE MONDAY!
Last year, JR Martin scored from 2 yards out with just over a minute to go to give the Lions the 21-17 win in Jefferson City. If the Eagles are going to end their 3-game losing streak, they will have to force someone else to beat them. Martin has been roughly 76% of the Mars Hill offense through 3 games this year both passing and rushing. The keys to success start there for the Eagles. You also need to put them away. You cannot let a Tim Clifton coached team hang around in the ball game because they’ll find a way to much things up and get the win. If Mars Hill is going to pull off the win and upset the 18th ranked Eagles, they’re going to have to force some mistakes and probably play the best game they have this year. The Eagles run game is lethal in year 1 of the option returning, but don’t think for a second, they can’t burn you in the passing game as well. The Eagles have more balanced on offense, and the defense has been collectively better than MHU this season. Side note, the last time the Eagles started 5-0? They went 6-0 with a win at Mars Hill.
Emory & Henry Wasps at Tusculum Pioneers
Location:
Line: Emory & Henry -2.5 / SP+: Emory & Henry 34.6, Tusculum 20.8
Series:
Emory & Henry at Tusculum
4-1, 2-1 SAC Record 0-4, 0-3 SAC
34.8 Offensive Scoring 18.3
15.4 Defensive Scoring 45.3
382.4 Total Offense 298.3
154.8 Rushing Offense 156.5
227.6 Passing Offense 141.8
294.4 Total Defense 449.8
73.6 Rushing Defense 188.8
220.8 Passing Defense 261.0
In a game where, if you look at the box score, the Wasps really had no business being close, the football Wasps took on the persona of their mascot and kept on stinging and stinging and refusing to just go away. The QB combo of Cole Lambert and Charles Mutter III combined for 20-35 passing and three scores (3 INT’s as well), with Mutter tossing the last two scores to give the Wasps the massive upset win over the big dogs in the conference, Lenoir-Rhyne, 31-20. Kaleb Lundy, Elijah Harper ad Marc Harris all had double digit tackles, and it was Jacob Robinson with the biggest interception arguably in school history. This was by far the biggest win of the D2 era for Emory & Henry’s program, and they are looking to avoid a hangover against a Tusculum team who has started to show a bit of life recently. What an awesome homecoming day in Emory.
The temporarily displaced Pioneers showed some signs of life against the high-flying Saints of Limestone, but never really threatened in a 49-21 loss to fall to 0-4 on the season. It was 21-7 at the half after Jojo Restall’s one yard touchdown run. The Saints got back within 14 when Otasowie Dion caught a 20 yard pass in the early 3rd, but the Pioneers couldn’t pull any closer as the Saints hit the gas. Tusculum finished the day with 339 yards of offense, including 255 on the ground. Ground assault was led by Jalen Hunt (12-85-0), Jojo Restall (11-52-1), Kamden Wellington (11-45-0) and John Celestin (12-40-1). The defense continued to struggle, getting bombarded through the air and on the ground. But there were some things to be positive about as they return to Greeneville.
Prediction: WASPS MOVE TO 5-1.
Emory & Henry is flying high after their big win last week, and while I believe they have distinct advantages on both sides of the ball, this could be a potential trap game. Way too often in college football we see a team get a massive emotional win, only to fall flat the following week to a team they shouldn’t have lost to (yes, I am talking to you Alabama). Tusculum has been making slow progress week by week and could maybe cause some issues in this one. For the Pioneers to pull the upset, they will have to get the passing game going because I don’t see them running the ball effectively against the Emory & Henry front. The Wasps are turnover prone, so taking advantage of those turnovers also plays in their favor. They’ll also need to do their best to bottle up Jordan Jackson so that they can focus on the pass game. Regardless, I think the Wasps are the better football team and should take care of business. If they get a lead early, Tusculum may be in trouble before half.
Anderson Trojans at UVA Wise Cavaliers
Location: Wise, VA / 2 PM
Line: UVA Wise -10.5 / SP+: UVA Wise 28.1, Anderson 25.2.
