September 3rd, 2026 5:00am
Week 0 didn't settle much in Conference Carolinas — if anything, it just raised the stakes. A handful of teams walked away with real answers, a handful walked away with more questions, and this week is where we start finding out which is which. Here's what's on tap.
LAST WEEK (home team in bold)
Virginia State 44, Barton 17
UNC Pembroke 21, No. 22 Wingate 13
West Virginia State 56, Chowan 24
Shorter 65, Andrew College (NAIA) 6
Erskine 37, Bluefield (NAIA) 20
Catawba 13, Ferrum 7
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)
Saturday, Sept. 5
Emory & Henry (0-1) at Ferrum (0-1) | Ferrum, Va. | 2:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Emory & Henry heads into its matchup with Ferrum looking to bounce back after an underwhelming season-opening performance, managing just 230 total yards and 10 points while allowing 466 yards and 38 points in a Week 0 loss to 15th-ranked Valdosta State. Senior quarterback Cole Lambert paced the offense with 150 yards through the air on 11-of-26 passing, and while the Wasps found the end zone just once as a team — a De'Ante Childs rushing touchdown — Khyair Lundy (58 yards on two catches) and Parker Prioleau (56 yards on five catches) each flashed some big-play ability in limited opportunities. On defense, senior linebacker Marc Harris led the way with a team-high eight tackles, but Emory & Henry will need far more consistent pressure after recording just one sack in the opener.
Ferrum is chasing its first win of 2026 after a tight 13-7 season-opening loss in which the Panthers managed 255 total yards on offense while their defense surrendered 388. Junior quarterback Eli Foutz was sharp in the setback, completing 19-of-27 throws for 199 yards and a touchdown, and Jycen Anciso supplied both scoring plays himself — a rushing touchdown on 16 carries plus a five-catch, 58-yard day with a receiving score. On defense, JJ Montford was the clear standout, piling up five tackles, 1.5 for loss and an interception, though the Panthers will need to tighten things up against the pass after allowing 290 yards through the air in the opener.
Prediction: Emory & Henry
No. 22 Benedict (1-0) at Shorter (1-0) | Rome, Ga. | 5:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Benedict rolls into its trip to Shorter fresh off a lopsided 32-10 win over Johnson C. Smith in the opener, a game in which the Tigers piled up 433 total yards behind a balanced attack through the air and on the ground. Running back David Smith set the tone with 117 yards on just 14 carries, and quarterback Jett Peddy connected with Zackery Watkins on a highlight-reel 97-yard touchdown as part of a four-catch, 129-yard afternoon, giving Benedict a pair of explosive playmakers heading into Week 1. The defense held up its end too, limiting JCSU to 337 total yards and 10 points behind a team-high 10 tackles from Corion Powers.
Shorter looks like a completely different team than the one that managed just two wins all of last season, - albeit against a lower level of competition - having blown past NAIA member Andrew College 65-6 in the opener behind 431 total yards of offense. Graduate quarterback Jeb Walls was nearly unstoppable, completing 16-of-19 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns, with Silas Hinson hauling in a score among his two catches for 52 yards. The Hawks' defense matched that dominance, holding Andrew to just 91 total yards and six points while racking up four sacks — two from Christian Benson — and an interception from DJ Walker.
Prediction: No 22 Benedict
UNC Pembroke (1-0) at Fayetteville State (1-0) | Fayetteville, N.C. | 6:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
UNC Pembroke opened the season with a signature win in its pocket, having knocked off then-No. 22 Wingate 21-13 at home despite fairly modest offensive numbers — just 216 total yards on the day. Quarterback Josh Ehrlich did a bit of everything, rushing for 69 yards and a score on 17 carries while also completing 20-of-31 passes for 122 yards and another touchdown, getting the ball to Avery Curtis (nine catches) and Jake Davids, who hauled in a receiving touchdown. The defense was really the story of the opener, though, holding Wingate to 204 total yards while forcing two fumbles and an interception. Linebacker Jadin Baptist set the tone with 10 tackles, and Myles Hudson came up with the team's lone pick.
Fayetteville State heads into its home date with UNCP off a 33-20 win over Shaw, where the ground game did most of the heavy lifting — the Broncos rushed for 148 yards and two scores while totaling 292 yards overall. Braylon Vinson paced that rushing attack with 88 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, and quarterback Jamir Dismukes was efficient in a complementary role, going 14-for-20 with 144 yards and a score through the air. The defense also flashed real pressure in the opener, sacking Shaw's quarterback seven times—two of them from Osirus Rhodes, who also chipped in six tackles—with ZyKing Patillo adding the lone interception.
