C-N set to tussle with top-10 Wolves
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-3, 0-2 South Atlantic Conference) returns to the banks of Mossy Creek for a second straight matchup with a nationally ranked foe.
VIDEO: Mike Clowney press conference
VIDEO: 2021 Newberry Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-3, 0-2 South Atlantic Conference) returns to the banks of Mossy Creek for a second straight matchup with a nationally ranked foe.
The Eagles will kick things off with seventh-ranked Newberry (4-0, 2-0 SAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium.
"This is another opportunity to go play a good opponent to kind of figure out exactly how much growth and development we've kind of had over the season," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "They'll be the third nationally ranked opponent we play but it's good to be able to play good people and especially early in the season to figure out where you're at to continue to iron out some of the things that you need to iron out."
Carson-Newman is searching for its first win against a ranked opponent since the opening round of the NCAA playoffs in 2019 when it beat No. 11 Bowie State 17-9. C-N has dropped three consecutive games to ranked foes since then. The Eagles haven't beaten a ranked SAC team since Sept. 30, 2017 when C-N handed 23rd-ranked Catawba a 31-18 loss. C-N has lost six straight to ranked SAC opponents, exclusively at the hands of Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate.
Carson-Newman is playing a top-10 team at home for the first time since Sept. 1, 2016 when the Eagles lost a wild 52-45 decision to then No. 7 Humboldt State. Carson-Newman's last home win over a top-10 foe? Newberry. The Eagles waylayed then No. 9 Newberry 49-19 on Sept. 29, 2007. C-N has had three cracks at top 10 teams at home since (North Alabama, Lenoir-Rhyne and Humboldt State), but has come up empty.
Carson-Newman is playing a third ranked opponent in five weeks. Excluding playoff appearances, Carson-Newman hasn't played three ranked teams in the regular season period since 2002 (the Eagles beat No. 19 Winston-Salem State, No. 17 Tusculum and No. 9 Catawba). The Eagles have never played three ranked foes in a five-week period.
"I think it has the potential to really sharpen us, to help us grow. I mean I think that's like after we come back and look at last week's game yesterday," Clowney said. "Of course, you ask guys do we think it's a situation where it's a winnable game for us and the answer was yes, so then the next thing you have to do is go figure out okay, well what do we have to do to win it. The thing that that sticks out is consistency. You know, we did some things well, but we have got to do things well consistently, and then I think the things that we talk about, we have to put into action."
Newberry features the league's second-best run defense, a unit that gives up 50.2 yards per game on the ground. The Wolves are fifth nationally as a group. No team has rushed for more than 100 yards on Newberry. Erskine rushed for minus-seven yards on 17 attempts last week against the Wolves.
"I think the big thing that sticks out on them is when you go look at their two deep," Clowney said. "I mean they're all guys that's been there forever and been playing there forever, so the experience is kind of showing up for them."
It's historically been tough sledding against Newberry. Newberry has limited Carson-Newman to under 300 yards rushing in six straight games. The seventh, a 48-21 win for Newberry in 2014, the Eagles were limited to 301 yards rushing. In fact, Newberry has held Carson-Newman below its season average for rushing in every game since 2010 when the Eagles racked up 451 yards in that 35-12 win at Setzer Field.
The home team is 12-3 in the series over the last 14 years. Carson-Newman's only win at Setzer Field in that span came in 2010 when the Eagles downed the Wolves 35-12. Meanwhile, Newberry has won twice at Carson-Newman in the last decade and a half, winning in 2011 and 2017.
Carson-Newman is playing to win its 650th game all-time as a football program. The Eagles are fourth in NCAA Division II history with 649 wins behind Pittsburg State, Tuskegee and Hillsdale. Carson-Newman has a five-game lead on Central Oklahoma to become the fourth team with 650 wins in D2.
Carson-Newman wide receiver Braxton Westfield's next touchdown catch will (the 17th of his career), move him into sole possession of fifth on the all-time receiving TD list. He needs five more touchdown catches to match Tank Black for fourth all-time (21).
Westfield is already up to 23 receptions on the year, good for second in the SAC. If he were to haul in six passes, he would begin to move up the top 20 for most catches in a single season at C-N in only week four.
Linebacker Alonzo Houston needs three tackles to crack 200 stops for his collegiate career. He is trying to become the program's first 200-career tackle player since all-region selection Sha'Heem Stupart in 2017.
Kickoff between the Eagles and Wolves is set for 1 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
