SAC Week 3 Preview

September 17th, 2026 12:00am

SAC Players of the Week:

Offense: Wilson Edwards (Anderson) - completed 24 of 37 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns and added 49 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

Defense: Jaxon Hickson (Carson-Newman) - team-leading seven tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble

Special Teams: Nathan Holbrook (Tusculum) - averaged 46.5 yards on six punts

👀 Three Things I'm Watching

...Which undefeated in SAC play teams jump up to 2-0 and stretch their lead?

...Which teams that lost the opener feel the pressure and crumble to 0-2?

...Can UVA Wise catch Carson-Newman napping and looking ahead to Mars Hill next week?

📈 SAC Standings

📊 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: 2-3 (woof)

Season: 15-8

🏆 SAC Game of the Week

Anderson Trojans (2-1, 1-0) at Tusculum Pioneers (2-1, 1-0)

Location & Time: Greeneville, TN / 2:00 PM

Series: Series tied, 1-1. (Anderson won the last meeting, 30-0, in 2025)

Anderson opened SAC play with a convincing 39-21 road win at UVA Wise, improving to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Wilson Edwards delivered his best game of the season, completing 24-of-37 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns while adding 49 rushing yards, as the Trojans piled up 413 total yards. Anderson built a 13-0 halftime lead and then scored 19 unanswered points spanning the second and third quarters, with Zay Williams catching five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Trojans were particularly efficient on third down, converting 10-of-15 attempts, while also holding a 34:13-25:47 advantage in time of possession. The defense added four sacks and forced a fumble that Cade Eavenson returned 54 yards for a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining to put the finishing touches on the win.

Tusculum opened SAC play with a dramatic 28-26 road win over Emory & Henry, improving to 2-1 overall and snapping an 11-game conference losing streak, while also earning its first-ever win at Fred Selfe Stadium. The Pioneers controlled the ground game, rushing for 239 yards on 52 carries (4.6 YPC) and three touchdowns, compared to 89 rushing yards for the Wasps. QB Tedros Gleaton accounted for 171 total yards, rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 90 yards and a 59-yard TD to Ashton Hagans. Tusculum converted 8-of-15 third downs and, critically, committed zero turnovers, continuing a season-long streak without a giveaway. The defense made the biggest plays late, forcing two fourth-down stops in the final minutes, including Judah Knight's game-sealing pass breakup, before Gleaton converted a fourth-and-three with 18 seconds left to ice the win.

Projected Score: Anderson 26, Tusculum 21.

My Pick: Anderson goes to 3-1.

Surprising many, this is my game of the week. Two upstart teams who both would love to start 3-1, 2-0 in league play. If Tusculum is able to control the clock and not turn the ball over, they’ve got a great chance of winning. Keeping the ball means Wilson Edwards is sitting and sipping Gatorade, not getting hot like he did against UVA Wise last week. Anderson’s offense has really started to click, with Edwards coming off a 24-of-37, 308-yard, four-TD performance against Wise, and the Trojans have now won two straight after losing at Furman. Tusculum, meanwhile, has shown plenty of resilience, particularly in the fourth quarter against E&H, and gets the game at Pioneer Field. Ultimately, Anderson gets the slight edge because their defense, led by Carter Wit, has gotten better.

Rest of the Slate:

Emory & Henry Wasps (1-2, 0-1) at Catawba Indians (1-2, 0-1)

Location & Time: Salisbury, NC / 6:00 PM

Series: Catawba leads series, 17-6. (Emory & Henry won the last meeting, 35-7, in 2025)

Emory & Henry dropped a heartbreaking 28-26 decision to Tusculum in its SAC opener, falling to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in league play despite holding a 351-328 advantage in total offense. QB Cole Lambert finished 12-of-24 for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while Khyair Lundy had a huge afternoon, including a 47-yard touchdown that pulled the Wasps within two with just 5:09 remaining. De'Ante Childs added 96 rushing yards and a touchdown, helping E&H build a 7-0 first-quarter lead and keep the game tied 14-14 at halftime. The Wasps repeatedly moved the ball late but struggled to finish drives, going just 3-of-12 on third down and twice being stopped on fourth down inside Tusculum territory. After the 47-yard TD made it 28-26, Lambert's two-point attempt fell incomplete, and E&H got one final possession—but Knight's pass breakup on fourth-and-five ended the comeback attempt.