Prediction: Fayetteville State
Chowan (0-1) at UVA Wise (0-1) | Wise, Va. | 6:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Chowan remains on the road looking to shake off a lopsided 56-24 season-opening loss to West Virginia State, one in which the Hawks actually moved the ball reasonably well — 323 total yards and three touchdowns — but couldn't keep pace thanks in large part to a defense that surrendered 485 yards. Quarterback Tyler Adkins was a bright spot in his debut, throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown, and Amir Alexander gave him a big-play target, hauling in five catches for 130 yards. Treshawn Blair and Timothy Baker Jr. each scored on the ground in a backfield that saw three players record eight or more attempts. Defensively, Darian Whitaker was the clear standout with 10 tackles and two sacks, and Chowan will need a similar effort — plus better answers against the pass after allowing 309 yards through the air — if it hopes to get in the win column this week.
UVA Wise is looking to rebound from a wild 47-37 shootout loss to Presbyterian, one where the Cavaliers actually piled up 472 total yards and 37 points but simply couldn't keep the other team off the scoreboard, surrendering 571 yards in the process. Quarterback McCalan Beason was responsible for all five UVA Wise touchdowns, rushing for 99 yards and two scores while also throwing for 338 yards and three more, getting the ball out to Hunter Purdue (163 yards) and Tre'mell Washington (103 yards), who each found the end zone. The issue was entirely on the other side of the ball, where Jalen Pickens (eight tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Landon Goeller (nine tackles) led a defense that will need to tighten up considerably against a Chowan team that also struggled to stop anybody in Week 0.
Prediction: UVA Wise
North Greenville at Catawba (1-0) | Salisbury, N.C. | 6:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
North Greenville hits the road to face Catawba fresh off its best conference showing in years — the Crusaders went a perfect 6-0 in league play during a 7-5 2025 campaign that saw them score 331 points (27.58 per game) and rack up 4,758 total yards en route to a Conference Carolinas Championship and NCAA Division II Playoff berth. Senior receiver Sam Washam is the most proven piece left in that passing attack after catching 29 balls for 407 yards and three touchdowns a season ago, stepping into a bigger role now that both the team's leading passer and top target are gone. The Trailblazers also added Jackson Parrish, a 1,000-yard rusher for Barton last season, to what should be a much-improved run game. On defense, senior defensive back Kaliber Hoey returns after picking off two passes in 2025, giving North Greenville a veteran presence in the secondary as it tries to build on a unit that held opponents to 25 points a game and racked up 13 interceptions as a team.
Catawba hosts North Greenville on the heels of a gritty 13-7 win at Ferrum, a game the Indians controlled through the air even though the score stayed tight — quarterback Mason Fortune completed 28-of-40 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns in his first start. Henry Forrest (seven catches, 75 yards) and Mike Geter (five catches, 100 yards and a score) gave him reliable targets, while the ground game stayed quiet at just 98 yards as a team. The bigger story may have been on defense, where linebacker Jaylen Hinton picked up right where he left off in 2025 with a team-high 12 tackles, and Elijah Barber's interception helped hold Ferrum to just 255 total yards and seven points.
Prediction: North Greenville
Shaw (0-1) at Barton (0-1) | Wilson, N.C. | 7:00 PM | AUDIO | STATS | VIDEO
Shaw remains on the road after a 33-20 season-opening loss to Fayetteville State in which the Bears leaned heavily on the ground game, generating 135 of their 216 total yards on the ground behind Trey Thorpe (53 yards, a touchdown) and Fabian Diggs (41 yards). Quarterback Alexander Marsh had a quiet debut, completing just 7-of-20 passes for 81 yards and a score, with Reggie King Jr. (62 yards on three catches) and Keyshaun Powell (a touchdown grab) providing the few highlights through the air. Defensively, Quadir McEachin paced the group with nine tackles, and Marquis James and Kristopher Young weren't far behind with eight apiece.
Barton returns home looking to regroup after a 44-17 loss at Virginia State, a game in which the Bulldogs mustered only 212 total yards and were gashed for 470 on defense. Jayden Brown provided a bright spot on the ground, rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while quarterback Cam Estep struggled to get much going through the air, completing 13-of-26 passes for 107 yards, a score and an interception — Tyler Davis was his top target with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. The defense wasn't much better, surrendering 328 passing yards, though Zy-Hir Williams and Alex Evans each chipped in nine tackles, and Allan Williams came away with the team's only takeaway.
Prediction: Barton
Columnist Picks
Last week: 6-0
2026 season: 6-0