SAC Week 2 Preview

September 10th, 2026 12:00am

Week 1 brought a much different look to the SAC than Week 0, and several teams gave us plenty to think about heading into the second full weekend of the season. Carson-Newman followed its thrilling Week 0 win over Tiffin with a much more comfortable 44-0 shutout of Thomas, while Newberry looked every bit like a team capable of making another deep run, rolling past Reinhardt 38-3. Wingate also bounced back from its Week 0 loss at UNC Pembroke in a big way, scoring 26 fourth-quarter points to pull away from Delta State, 36-13.

Not everything went according to plan, however. Lenoir-Rhyne, coming off its dominant Week 0 performance, suffered a 34-23 loss to West Alabama, while Tusculum fell to FCS opponent ETSU 48-14. Catawba and North Greenville played one of the weekend's wildest games, with the Crusaders escaping Salisbury with a 40-38 victory. Anderson picked up an impressive 21-14 win over NAIA powerhouse Keiser, and Emory & Henry bounced back from its Week 0 loss with a dominant 55-16 win at Ferrum.

Perhaps the most encouraging result came from Mars Hill, which traveled to Winston-Salem State and earned a 17-0 shutout victory. Meanwhile, UVA Wise had another frustrating afternoon, falling 24-20 to Chowan after rallying from a 21-0 deficit to take a one-point lead before being shut out in the second half.

So, after two weeks, we're already seeing some separation — but certainly not enough to draw any conclusions. Newberry, Carson-Newman and Wingate have responded well to their opening-week results, while Lenoir-Rhyne suddenly has something to prove. Catawba's two-point loss shows just how thin the margin can be, and Anderson and Mars Hill both picked-up wins that could become increasingly important as the season progresses. And now, finally, the SAC schedule begins to matter as conference play arrives.

SAC Players of the Week:

Offense: Rayvon Durant (Mars Hill)- Durant scored both Mars Hill touchdowns, rushing for over 200 yards on 28 carries.

Defense: Jamarion Farrior (Mars Hill)- Jamarion had quite the day with eight tackles, three and a half tackles for loss and half a sack to help lead the Lions shutout defense.

Special Teams: Bennett Smith (Carson-Newman) – 4/4 on extra points, hit a 52-yard field goal tying his own mark for fourth longest field goal in program history.

👀 Three Things I'm Watching

...Can the home team win in the Bishop’s Trophy Game? Newberry has gone 1-3 in last four meetings against Lenoir-Rhyne in Setzler Field.

...Can Carson-Newman keep up the regular season success against Wingate? Eagles have won 2 of last 3 meetings, including both regular season matchups in ‘24/’25.

...Do we get any clearer of an idea of what teams are going to be this year, or are we all going to be just as confused Sunday morning as we are now?

📈 Stock Watch

Up: Wingate, Mars Hill, Anderson

Down: UVA Wise, Lenoir-Rhyne

Hold: Carson-Newman, Tusculum, Newberry, Catawba, Emory & Henry

📊 NPI Watch

Shared this on X the other day, and for right now the current NPI rankings are just for fun conversation, not really much other value.

📝 Picks

Last Week: 7-3

Season: 13-5

🏆 SAC Game of the Week

Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (1-1) at #15 Newberry Wolves (1-0)

Location & Time: Newberry, SC / 7:00 PM

Series: Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series, 27-25. (Newberry won the last meeting, 20-17, in 2025)

The Bears had the statistical edge but couldn’t overcome a disastrous fourth quarter. L-R outgained West Alabama 449-296, including 291 rushing yards, and led 23-17 after LJ Turner’s 76-yard TD run to open the fourth. Turner finished with 148 yards and two TDs, while Eddie Clark added 107 yards and a score. But the wheels came off late: L-R’s final three possessions ended in a fumble returned for a TD, an interception, and a pick-six. Wells Bettenhausen was 14-of-26 for 158 yards with three interceptions. The Bears’ defense also played well for much of the afternoon, but West Alabama won the turnover battle 5-2 and converted those mistakes into 21 points, ultimately turning a game L-R statistically controlled into an 11-point loss.

Newberry opened the season with a dominant performance, scoring 31 unanswered points after Reinhardt’s first-quarter field goal and cruising to a 38-3 win. The Wolves led 24-3 at halftime and continued pulling away behind a balanced offense and a defense that essentially shut down the Eagles. Mason Kidd threw TD passes of 22 yards to Will Young V and 34 yards to De’Andre Coleman, while Coleman Gray added a rushing TD and helped execute a 12-yard fake-field-goal touchdown to Spadavecchia. Tyleke Mathis also returned from injury to score on the ground. The biggest takeaway was Newberry’s ability to generate points in multiple ways and put the game away early, setting up a major SAC opener Saturday against Lenoir-Rhyne.