Catawba suffered a 22-16 overtime loss at Mars Hill in the SAC opener despite controlling much of the game statistically, outgaining the Lions 325-259 and holding a 34:03-25:57 edge in time of possession. Mason Fortune completed 24-of-37 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, including a stunning 65-yard TD to Jay Moore with 13 seconds left to erase a late 16-9 deficit and force overtime. Moore finished with 98 receiving yards on five catches, while Catawba's defense held Mars Hill to just 70 rushing yards and recorded two interceptions. The Indians moved inside the Mars Hill 20 in overtime but were stopped on fourth-and-one, ending their possession without points. Catawba's inability to convert on fourth down (0-for-1) contrasted sharply with Mars Hill's 4-for-4 mark and ultimately proved decisive.

Projected Score: Emory & Henry 30, Catawba 26.

My Pick: Catawba gets to .500

Each week there is a game that I feel the least confident in, and this might be this week’s winner. Both clubs lost heartbreakers in the conference openers last week, and both are trying to avoid an 0-2 hole. Both clubs played Ferrum, and Emory & Henry blasted them while Catawba barely escaped. That should hold more weight than maybe I am giving it, but through each teams first three games it definitely seems like Catawba has an edge defensively, which almost seems weird with the swarming defenses Coach Hunter has had each of the past few seasons. Give me Catawba to win because I think they will make 1-2 more plays defensively, but it’ll be about who can finish.

#22 Carson-Newman Eagles (3-0, 1-0) at UVA Wise Cavaliers (0-3, 0-1)

Location & Time: Wise, VA / 6:00 PM

Series: Carson-Newman leads series, 6-1. (Carson-Newman won the last meeting, 35-14, in 2025)

Carson-Newman rallied from a 23-10 deficit to stun Wingate 24-23, improving to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in SAC play. The Eagles dominated the ground game, rushing for 231 yards on 57 carries, while holding Wingate to just 19 net rushing yards. Eli Graf was the difference late, accounting for 49 rushing yards and the game-winning 3-yard touchdown run with 1:45 remaining, while C-N's defense held Wingate scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Eagles controlled the clock for 34:09 and converted 3-of-4 fourth downs, including a pair of crucial conversions during their late comeback. After trailing 23-17 entering the fourth, C-N put together a 15-play, 66-yard, 7:49 drive for the winning score, then stopped Wingate on its final possession to complete the comeback.

UVA Wise fell to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in SAC play after being held scoreless through the first half in a 39-21 loss to Anderson. The Cavaliers were outgained 413-313 and struggled to slow the Trojans' passing attack, although McCalan Beason accounted for 208 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns. UVA Wise finally found its offense in the second half, scoring 21 points and putting together touchdown drives of 61, 74 and 75 yards, but could not overcome the early deficit. The Cavaliers converted 8-of-13 third downs and rushed for 105 yards, but four lost fumbles—including Beason's late fumble that was returned for a touchdown—proved costly. Despite the 18-point loss, UVA Wise showed some fight after halftime, cutting the margin to 32-21 with 3:46 remaining before Anderson's late defensive touchdown sealed the result.

Projected Score: Carson-Newman 38, UVA Wise 17.

My Pick: Carson-Newman cruises to 4-0 start.

I look for Carson-Newman to try and put this one away early, like they did last year, and get out the gates hot (5.7 points in 1Q through three contest). McCalan Beason is a talented quarterback who can make some plays, but he hasn’t played a defense like what the Eagles will put out there yet. C-N should be able to move the ball against the 10^th ranked total defense in the conference and win handily. UVA Wise will need everything to go their way to pull off the biggest win of Coach Bass’ tenure. Not sure how a 3-0 team ranked #22 in the land needs a “get right” game but this could be it.

Mars Hill Lions (2-0, 1-0) at #24 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (2-1, 1-0)

Location & Time: Hickory, NC / 6:00 PM

Series: Lenoir-Rhyne leads series, 27-24-1. (Lenoir-Rhyne won the last meeting, 45-0, in 2025)

Mars Hill rallied from a 9-3 deficit and survived Catawba 22-16 in overtime, improving to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in SAC play. Lukas Kachilo completed 20-of-34 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns while adding 53 rushing yards, and Charlie Guinade caught both of Kachilo's touchdown passes, including a 1-yard score with 28 seconds left in regulation. The Lions repeatedly kept drives alive on fourth down, going a perfect 4-for-4, and finished 3-for-3 in the red zone despite being held to only 259 total yards. After Catawba failed to convert on fourth-and-one in overtime, Mars Hill needed just three plays before Rayvon Durant powered in from four yards out for the game-winning touchdown. The defense also came up big late, holding Catawba to 2.9 yards per rush and forcing the critical overtime turnover on downs.