Series: First Meeting
Anderson at UVA Wise
2-3, 0-3 SAC Record 2-2, 1-1 SAC
30.8 Offensive Scoring 14.7
30.2 Defensive Scoring 30.5
369.6 Total Offense 255.8
146.4 Rushing Offense 81.5
223.2 Passing Offense 174.3
365.2 Total Defense 436.8
155.0 Rushing Defense 176.5
210.2 Passing Defense 260.3
Anderson is still searching for their 1st SAC win, and came awfully close this past Sunday. After falling behind early in the 1st half to Catawba, 21-0, the Trojans crawled back into the game with back-to-back Tyler Wesley touchdown passes. Catawba would pull ahead by double digits with under 3 to go in the ball game, before the Trojans scored 10 points in the last 1:38 to force overtime. Ross Burnette’s 2nd field goal of the day gave them the lead in the first OT, before Kevon Rivera got in from 1 yard out to give Catawba the 44-41 win in overtime. Tyler Wesley finished 22 of 30 for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns to 4 different guys headlined by Jalon Warthen-Carr (9 for 184 and 1 TD).
UVA Wise had the “pleasure” of taking on an angry Wingate team this past weekend, and unfortunately for the Highland Cavaliers, it wasn’t a fun afternoon. A 16-0 halftime lead turned into a 33-0 dominant performance by the Bulldogs defense, holding UVA Wise to 70 yards of total offense. The stat that really stuck out from this one was UVA Wise was held to -1 yard of rushing on 28 carries. NEGATIVE ONE. The defense struggled to make stops, and the offense struggled to do anything all day against an incredible performance. UVA Wise will look to put that game out of memory ASAP.
Prediction: ANDERSON GETS 1ST SAC WIN
This one has a chance to be a very good ballgame this weekend, and it will come down to which of these defenses can make 2-3 big stops. Gary Bass and his team have proven me wrong a couple times already this season, like the win over Catawba, but my concern is scoring enough to keep up with Tyler Wesley and the Trojans offense. I have more faith in the UVA Wise defense to make stops than I do Anderson’s, but I have more faith in Anderson’s offense than UVA Wise. If the Highland Cavaliers can limit possessions and put the ball in the endzone like they did against Catawba, I would not be stunned if I am wrong here. But I think the Trojans and Coach Lamb pick up SAC win #1 for the program.
Limestone Saints at Catawba Indians
Location: Salisbury, NC / 6 PM
Line: Limestone -13.5 / SP+: Limestone 37.1, Catawba 26.2
Series: Limestone leads, 4-3. (Limestone won last meeting, 27-16, in 2023)
Limestone at Catawba
4-1, 3-0 SAC Record 2-3, 1-2 SAC
40.0 Offensive Scoring 31.4
19.2 Defensive Scoring 36.8
450.2 Total Offense 426.8
128.8 Rushing Offense 204.2
321.4 Passing Offense 222.6
310.6 Total Defense 380.2
149.8 Rushing Defense 194.2
160.8 Passing Defense 186.0
Limestone has continued to roll, putting that hideous loss to West Alabama in the rear-view mirror. The Saints, like other games this year, took a bit to get warmed up in the first half against Tusculum, leading 21-7 at the halftime break. The Saints put up 287 yards between the 2nd and 4th quarters, turning the game into a rout 49-21. Dustin Noller threw 4 touchdown passes (again) while going 14-25 for 228 yards. Jayden Stinson even got in on the action with a TD pass. Kevin Lalin averaged 10.3 yards per carry, going 18 for 186 and a score. I was worried that the Saints offense would take a step back with all the firepower they lost, but they’ve continued to look outstanding early on.
Catawba bounced back from a heartbreaking loss the previous week with a thrilling overtime win over Anderson on Sunday, 44-41. The Indians jumped out to a 21-0 lead and almost squandered it away. Hunter Sheppard was under center again with Preston Brown out and played well for the Indians. But the day belonged to LJ Turner. Turner hit paydirt 5 times on 35 carries, rushing for 329 yards earning himself not just conference offensive player of the week honors, but D2Football.com National offensive player of the week. It was the sixth most rushing yards in a game in league history, and an incredible performance to watch. THIS was the type of rushing game the Indians need to cause some problems for the rest of the SAC moving forward.
