SAC Week 5 Preview

October 2nd, 2026 12:00am

Five weeks into the season, the South Atlantic Conference is starting to separate a little, but there is still a long way to go. And I feel like I still don’t know squat! Mars Hill and Anderson remain unbeaten in league play, with Carson-Newman, Newberry and Tusculum sitting right behind them at 2-1. Mars Hill continues to win with defense, Anderson is coming off its biggest win of the season over Lenoir-Rhyne, and the middle of the conference keeps producing games that are anything but predictable. Wingate's comeback against UVA Wise and Tusculum's rally at Catawba were reminders that no lead is particularly safe in this league.

That makes Week 5 an interesting one. Mars Hill travels to Tusculum in a battle of two teams that would be more than happy to make this a physical, low-scoring afternoon. Anderson heads to Emory & Henry, while Carson-Newman and Lenoir-Rhyne meet in a game that could go a long way toward determining who stays in the conference race. Add Wingate-Catawba and Newberry-UVA Wise, and there are plenty of opportunities for the standings to move around again this weekend.

And before getting into this week's games, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate what happened to a Carson-Newman legend. Ken Sparks was officially selected to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class and was honored at halftime last week, becoming the first person from the conference to receive the honor. Sparks finished his 37-year Carson-Newman career with a 338-99-2 record, five national championships, 21 SAC championships and 25 playoff appearances. The numbers are remarkable, but for those around Mossy Creek, his legacy was always about more than the scoreboard. The Hall of Fame recognition is a fitting national acknowledgment of a career that helped define Carson-Newman football for generations.

SAC Players of the Week:

Offense: Wilson Edwards (Anderson) -completed 21 of his 34 passes for 353 yards and four touchdowns

Defense: Jy’Mire Wright (Mars Hill) -15 total tackles in the victory and added 1.5 tackles for loss.

Special Teams: Jamari Broady (Catawba) - blocked two kicks – a field goal and a punt – that directly led to both of Catawba's touchdowns

👀 Three Things I'm Watching

...Can Catawba break the streak and beat Wingate for the first time since Obama was in office?

...Which teams that lost last week rebound in a big way and keep things going?

...Does anybody who has 3+ losses start to play more for 2027? Nah.

📈 SAC Standings

📊 NPI Watch

📝 Picks

Last Week: 3-2

Season: 21-12 (Good enough to win the AL West)

🏆 SAC Game of the Week

Tusculum Pioneers (3-2, 2-1) at #22 Mars Hill Lions (4-0, 3-0)

Location & Time: Mars Hill, NC / 2:30 PM

Series: Tusculum leads the all-time series, 23-17-2. (Mars Hill won the last meeting, 28-7, in 2025)

Tusculum improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in SAC play with the 27-22 victory, surviving a remarkable second-half comeback after building a 21-3 advantage. The Pioneers' triple-option attack was the story statistically, piling up 294 rushing yards on 53 attempts compared with only 98 yards through the air, while Tedros Gleaton accounted for two rushing touchdowns and 22 yards on one scoring run. Tusculum was particularly effective on third down, converting 6-of-12 attempts, and repeatedly extended drives with its ground game before Cam Ferguson's 15-yard touchdown run with 4:22 left ultimately put the Pioneers back ahead. The defense held Catawba to just 56 rushing yards and 206 total yards, although the Pioneers surrendered 19 consecutive points and allowed Catawba to take a 22-21 lead in the fourth quarter. Tusculum also benefited from a huge 54-yard kickoff return by Ashton Hagans, setting up the winning touchdown from the Catawba 15. The win gives Tusculum another important conference victory and demonstrates the value of its physical rushing attack, but the Pioneers will need to clean up the second-half lapses that nearly turned a 21-3 lead into a loss.

