SAC Week 11 Preview

November 14th, 2025 12:00am

Rivalry week is here, as is the last week of the 2025 regular season. The end of the season is like opening your next to last Christmas present: you can see it's almost over and the disapointment of no more gifts looms. Still loads to play for this week, despite the conference champion being crowned last week. Newberry defeated Carson-Newman last week to clinch their 3^rd SAC title in 5 years, and 4^th over the past decade. The loss left the Eagles still searching for their first SAC title since 2009. The Wolves won the leagues automatic playoff bid and most likely will host a first round playoff game at the Graveyard next weekend. Anderson finished up a strong sophomore campaign by finishing 5-6 and will look to build off that in the offseason. Wingate, Emory & Henry and Carson-Newman are still alive and looking for some help to continue playing next week. Catawba is on the outside looking in there, but the Indians have a chance to send their rivals Lenoir-Rhyne below .500. Mars Hill is looking to finish above .500, while UVA Wise and Tusculum would love nothing more than to take the proverbial dump on their arch-rival’s seasons.

SAC Players of the Week

Offense: JR Martin (Mars Hill): 18/30 passing for 334 yards and four touchdowns. 10 carries for 122 yards as well rushing. 456 total yards.

Defense: Elihu Lipscomb (Wingate): four tackles and two defensive touchdowns, totaling 103 yards of returns.

Special Teams: Lon Teachey (Mars Hill): 3/3 on field goals (tied school record with 52 yarder), 7/7 on extra points, 3 punts all landed inside the 20-yard line. School record 16 points in the game. Teachey was also named the D2Football.com National special teams player of the week.

Standings after Week 10

Playoff Outlook

The NCAA has released their third iteration of the regional rankings for the season. Those ten are listed below. Remember, the top four is seeded and teams 5-8 can be moved anywhere within and outside the region to reduce flights. If I am a SAC bubble team, I am rooting hard to West Florida this week, and probably for UNC Pembroke as well to hold off Valdosta State and North Greenville from stealing bids (to use NCAA March Madness terminology). Don’t think Benedict would be in trouble to miss if they lose to Albany State again, but who knows. Emory & Henry and Carson-Newman will also be big Shorter Hawks fans this weekend.

Last Week: 4-1

Season: 48-11

***Newberry and Anderson are off this week and have finished their 2025 regular seasons***

Catawba Indians at Lenoir-Rhyne Bears

Location & Time: Hickory, North Carolina / 1 PM

Massey: Lenoir-Rhyne -11.5

SP+: Lenoir-Rhyne 29.7, Catawba 26.2

Series: Lenoir-Rhyne leads series, 50-49-4. (Lenoir-Rhyne won last meeting, 33-14, in 2024)

Catawba cruised to a 44-20 win over Anderson, powering the ground game with 265 rushing yards and three rushing TDs, while also passing for 230 yards and three TDs. The Indians jumped out to a 30-10 lead at the halftime intermission, and never looked back, leaving the Trojans in the rearview mirror. Senior back Quece Williams exploded for 82 yards on 11 carries with one score and added 79 yards on three catches with two more touchdowns. Kevin Lalin chipped in 126 yards on 15 rushing attempts, and QB Preston Brown completed 18 of 28 passes for 230 yards and three scores. The Indians dominated third-down at 9 of 12 conversions, held time of possession 32:33 to 27:27, and the defense registered four sacks and forced two turnovers while limiting Anderson’s offense. The win marked the 7^th on the season for Coach Haines, giving Catawba their first 7+ win season since 2017 (which also ended with a victory over Lenoir-Rhyne).

Lenoir-Rhyne was off last week but lost a heartbreaker to rival Wingate the week before. They built an early lead behind QB Khamoni Robinson (21-of-30 for 283 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 rushing TDs) as he connected on a 47-yard throw to Zion Agnew and a 52-yard strike to Songa Yates, who finished with nine catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. Running back Alex Boyd surged for 103 yards on 22 carries and a rushing touchdown. The Bears matched a high-scoring pace with 319 passing and 134 net rushing yards (453 total) and converted 9 of 14 third downs. But after holding a 24-10 halftime lead, LR failed to score in the 3rd quarter and gave up the go-ahead score late in regulation. Their bid ended when their 2-point conversion attempt in overtime was stuffed, handing them a 38-37 loss. I’m not sure anyone would’ve predicted on the last week of the season that the Bears would be playing for a chance to finish above .500, but Coach Socha and the team are looking to end on a high note to build off of in 2026.