Projected Score: Lenoir-Rhyne 28, Newberry 26.

My Pick: Newberry wins Bishop Trophy

The projected score averages like Lenoir-Rhyne, with SP+ only having these two teams as a 0.2-point difference. I think a night game in the Palmetto State gives the Wolves a slight edge. Lenoir-Rhyne is more battle tested and will be more than up for the challenge, but the turnovers last week were dreadful. It’s hard not to overreact, but for as good as the Bears looked for the Virginia Union game and a large part of the West Alabama game, that 4^th quarter just can’t get out of my head. Lenoir-Rhyne’s offense is talented, and I love the running backs, but you aren’t going to win very many games turning it over five times, much less at the Graveyard. Going with the champs until someone beats them, which may be this week. I’m at 50.1% Newberry in this game.

Rest of the Slate:

Tusculum Pioneers (1-1) at Emory & Henry Wasps (1-1)

Location & Time: Emory, VA / 1:00 PM

Series: Emory & Henry leads the all-time series, 16-4. (Emory & Henry won the last meeting, 34-13, in 2025)

Tusculum hung around early, trailing just 13-7 after the first quarter, but ETSU’s athleticism eventually took over as the Bucs scored 35 unanswered points before the Pioneers added a late TD. ETSU finished with 484 total yards, including 225 rushing and 259 passing, while Tusculum managed 321 yards—212 on the ground and 109 through the air. The Pioneers were led by Teryntino Brown-Freeman’s 51 rushing yards and a 57-yard TD run from Lavante Adams, while Tedros Gleaton was 7-of-15 for 109 yards. ETSU QB Mason Mims threw for 242 yards and three TDs, and TJ Peyton ran for 121 yards and two scores. The Pioneers showed some early fight but struggled to sustain drives as ETSU steadily pulled away.

The Wasps put together one of the more impressive offensive performances of the week, jumping to a 35-6 halftime lead and rolling to 628 total yards. Emory & Henry was especially dominant on the ground, piling up 308 rushing yards on 43 carries (7.2 yards per carry) while adding 320 passing yards. Cole Lambert was spectacular, completing 7-of-10 for 256 yards and three TDs, including an 82-yard strike to Khyair Lundy, while Dallas Chavis erupted for 128 rushing yards and two TDs on just eight carries, including a 66-yard score. Ferrum actually threw for 317 yards, but managed only 45 rushing yards, and E&H’s defense recorded two sacks and held the Panthers to 5.5 yards per play. The 55 points were fueled by explosive plays and a balanced attack that made this a rout by halftime.

Projected Score: Emory & Henry 38, Tusculum 17.

My Pick: Emory & Henry wins, but it’s closer than projected score.

The Pioneers had a few moments early in the game against ETSU last week where they were holding their own. Eventually the talent and size gap paid dividends for the Buccaneers, but that game was still a teaching moment for Coach Taylor’s squad. I don’t see them beating the Wasps in Emory, but I think this game could be closer than the projected score if Tusculum shortens the game and doesn’t turn the ball over.

Wingate Bulldogs (1-1) at Carson-Newman Eagles (2-0)

Location & Time: Jefferson City, TN / 1:00 PM

Series: Carson-Newman leads the all-time series, 27-9. (Carson-Newman won the last meeting, 21-14, in 2025)

After leading just 10-7 at halftime and being scoreless through three quarters, Wingate completely took over in the fourth, exploding for 26 points to pull away. The Bulldogs dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 251 yards on 43 carries (5.8 per rush) while holding Delta State to just 57 rushing yards and 197 total yards. Wingate finished with 413 total yards, 21 first downs and controlled the clock for nearly 36 minutes. Brooks Brien was efficient at quarterback, going 12-of-20 for 162 yards and a TD, while Wingate got four rushing touchdowns from four different players, including Justin Little’s 52-yard burst. The defense also forced three turnovers, including two interceptions, as Wingate’s fourth-quarter surge turned a tight game into a convincing 36-13 road win.

Carson-Newman followed its thrilling Week Zero win over Tiffin with a completely dominant defensive performance, pitching a shutout while building a 44-0 lead over Thomas. The Eagles held Thomas to just 218 total yards and forced three interceptions, while C-N’s offense produced enough balance to steadily pull away after leading 17-0 at halftime. Eli Graf had a strong night both running and throwing, while the Eagles’ defense repeatedly gave the offense short fields—including interceptions by Nate Lopez, Isaiah Isidore and Tre’von Dangerfield, with Dangerfield returning one 20 yards to the Thomas 10. Jerron Blakely had so much fun with one pick, he did it again! C-N controlled the game from start to finish, scoring 14 points in the third quarter and 13 more in the fourth, improving to 2-0 and setting up a huge Week 1 matchup with Wingate.

Projected Score: Wingate 26, Carson-Newman 22.