Lenoir-Rhyne survived a defensive struggle 21-14, overcoming a sluggish first half and a 7-0 third-quarter deficit to open SAC play with a win. The Bears were held to just 225 total yards, but they were extremely efficient when opportunities arose, scoring touchdowns on all two of their red-zone trips and forcing two critical Newberry turnovers. Wells Bettenhausen completed 10-of-17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including a 51-yard strike to Carson Spoonts that tied the game, while LJ Turner and Eddie Clark supplied the decisive fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns. The defense was led by Brodie Bradburn's nine tackles and Latavius Moore's interception and fumble recovery, the latter setting up Clark's 4-yard touchdown for a 21-7 lead. L-R ultimately held on despite Newberry possessing the ball for 33:36 and converting 7-of-16 third downs, making timely defensive plays when it mattered most.

Projected Score: Lenoir-Rhyne 30, Mars Hill 16.

My Pick: Lenoir-Rhyne wins this Tar Heel State Showdown.

Through the early weeks of the season, Lenoir-Rhyne’s upside has looked better than what Mars Hill’s best has been, despite the fact Mars Hill may have the best player in this game (Guinade). The Lions offense has struggled to put points on the board (19.5 in first two contest) and I am concerned that they will not be able to score enough to keep up with Bettenhausen and the Bears offense. If the Bears can stop turning the ball over, it may be a two score game. Just feel like L-R is further along thus far, maybe because of the extra game and stiff competition.

Newberry Wolves (1-1, 0-1) at Wingate Bulldogs (1-2, 0-1)

Location & Time: Wingate, NC / 6:00 PM

Series: Series is tied, 18-18. (Newberry won the last meeting, 43-42, in 2025)

Newberry fell 21-14 to Lenoir-Rhyne in a rain-soaked Bishops’ Trophy battle, despite outgaining the Bears 415-225 and holding a 22-11 advantage in first downs. The Wolves ran effectively, piling up 199 rushing yards on 36 carries (5.5 YPC), with John Peeples rushing for 64 yards and Mason Kidd adding 43 yards on the ground. Newberry led 7-0 after Tyleke Mathis' 21-yard touchdown run, but two fourth-quarter turnovers—including an interception that gave L-R the ball at the Newberry 7—turned the game. Kidd finished 20-of-35 for 178 yards, while DeAndre Coleman caught five passes for 90 yards, and Kidd's 47-yard run helped set up Jonah Norris' 5-yard TD that cut the deficit to 21-14. The Wolves got the ball back with under a minute remaining but couldn't convert a fourth-and-nine, ending a game in which their production was significantly better than the final score suggested.

Wingate let a 13-point second-half lead slip away, falling 24-23 to Carson-Newman despite outgaining the Eagles 297-280 and getting a huge performance from quarterback Brooks Brien. Brien completed 13-of-24 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, including explosive scoring strikes of 76 yards to Kayden Bash and 53 yards to Jason Willis. Bash finished with 104 receiving yards, while Willis added 30 receiving yards, but Wingate's rushing attack managed only 19 net yards on 25 attempts. The Bulldogs also struggled to sustain drives, converting just 3-of-11 third downs, and couldn't answer after C-N's game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown. Wingate had built a 23-17 lead after the Willis touchdown early in the third, but the offense was shut out over the final 15 minutes as Carson-Newman controlled possession and completed the comeback.

Projected Score: Wingate 27, Newberry 22.

My Pick: Wingate bounces back, gets to .500

Both Coach Jordan and Coach Knight have to be feeling a little bit tense heading into this one, because the loser will fall to 0-2 in league play and (likely) two games back of leaders in the standings. Newberry had the ball four times in the first half against Lenoir-Rhyne in Bears territory and came away with nothing. They dominated the game statistically. Wingate had Carson-Newman down two scores and failed to deliver the knockout punch. Desperation can lead to a lot more mistakes, and so I’m rolling with the team who is at home and seems less likely to take major risk.

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