Prediction: Catawba gets it done.

I’m not sure why this surprises me still, but Catawba vs. Lenoir-Rhyne is the 6^th most played rivalry in all of D2 football. The Bears have dominated this series recently, winning six straight and six of seven (6-7) at home. Coach Haines, Preston Brown, and the rest of the Catawba seniors have never beaten the Bears. Feels like they finally get it done. The Indians offense is loaded and the Bears defense has frankly not been near as good as expected in 2025. On the flip, the Indians defense has been better later in the season than numbers indicate, but the Bears offense has some dudes as well. Preston Brown makes one more play than Khamoni Robinson, giving the Indians their first win in Hickory since 2016.

Tusculum Pioneers at Carson-Newman Eagles

Location & Time: Jefferson City, Tennessee / 1 PM

Massey: Carson-Newman -25.5

SP+: Carson-Newman 41.0, Tusculum 6.9

Series: Carson-Newman leads series, 36-15-2. (Carson-Newman won last meeting, 56-14, in 2024).

Tusculum fought to stay in the game but was overwhelmed and outmatched in a 56-10 loss to Wingate. The Pioneers managed only 148 yards of total offense, including 22 passing yards (4 of 13, 1 INT) and 126 rushing yards on 49 attempts (~2.6 yards per rush). Quarterback Ty Engle completed 3 of 4 passes for 24 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, John Celestin carried 15 times for 65 net rushing yards and a long of 35. Tusculum converted only 4 of 14 third-down tries, committed three fumbles (losing all of them), and gave up multiple defensive scores, including long fumble returns. The lone trip to the endzone was set up by a fantastic punt return by Jaden Outar. Despite showing heart, the Pioneers could not overcome the turnover-gap and the Bulldogs’ balanced attack. It’s been a long season in Greeneville but upsetting their I-11 rivals and ending their season would be the icing on the cake of a rather forgetful season.

Carson-Newman battled hard but came up short in a 28-21 road loss to Newberry. The Eagles were able to post 377 total yards (285 rushing, 92 passing) while controlling the clock slightly longer (30:19 time of possession) yet were unable to convert a 4^th down at the end of the game, sealing the SAC title for Newberry. After the Eagles took a 14-7 lead into the 4^th quarter, before Newberry scored 21 of the next 28. The quarterback tandem of Gleaton and Whitson led the way for the Eagles, with Gleaton punched in the go-ahead touchdown late with a 5-yard run after a 48-yard rush set it up. After the Eagles tied things up at 21, Newberry scored on a 70 yard touchdown where the defender slipped. Gleaton led the Eagles down to the redzone with a chance to tie things up, before an interception. It was a tremendous game, with some breaks not going the orange and blue’s way, but the Eagles will have to reset quickly if they want to pummel their rivals and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Prediction: Eagles cruise over Pioneers.

The Second Oldest Rivalry in Tennessee features two option teams, and I’m sure Coach Ingram thought he was done with those types of games after leaving the Naval Academy! The last ten in this series have been split 5-5, and Coach Ingram is one win away from setting the school record for most victories in their first two years as head coach at Mossy Creek. So what does Coach Taylor and the Pioneers do? Muck things up and pose a threat. I think the Eagles cruise in this one, and will be looking to make a statement. But similar to two of the other games this week, you have a rival with nothing to play for but pride and a chance to ruin their rivals season. Expect this one to be physical.

Emory & Henry Wasps at UVA Wise Cavaliers

Location & Time: Wise, Virginia / 2 PM

Massey: Emory & Henry -23.5

SP+: Emory & Henry 40.0, UVA Wise 13.7

Series: Emory & Henry leads series, 6-1. (Emory & Henry won last meeting, 62-14, in 2024).

Emory & Henry powered a dominant offensive outing in front of their senior class, rolling to a 55-7 victory over a Shaw team that was severely outmatched in every way. The Wasps racked up 396 total yards (230 passing, 166 rushing) and scored 48 unanswered points after trailing briefly. Quarterback Cole Lambert connected on three touchdown passes, and running back Jordan Jackson added two rushing scores. Jackson is now just 41 yards away from 1,000 on the season. Six different players found the end zone, including Cam Peoples and Jackson each scoring twice. Notably, Kade Sullivan returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to add to the blowout. The balanced attack and opportunistic defense allowed Emory & Henry to control the game from start to finish and have a legitimate shot at playing past this weekend…unless their Southwest Virginia rivals play spoiler.

