October 18, 2024

No. 18/18 C-N looks to keep good times rolling against UVA Wise

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 18/18 Carson-Newman (6-0, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference) will look to keep its unblemished record intact when it welcomes UVA Wise (2-3, 1-2 SAC) to the banks of Mossy Creek for a 1 p.m. kick Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

Virginia-Wise

2-4

#18/18 Carson-Newman

7-0

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Virginia-Wise (2-4)	7	3	7	6	23
#18/18 Carson-Newman (7-0)	7	21	7	0	35

C-N Game Notes

VIDEO: Ashley Ingram Presser

VIDEO: Mars Hill Cinematic

VIDEO: 2023 UVA Wise Highlights

VIDEO: 2023 UVA Wise Full Broadcast Replay

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 18/18 Carson-Newman (6-0, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference) will look to keep its unblemished record intact when it welcomes UVA Wise (2-3, 1-2 SAC) to the banks of Mossy Creek for a 1 p.m. kick Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

The Eagles lead the Mountain Division, and are one of two teams in the SAC without a league loss (the Piedmont's Limestone is the other).

Carson-Newman has an opportunity to go 7-0 to start the year. Carson-Newman's last 7-0 start was in 2003. The Eagles started 7-0 that season before suffering a 27-18 loss to Tusculum in Greeneville. C-N has started seven seasons 7-0. Six of those years fall between 1989 and 2003.

Carson-Newman is searching for its first seven-game win streak overall since the 2012 team won the final six games of the regular season and a 35-32 second-round playoff game over Lenoir-Rhyne to move to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs.

"We're excited for the opportunity," Carson-Newman head football coach Ashley Ingram said. "Great to be playing at home again. Every road trip so far has been quite an adventure, and so to be able to play here in Jefferson City is going to be great. Got a good opponent. UVA Wise is much improved. Coach (Gary) Bass is doing a great job. They had a big win, you know, a couple weeks ago over Catawba, and obviously we know what kind of team Catawba is, so we'll certainly have our hands full this weekend."

Carson-Newman is one of 13 teams remaining in NCAA Division II with an unbeaten record.

The Eagles have the 17th toughest strength of schedule in the country. Of the 13 remaining unbeaten teams in the country, Carson-Newman has played the toughest schedule to date of that grouping. The Eagles' collective Division II opposition thus far has a .636 winning percentage. Carson-Newman is the only loss for both West Virginia State and Wingate. Factoring in future foes, C-N has the 12th toughest schedule nationally.

UVA Wise has struggled in the red zone this season. In 16 trips inside their opponent's 20, the Cavaliers have scored eight touchdowns. Their 68 percent conversion rate when factoring in three field goals is last in the SAC. Wise has missed two field goals, turned it over on downs twice and fumbled once.

The Cavaliers have been stupendous at getting teams off the field on third down. No team has converted better than 50 percent of their third downs against UVA Wise this season. The Cavs' 31 percent rate allowed is third in the SAC and 26th nationally. Wingate was 0-for-10 on third down against UVA Wise.

"Gary Bass is an old o-line guy," Ingram said. "They're a tough football team. Got a really tough running back. They're just doing a nice job and are well-coached, physical, and aggressive. They play hard. So he's doing a great job."

Carson-Newman has jumped on UVA Wise in the last two meetings. The Eagles scored the first 52 points between the teams in last year's meeting and the first 31 in the meeting at Burke-Tarr Stadium two years ago.

UVA Wise wide receiver Dorrien Goddard has racked up 16 catches for 139 yards in his career for the Cavs against C-N. He caught nine passes for 69 yards and a score in the spring CoVID game between the two teams in 2021.

Carson-Newman has kept the defensive pressure dialed up. With a sack in every week of the 2023 season, last year's team became the fourth this century to tally a sack in every week of the season. C-N has registered a sack in 17 straight weeks and 25 of the last 26. The Eagles' seven sacks against Wingate in week three are tied for the second most in a NCAA Division II game this season and are the sixth-most in school history. C-N is 29th nationally in sacks this season and second in the SAC.

The Eagles have won two straight against UVA Wise, both in the series and at home. C-N's average margin of victory in its two home games with the Highland Cavaliers is 25.5 points.

Carson-Newman, and especially Major Williams, have caused massive headaches for UVA Wise defensively the last two seasons. Williams has two defensive touchdowns against the Highland Cavaliers, one on a pick six and one on a scoop and score. The Eagles as a whole have three defensive TDs in the last two meetings with UVA Wise. Will Johnson intercepted a pass and returned it for six on the first play from scrimmage last year.

Kickoff between the Eagles and Cavaliers is set for 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.