Mars Hill remained perfect at 4-0 overall and 3-0 in SAC play with a gritty 10-6 comeback victory over Carson-Newman, giving the Lions three straight conference wins against Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne and C-N. The Lions' defense once again carried the day, holding C-N without an offensive touchdown and limiting the Eagles to only 42 yards and one first down in the second half. Mars Hill trailed 6-3 at halftime but flipped the game in the fourth quarter, finally breaking through offensively before adding a late field goal to seal the win. The victory is particularly notable given that the Lions entered one of the SAC's most difficult early-season stretches and have now won three consecutive league road games. Mars Hill has scored just 64 points across its three SAC victories, but has allowed only 29, highlighting how consistently the defense has kept games within reach. At 3-0 in conference play, the Lions have built an early lead in the SAC race, with a home matchup against Tusculum next providing another opportunity to extend that unbeaten conference start.

Projected Score: Mars Hill 26, Tusculum 14.

My Pick: MARS HILL

Mars Hill’s defense has been outstanding early on, 5^th in total defense and 1^st in scoring defense in the country. Keep doing what you’re doing: Force the Pioneers to throw the ball, find just enough offense, and win the field-position battle. Throwing it to Charlie is a good idea too. For the Pioneers to end the Lions unbeaten season, they need to do a few things and maybe more: don’t panic when it gets ugly; capitalize when opportunities come; get Gleaton in space; keep the offense on schedule. Roll Hill in this one on Homecoming.

Rest of the Slate:

Emory & Henry Wasps (1-4, 0-3) at Anderson Trojans (4-1, 3-0)

Location & Time: Anderson, SC / 1:00 PM

Series: Emory & Henry leads the all-time series, 2-0. (Emory & Henry won the last meeting, 42-13, in 2025).

Emory & Henry's frustrating start continued with a 28-14 home loss to Newberry, leaving the Wasps 1-4 overall and 0-3 in SAC play despite competing with the Wolves for much of the first half. E&H answered Newberry's opening touchdown with a 75-yard, 10-play drive, capped by Cole Lambert's 30-yard touchdown pass to Parker Prioleau, and the teams went to halftime tied. The Wasps struggled to maintain that momentum after the break, however, and Newberry scored 21 second-half points to pull away. E&H finished with just 65 rushing yards and committed 11 penalties for 104 yards, mistakes that made it difficult to sustain drives against a Newberry defense that tightened up late. Lambert and the passing game provided some production, but the lack of a consistent running attack and the penalties ultimately put too much pressure on the offense. At 0-3 in conference play, E&H now needs to clean up the penalties and establish more balance offensively as it tries to turn several competitive stretches into complete games.

Anderson continued its strong start with a 42-22 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne, improving to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the SAC and remaining unbeaten in conference play. The Trojans' offense generated 520 total yards, with 353 passing and 167 rushing, while scoring six touchdowns against an L-R defense that entered the game with plenty of experience. Darren Lloyd immediately set the tone with a 94-yard touchdown run on Anderson's first play from scrimmage, and Wilson Edwards threw for four touchdowns, including scoring strikes of 48 and 41 yards. After L-R cut the margin to 14-9 late in the second quarter, Anderson answered with a touchdown with 21 seconds left and then scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to build a 35-9 lead. The Trojans also limited L-R's red-zone opportunities and made the Bears pay for their two turnovers, while Anderson itself committed no turnovers. At 3-0 in the SAC, Anderson has established itself as one of the conference's early pace-setters, but the upcoming schedule will provide additional tests of whether this fast start can be sustained.

Projected Score: Anderson 26, Emory & Henry 19.

My Pick: ANDERSON

For the Trojans: keep the offense balanced, take advantage of E&H’s defensive struggles (something I never would’ve thought could happen the past two years), make Cole Lambert beat you, and avoid the letdown. It’s easy to look over a team who’s season has gone opposite of yours. And in this conference, doing so could be deadly. For the Wasps to pull the upset, a couple of keys to focus on: get the running game involved; protect the football; finish drives; find a way to make Wilson Edwards uncomfortable. Anderson has scored 42 in each of the past two weeks, so it’s going to take every dude on defense to step up. I like Anderson in this one, primarily due to the regression on the other sideline.

