SAC Week Eight Preview

October 22nd, 2026 12:00am

With nine of the ten South Atlantic Conference teams on a bye this week, it’s a pretty quiet Saturday around the SAC — unless you’re Newberry, the lone team in action. The good news? Unless a miracle takes place, I will be 1-0 in my picks this week! With most of the league getting a week to rest up before the final stretch of the season, it feels like a good time to look back at what we’ve seen so far and hand out some "midseason-but not midseason" awards.

There have been plenty of surprises, a few disappointments, some big-time individual performances, and enough chaos to go around. From the teams that have exceeded expectations to the players who have made the biggest impact, the 2026 SAC football season has been absolute lunacy.

SAC Players of the Week:

Offense: Joshua Adams (Carson-Newman)- rushed for 93 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries

Defense: Anthony Dangerfield (Wingate)- nine tackles, seven solo stops, two pass breakups and the game-sealing interception.

Special Teams: Tyleke Mathis (Newberry)- returned two punts for 95 yards, including an 89-yard punt return for a score.

👀 Three Things I'm Watching

...Can VUL get any points on the board?

...How many snaps do the Newberry starters play?

...Will the bye week late in the season help or hurt the teams taking the week off?

📈 SAC Standings

*-eliminated from SAC Championship contention

📊 NPI Watch

*-worth noting, that if the season ended today, #8 Central State would be bumped out of the playoffs for Chowan, who currently is in 1^st in Conference Carolinas. Chowan is 20^th in NPI.

📝 Picks

Last Week: 2-3

Season: 29-19

🏆 SAC Game of the Week

Virginia University-Lynchburg Dragons at Newberry Wolves

Location & Time: Newberry, SC / 6:00 PM

Series: Newberry leads the all-time series, 2-0. (Wolves won the last meeting, 27-14, in 2018)

Virginia University-Lynchburg enters the 2026 season with limited publicly available information on its football program. The university’s athletics website does not currently list a coaching staff or roster, and its published schedule does not provide game results or statistical information. Head coach Tim Newman has led the Dragons since 2021. Some game-by-game statistics can be found through third-party sources and opponents’ box scores, providing at least a partial picture of the Dragons’ season. They’ve lost 45-0 to Hampton, 55-0 to Morgan State, 62-3 to Bethune-Cookman, and 62-0 to Norfolk State. Best guess from looking at who they have played, they are 1-6 with the lone victory over Clayton State. I

've gone and added up manually the boxscores, and the team leaders on offense:

Passing: Max Zavala is 40 of 66 for 396 yards, 2 TD's and 3 INT's.

Rushing: Israel Rhodes has 71 carries for 252 net yards, but Kenyon Slaughter-Keen has the only rushing score.

Receiving leader is Omarion Hairston (23-207-0), but Dustin Placide (16-179-0), Joshua Soyemi (16-144-1) and Justyn Barlett (18-147-1) are all above 15 grabs and 140+ yards.

I’ll recap Newberry’s big win over Mars Hill more in next week’s column, but look for a ton of guys to get to play this weekend in this game against VUL. I’d be shocked to see most starters play more than a series or two.

Projected Score: Newberry 58, VUL 0.

My Pick: NEWBERRY

Don’t think much of an explanation is necessary. Newberry enters this matchup as the clear favorite and should be able to control the game on both sides of the ball. When the Wolves establish an early lead, it will create an opportunity for younger players and backups to get extended playing time likely from the 2^nd quarter on. It will help them in gaining valuable experience while allowing the coaching staff to manage the workload of key contributors. While the Dragons will look to make the most of the opportunity, Newberry should have too much depth and talent for this to remain competitive into the second quarter.

Mid-but not-Mid Season Award Watch

I mentioned doing something like this on X this week, just for fun. For most categories, I will list 2-3 guys I would consider the front runners for these awards heading into the “mid-season but not mid-season” bye week. I am sure there will be someone that I am way overlooking, so my apologies.