My Pick: Carson-Newman wins, despite projected score saying otherwise.

Fun fact: I am 0-3 in picking Carson-Newman vs. Wingate games over the past few years. The Eagles have won 2 of the last 3 against the Bulldogs, and have found ways to win those games by any means necessary. Through two games, there have been times where the Eagles didn’t look great (1H vs. Thomas, 1Q vs. Tiffin), but they’ve looked better collectively than Wingate has. Outside of the 4^th quarter against what seems to be a really bad Delta State team. Like the past few matchups between these two, it’ll come down to who makes the least mistakes and I like the Eagles defense to get after Brooks Brien.

Catawba Indians (1-1) at Mars Hill Lions (1-0)

Location & Time: Mars Hill, NC / 1:00 PM

Series: Catawba leads the all-time series, 33-29. (Catawba won the last meeting, 42-28, in 2025)

Catawba opened the season with a wild shootout, falling 40-38 to North Greenville despite outgaining the Trailblazers 423-390 and holding a 34:01-25:26 advantage in time of possession. The Indians led 21-14 at halftime and 32-27 early in the fourth, but NGU quarterback Kam Montgomery took over late, accounting for four rushing touchdowns—including a 56-yard score with 5:21 remaining that put the Trailblazers ahead for good. Catawba quarterback Mason Fortune helped produce 295 passing yards, while Saeed St. Fleur scored twice on the ground, but Catawba’s lone turnover proved costly. The Indians drove for a touchdown with 38 seconds left to make it 40-38, but NGU’s Quincy Haywood intercepted the potential game-tying pass in the end zone to seal the comeback.

Mars Hill earned a hard-fought 17-0 road shutout at Winston-Salem State, controlling the game with a balanced, physical performance. The Lions finished with 21 first downs compared to just 10 for WSSU, including 16 on the ground, and held the Rams to only three rushing first downs. Mars Hill led 10-0 at halftime before adding a fourth-quarter touchdown to put the game away, while its defense consistently kept Winston-Salem from sustaining drives. The shutout was especially impressive given that WSSU managed only three passing first downs and struggled to generate much offensively throughout the night, giving Mars Hill a strong bounce-back win and a defensive statement to open the season.

Projected Score: Mars Hill 28, Catawba 24.

My Pick: Catawba wins; offense has more luck than WSSU did vs. MHU.

This game is hard to pick and should be a good one. Mars Hill’s path to victory is to replicate what it did on defense last week, and run the ball. Catawba is a better team than Winston-Salem, and has a significantly more explosive offense. But the Indian defense really struggled to stop the run last game. If SAC Offensive Player of the Week Rayvon Durant has another big game, and Mars Hill slows the game down it could spell trouble. I liked what I saw from the Lions defense last week, Farrior was a monster. But I am not sure Mars Hill can score enough points in this one to keep up with the Catawba passing attack.

Anderson Trojans (1-1) at UVA Wise Cavaliers (0-2)

Location & Time: Wise, VA / 2:00 PM

Series: Anderson leads the all-time series, 2-0. (Anderson won the last meeting, 50-7, in 2025)

Anderson pulled off one of the bigger Week 1 surprises, knocking off No. 2 Keiser after trailing 7-0 early and 14-7 entering the second half. The Trojans scored 21 unanswered points, with all three touchdowns coming on the ground, and finished with 254 rushing yards. Running back Zaidon Gunn was the catalyst, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns, while Anderson’s defense was outstanding against one of the NAIA’s top programs, intercepting four passes. Keiser, which averaged nearly 488 yards per game last season, was held to 14 points, making this an impressive defensive and physical statement for Anderson.

UVA Wise’s comeback bid came up just short after the Cavaliers fell behind 21-0 early and then rallied with 20 straight points. Chowan quarterback Tyler Adkins was excellent, completing 23-of-35 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, including a 53-yard strike to Amir Alexander, who finished with 11 catches for 149 yards and a TD. UVA Wise quarterback McCalan Beason completed 20 passes and threw three touchdown passes, helping fuel the comeback, but the Cavs could not find the equalizer in the fourth quarter. Chowan’s defense made the early lead stand up, and the Hawks held on for their first win of the season and their first victory over UVA Wise in seven meetings.

Projected Score: Anderson 29, UVA Wise 21.

My Pick: Anderson.

Defense travels. Coach Lamb’s defense in the first two ball games has given up a lot of yards (420 YPG), but not a ton of points. Anderson’s defense vs. UVA Wise offense will get most of the proverbial headlines, but this game will come down to the UVA Wise defense make enough stops and can the Anderson offense do enough. Anderson’s offense is 10^th in total offense and scoring offense. UVA Wise defense is last in total defense and scoring defense. Something has to give, but a big plus for the Cavaliers is for the first time in both meetings, they may have the quarterback advantage.

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