Carson-Newman Eagles (4-1, 2-1) at Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (2-3, 1-2)

Location & Time: Hickory, NC / 2:00 PM

Series: Carson-Newman leads the all-time series, 45-22. (Carson-Newman won the last meeting, 24-7, in 2025)

Carson-Newman suffered a 10-6 loss to Mars Hill, falling to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SAC play in a defensive battle at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The Eagles led 6-3 at halftime and continued to lead for much of the second half, but their offense managed only 42 yards after halftime, with just one second-half first down and a 1-for-7 mark on third down. Carson-Newman's defense was excellent for most of the afternoon, holding Mars Hill to only 10 points and keeping the Lions out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. However, the Eagles couldn't generate enough offense to protect the lead, and Mars Hill's late touchdown followed by a field goal provided the winning margin. The loss also snapped C-N's 13-game home winning streak, while the Eagles became the first C-N team since 2021 to be held without an offensive touchdown. At 2-1 in the SAC, the Eagles remain firmly in the conference race, but the next stretch—beginning at Lenoir-Rhyne—will test whether the offense can consistently complement what has been a strong defense.

Lenoir-Rhyne fell 42-22 to Anderson, dropping to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in SAC play, in a game where the Bears actually held a significant time-of-possession advantage but couldn't capitalize on their opportunities. L-R finished with 462 total yards and 27 first downs, including a career-best 331 passing yards from Wells Bettenhausen, but two turnovers and six penalties repeatedly stalled drives. Mikel McClellan was outstanding with 11 catches for 132 yards, while Eddie Clark rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears trailed only 21-9 at halftime, but Anderson scored 21 unanswered points across the late second and third quarters to turn the game into a rout before L-R eventually trimmed the deficit. Defensively, L-R struggled to contain Anderson's explosive plays, surrendering 520 yards, including Darren Lloyd's 94-yard touchdown run and multiple big passing plays. At 1-2 in league play, the Bears now need to turn their substantial offensive production into points and eliminate the costly mistakes as they return home to face Carson-Newman.

Projected Score: Lenoir-Rhyne 24, Carson-Newman 21.

My Pick: LENOIR-RHYNE

I actually think the Eagles win this one, but since folks like to call me a homer, I can now say that I "picked" against the Eagles! Just having some fun guys. In all seriousness, this should be a great game like always between these two rivals. Carson-Newman hasn't won in Hickory since 2017. Keys to the game for the Eagles are pretty simple: find some offense early (slow starts again this year), don’t let the Bears dictate the line of scrimmage, take advantage of turnovers, and make the fourth count. The Eagles offense couldn’t get anything going in the second half especially last week, and cannot afford to do that again on the road in one of the toughest environments in the country. For the Bears, you got to start with the turnovers. The Bears are wounded after losing three of last four and have to win out to make the postseason. Put up some scores early and force the Eagles to have to go to the air. Very tough enviorment to win in. Moretz will be rocking.

Wingate Bulldogs (2-3, 1-2) at Catawba Indians (2-3, 1-2)

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

Series: Wingate leads the all-time series, 21-20. (Wingate won the last meeting, 41-28, in 2025)

Wingate overcame a 27-14 halftime deficit by dominating the second half, outscoring UVA Wise 27-0 to rally for a 41-27 victory and move to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in SAC play. The Bulldogs finished with 498 total yards, including 278 rushing, compared with just 218 yards for the Cavaliers, and held the ball for nearly 38 minutes. Redshirt freshman Jason Willis was the difference-maker, exploding for 177 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 carries, including scoring runs of 38, 21, 11 and 54 yards. Quarterback Brooks Brien added 214 passing yards and a touchdown, while Xavier Jackson caught seven passes for 83 yards and a score. After being outplayed for much of the first half, Wingate's defense forced five UVA Wise turnovers and repeatedly turned the game in the second half, including a sack-fumble that set up Willis' go-ahead touchdown. The win gives the Bulldogs some momentum, but the 1-2 conference record leaves little margin for error as the SAC schedule gets deeper.