1. Surprise Team of the Year — The team that has exceeded expectations the most through the first half of the season.
   • Mars Hill — Picked eighth in the preseason poll, the Lions have established themselves as a legitimate contender. Their defense has allowed 15.1 points per game, second-best in the conference.
   • Carson-Newman — Picked fourth, the Eagles have paired a conference-leading 14.8-points-per-game scoring defense with 29.6 points per game offensively.
   • Anderson — Picked seventh, the Trojans have put themselves in the conference race in only their third season as a program.
2. Most Disappointing Team — The team that has fallen furthest short of expectations. BY NO MEANS DOES THIS MEAN THESE TEAMS ARE BAD
   • Wingate — The preseason favorite, after finishing 2025 at 9–3 and second in the SAC, has struggled to meet those expectations.
   • Lenoir-Rhyne — Picked third after a 6–5 season, the Bears need a stronger finish to justify that preseason ranking.
3. Coach of the Year — So Far — The coach who has done the best job with his roster, whether through player development, overcoming adversity, or outperforming expectations.
   • Tyler Almond, Carson-Newman — The Eagles were picked fourth and have the conference's best scoring defense.
   • Kevin Barnette, Mars Hill — The Lions were picked eighth, and their defensive performance has made them a serious contender.
   • Todd Knight, Newberry — The Wolves entered the season as defending SAC champions and were picked second; maintaining that level of competitiveness keeps Knight in the conversation.
   • Billy Taylor, Tusculum-- Most of the time, this award doesn’t go to a team around .500. However, how far the Pioneers have come in year 3 of Coach Taylor’s tenure deserves recognition.
4. Offensive Player of the Year — So Far — The most outstanding offensive player in the conference through the first half of the season.
   • McCalan Beason, UVA Wise, QB — 1,787 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns, both conference-leading figures in the posted statistics.
   • Mason Kidd, Newberry, QB — 1,691 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, with a 65.3% completion rate.
   • Dallas Chavis, Emory & Henry, RB — 671 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 119 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
5. Defensive Player of the Year — So Far — The most impactful defensive player in the SAC.
   • Jamar “Mikey” Blandin, Newberry, LB — 10.5 tackles for loss in seven games, averaging 1.50 per game, the best rate among the listed leaders.
   • Jaxson Hickson, Carson-Newman, DL — 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in eight games.
   • Jimi Olarinde, Tusculum, LB — 11 tackles for loss and five sacks in eight games.
6. Special Teams Player of the Year — The player his team can least afford to lose, regardless of position or individual statistics.
   • Bennett Smith, Carson-Newman, K — Eight field goals on 11 attempts and 26 of 27 extra points, totaling 50 points.
   • Gunnar Hilsinger, Wingate, K — Seven field goals on eight attempts and 18 of 19 extra points, totaling 39 points in seven games.
   • Ashton Hagans, Tusculum, PR — 152 punt-return yards on eight returns, a 19.0-yard average, and one punt-return touchdown.
7. Team Nobody Wants to Play — The toughest matchup in the conference, regardless of what the standings say.
   • Carson-Newman — Allows just 259.5 yards and 14.8 points per game, both conference-leading figures.
   • Mars Hill — Allows 15.1 points per game and 273.3 yards per game.
   • Newberry — Allows 18.9 points per game and 275.3 yards per game.
8. Game of the Year — So Far — The most entertaining, dramatic, or consequential game of the first half.
   • Mars Hill vs. Tusculum — The 42–40 result is an obvious contender for drama and offensive fireworks.
   • Carson-Newman vs. Tiffin — Carson-Newman won 41–38 after Bennett Smith kicked the game-winning field goal with 42 seconds left.
   • UVA Wise vs. Newberry — The Cavaliers' 48–38 win over a team picked second in the preseason poll is a contender for the biggest upset and most entertaining result.
9. Biggest Win of the Year — The victory that has meant the most for a team's season, whether because of an upset, a statement, or playoff implications.
   • UVA Wise over Newberry, 48–38 — The Cavaliers beat a preseason top two team despite being picked ninth.
   • Carson-Newman over Tiffin, 41–38 — A dramatic season-opening win sealed by a late field goal.
   • Newberry over Mars Hill, 20–7 — A convincing road win over a team that entered the season with lower expectations but became a conference contender.
   • Mars Hill over Carson-Newman, 10-6 – Depending on outcomes, could come into play to determine SAC crown.
10. Second-Half Sleeper — The team best positioned to shake up the conference standings.
    • Anderson — Play two of the top three in the last three weeks. Could be Carson-Newman’s best friend.
    • Tusculum- Still in the running, but with remaining schedule, could remain a potential disruptor.
    • Emory & Henry — have some big wins and showed they can throw it with anybody on their day.
11. The Cardiac SAC Award — The team most likely to make its fans sweat until the final whistle, whether through close finishes, late comebacks, or unnecessary fourth-quarter drama.
    • Carson-Newman — The 41–38 win over Tiffin featured a late game-winning field goal.
    • Tusculum — The 42–40 game against Mars Hill is a perfect example of a finish that keeps fans on edge.
    • UVA Wise — The Cavaliers' 48–38 win over Newberry was a high-scoring, high-stakes result with plenty of drama.
12. The Chaos Award — The most unpredictable team in the conference. The team that makes picking a winner feel like a fool's errand every Saturday.
    • Lenoir-Rhyne – have had moments where they look like they could win the region, and others not so much. Have the talent to beat anyone in the SAC.
    • Tusculum — The 42–40 game against Mars Hill illustrates the Pioneers' potential for wild results.
    • Wingate — The preseason favorite has been less predictable than expected, leaving the conference race more open than many anticipated.
13. Most Valuable Player — The player his team can least afford to lose, regardless of position or individual statistics.
    • McCalan Beason, UVA Wise, QB — Conference-leading 20 passing touchdowns and 1,787 passing yards.
    • Mason Kidd, Newberry, QB — 16 passing touchdowns against four interceptions, with a 65.3% completion rate.
    • Joshua Adams, Carson-Newman, RB — 619 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

If you have any questions or comments you’d like answered, please feel free to contact me. If there is something specific you’d like to see covered, let me know as well. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Threads, etc.

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