Prediction: SAINTS GO MARCHING TO 5-1.
First and foremost, Catawba’s chances of pulling the upset in this one rely on the health of Preston Brown. If he plays, I’ll give Tyler Haines guys a chance for the upset. If he doesn’t, LJ Turner may need a repeat of last weeks performance. Limestone’s offense and Catawba’s offense are both electric units, but I have more faith in the Saints defense to make some stops right now than the Indians. The past couple weeks the Saint defense has started slow then played very well later in the game. If they can make enough stops, they could win in a runaway. However, for Catawba to pull the upset IF Preston Brown is out, they will need to limit possessions for one, and for two, score touchdowns. You can’t limit possessions and settle for field goals to beat Jerricho Cotchery’s team. Dustin Noller will take 4 plays 80 yards in a minute and change all day long.
Barton Bulldogs at Wingate Bulldogs
Location: Wingate, NC / 6 PM
Line: Wingate -23.5 / SP+: Wingate 31.4, Barton 14.8.
Series: Wingate leads series, 3-1. (Wingate won last meeting, 38-24, in 2023)
Barton at Wingate
2-3, 1-2 SAC Record 3-1, 1-1 SAC
18.4 Offensive Scoring 24.8
25.8 Defensive Scoring 12.5
266.8 Total Offense 356.5
86.6 Rushing Offense 146.3
180.2 Passing Offense 210.3
386.8 Total Defense 217.0
259.2 Rushing Defense 73.0
127.6 Passing Defense 144.0
Barton had a phenomenal start to last weekend’s game, with Khavarie Hightower taking the opening kickoff back 98 yards for the touchdown to give them a 7-0 lead. It was downhill after that, as the Bulldogs fell 28-17 against Carson-Newman in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score indicated. Barton also got a defensive score on the day, with Matthew Leach taking a fumble back 80 yards. Offensively held to just 197 yards, Trevor Nored struggled to really get going. Jayden Flood-Brown had another solid performance (4-76-0), but the Bulldogs never truly threatened the Eagles. Carson-Newman put up 450 on the ground (509) total and had two turnovers, so it was a rough day at the office for Chip Hester’s defense as well overall, but Dereck Barringer had a solid game and was all over the place. He finished with 16 tackles!
When last week’s game was cancelled, I mentioned in the column that it’s going to give the Bulldogs extra time to seethe over their loss to Carson-Newman. Nailed that prediction. Wingate’s defense was suffocating and dominant in a 33-0 win over UVA Wise. Wingate held them to 70 yards of total offense, including -1 on the ground. As I said on social media, I do not care what level of football you are playing, holding someone to 70 yards of total offense is just silly. It would be hard to do that on the lowest difficult level on Madden or College Football 25. The offense continues to grow, putting up nearly 400 yards in a balanced effort. Dontorian Best led the defense in tackles, but stud Marquise Fleming brought home SAC defensive player of the week honors after having six tackles, including 3.5 TFL’s. When Wingate’s offense can complement their defense, they are a ridiculously tough team to beat.
Prediction: WINGATE MOVES TO 4-1.
I’ve got Wingate in this one and don’t believe it will be particularly close. Wingate’s defense is outstanding and should be able to have a ton of success against a Barton offense that is still searching for an identity and some consistency. Trevor Nored and Jayden-Flood Brown have had some big plays this season, but outside of that it’s been bleak minus the one game the run game got going. On the flip side, Wingate’s offense should be able to bully the Barton defense both in the run and in the air. Wingate also doesn’t operate with a ton of speed on offense, so they will be more than glad to force the Barton defense to spend 33-38 minutes of game time on the field. I expect a big day from Bentley and Company, as the Blue and Gold Bulldogs cruise.
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