Catawba dropped a wild 27-22 decision at Tusculum, falling to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in SAC play, despite rallying from a 21-3 deficit to take a 22-21 fourth-quarter lead. The Indians' offense struggled to consistently move the ball, finishing with just 206 total yards (150 passing, 56 rushing), but the special teams unit nearly stole the game by accounting for all 22 points and blocking three kicks. Jamari Broady blocked a punt and two kicks, while DeWayne Gissendanner returned a blocked field goal 53 yards for a touchdown and Drew Searls returned a blocked punt four yards for another score. Catawba also won the turnover battle 3-2, but couldn't overcome Tusculum's 294-56 rushing advantage and six-of-12 third-down conversion rate. Mason Fortune was 19-of-37 for 150 yards, while Saeed St. Fleur provided the best ground production with 69 yards on 11 carries. The takeaway moving forward is that Catawba showed plenty of fight and defensive/special-teams playmaking, but the offense will need to become more productive as the Indians head into a difficult stretch, beginning with Wingate next week.

Projected Score: Wingate 28, Catawba 22.

My Pick: WINGATE

Possibly the most challenging game to pick this week, and maybe it’s history that has me going with Wingate. The Bulldogs have won eight straight over Catawba, but both teams are playing for pride now. Catawba needs to find some offensive balance, averaging under 90 yards rushing per game, and start turning red zone trips into touchdowns. Win the turnover battle and make it a fourth-quarter game are also key. Will be tough to break the streak if they fall behind three scores again like last week. Wingate has some of the same problems. They were awful for a large part of the first half last week. Keep the rushing attack going, force Catawba to be one dimensional, and build off that comeback win last week. Salisbury is a tough place to win, especially at night, but I am leaning with the bulldogs by a 51-49% margin.

UVA Wise Cavaliers (0-5, 0-3) at Newberry Wolves (3-1, 2-1)

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

Series: Newberry leads the all-time series, 3-0. (Newberry won the last meeting 31-24, in 2025).

UVA Wise showed two very different sides of itself, jumping to a 27-14 halftime lead before being completely shut out after halftime in the 41-27 loss. McCalan Beason continued to provide big-play production, completing 16 of 33 passes for 189 yards and four touchdowns, with scoring strikes to Hunter Purdue, Elijah Thompson, Tre'mell Washington and Jeremiah Augustin. The problem was the Cavaliers' inability to sustain offense on the ground, managing just 29 rushing yards on 27 attempts, while five turnovers—including three interceptions and two lost fumbles—proved decisive. Defensively, Isaiah McGuffin had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Jalin Edwards recorded seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, but Wingate's 278 rushing yards eventually wore the defense down. UVA Wise also went 0-for-1 in the red zone and converted only four of 13 third downs, despite having opportunities to put the game away earlier. At 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the SAC, the Cavaliers need to find a way to pair Beason's passing production with a more consistent running game and cleaner ball security moving forward.

Newberry pulled away in the second half for a 28-14 win at Emory & Henry, improving to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in SAC play while extending its conference winning streak to two games. The Wolves and Wasps were tied 7-7 after the first quarter and 7-7 at halftime, but Newberry scored 21 second-half points to take control. Quarterback Mason Kidd connected with DeAndre Coleman for a 24-yard touchdown on Newberry's opening drive, and the Wolves' defense kept E&H off the scoreboard for much of the second half. Newberry's ability to make plays through the air was particularly important, as the Wolves took advantage of an E&H defense that ultimately allowed 321 passing yards. The Wolves also avoided the penalty and ball-security issues that plagued their opponent, helping them close out another road conference win. At 2-1 in league play and coming off consecutive victories over Wingate and E&H, Newberry has put itself back in the middle of the SAC race with Virginia-Wise next on the schedule.

Projected Score: Newberry 40, UVA Wise 12.

My Pick: NEWBERRY

If the Cavaliers play like they did for the majority of the first half against Wingate, they have a chance to pull of this stunner over the defending champs. If they play like they did in the second half, it could be a long and miserable day. Coach Bass’ team needs to protect the football, get the run game going, finish, and make the Newberry offense earn every yard. For Newberry, don’t overlook the Cavaliers’ offensive potential, keep up the second half magic they’ve had for the past year and a half, and start fast. The other key is for the Wolves defense to control Beason. I feel more comfortable with Newberry being able to accomplish what needs to get done than UVA Wise, and feel like this could get ugly in the second half.

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