Despite showing flashes of spark offensively, UVA Wise fell 60-19 to Mars Hill. Quarterback McCalan Beason completed 15 of 32 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns while avoiding interceptions. His top targets included Kahlil Jones Jr., who hauled in 2 catches for 106 yards and a score, and Angelo Harper Jr., who caught 4 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Highland Cavaliers struggled mightily rushing (67 net yards on 26 attempts, 1.3 yards per rush) and committed two fumbles. On defense, Elijah Matthews anchored things with 10 tackles while RaaPhell Mayes II added seven, and Braylon Henry had the sole interception (12-yard return) for UVA Wise. They moved the chains only 13 times compared to 27 for the Lions and lost the time of possession battle 35:57 to 24:03.

Prediction: Wasps control from start to finish

The 8^th annual Southwest Virginia Bowl has not gone the way the Highland Cavaliers would like, losing three straight in the series by an average of 28.3 points. This game features two of the better backs in the conference in Jordan Jackson (Emory & Henry) and Daniel Thomas (UVA Wise). Jackson is 41 yards away from 1K, while Thomas is 153. I would be surprised to see Thomas get to that mark (hope he does). Emory & Henry wins this game simply because they are the better team in all three facets. Last year Coach Hunter’s squad just bullied them and I see more of the same in this years version. The Wasps defense will suffocate the offense, the Wasps offense will get tons of 50-yard or less drives, and are bound to have at least 1-2 defensive/special teams scores. Coach Bass’ crew would have to be darn near perfect to pull off the upset, but what better way to put a forgettable season in the rear view mirror than stunning a rival and ending their playoff dreams?

Mars Hill Lions at Wingate Bulldogs

Location & Time: Wingate, North Carolina / 3 PM

Massey: Wingate -17.5

SP+: Wingate 36.3, Mars Hill 16.7

Series: Series tied 18-18. (Mars Hill won last meeting, 15-10, in 2023)

On Senior Day at Meares Stadium, Mars Hill dominated from the start and cruised to a 60-19 victory over UVA Wise. Quarterback JR Martin threw for 334 net yards and four touchdown passes (18-30 comp-att) and also added 122 rushing yards on 10 carries. The Lions’ rushing attack was spearheaded by Jon Gullette, who rushed 17 times for 132 net yards and two scores including a 70-yard run. In the receiving corps, Charlie Guinade grabbed 4 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and David Hargro added a scoring catch as well. Mars Hill totaled 683 yards of offense (313 rushing, 370 passing), forced zero turnovers, and converted 9 of 15 third-down attempts. On defense, Sakarri Morrison contributed 4 tackles including a 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack, helping lock down UVA Wise’s offense.

Wingate dominated the contest from the opening whistle, cruising to a 56-10 win over Tusculum last weekend. The game was 21-0 at the half, before the Bulldogs erupted for 28 points in the 3^rd. Quarterback Elijah Holmes completed 15 of 26 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns. SAC Freshman of the Year nominee Jaylen Himes caught six balls for 126 yards and a score, while Carlos Estronza and Tanner Mays also found the promise land. Xavier Pugh also continued to punish defenders with his physicality, churning out 64 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns. The offense tallied 376 total yards (263 passing, 113 rushing) while converting 5 of 11 third-down attempts and scoring on four of five red-zone trips. Defensively and on special teams, the Bulldogs forced four turnovers, including two fumble-return touchdowns by SAC Defensive Player of the Week Elihu Lipscomb (103 return yards), blocked a punt, and recorded three sacks. Wingate held Tusculum to just 148 total yards. Pugh single season TD record for rushing/receiving.

Prediction: Wingate wins a high scoring affair

The 2024 game between these two Tar Heel State rivals was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene, so both clubs are itching to get a chance at each other. I like Wingate in this one, though like the other games this week, Mars Hill would love nothing more than a chance to possibly push their rivals out of the playoffs. I’m not sure a loss would eliminate the Bulldogs, but it certainly would give them the sweats come selection Sunday. For Mars Hill, it begins and ends with JR Martin. If they are able to throw the ball around the yard, it gives them a chance. But if Wingate is able to shut him down and force someone else to beat them, it could be a long afternoon for the Mountain Lions. Wingate’s balance will be the difference in this one and the defense will make just enough plays.

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