GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- For only the second time this season, the Tusculum University football team will be on the road as the Pioneers take on 10^th-ranked Wingate University Saturday night at Irwin Belk Stadium in a South Atlantic Conference clash. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (ET).

Tusculum (2-2, 1-1 SAC) and Wingate (3-0, 1-0 SAC) will square off on the gridiron for the 25^th time as the Pioneers will be looking to rebound from last week's 24-19 home loss to Newberry College. TU trailed 14-0 at halftime and 24-6 with almost three minutes left as the Pioneers made a furious rally scoring 13 points in a span of 86 seconds and were an off-side kick recovery away from making things interesting.

Wingate had last Saturday's home game with Catawba College canceled due to COVID protocols involving the Catawba Indians.

The Pioneers will be looking to extend one streak while ending some others. Tusculum is riding a four-game road winning streak dating back to last season, a first since TU won four straight away contests during the 2002 campaign. Meanwhile, TU will be looking for its first win over a nationally ranked opponent since upsetting then No. 12 Wingate in the 2017 season finale. TU also hasn't won a road game against a ranked foe in 15 tries with the last coming in 2001 with a 34-27 win over preseason No. 9 Morehead State.

THE SERIES

Tusculum and Wingate renew a rivalry which dates back to 1996. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 15-9 and have won three of the last four encounters including a 28-21 win in 2019 to spoil Tusculum's Homecoming festivities. This week is Wingate's homecoming game as the Pioneers will be hoping to return the favor.

Wingate won the first four games of the series (1996-1999) before Tusculum answered with four wins in a row from 2000-2003. The Bulldogs won eight of the next 10 meetings from 2004-2013.

The Pioneers followed by winning three of four contests from 2014-2017 including a 14-10 victory at Wingate in 2014. In that game, TU quarterback Kyle Dickey came off the bench and threw a pair of TD passes to rally the Pioneers from a 10-0 deficit and snap a five-game losing streak at Belk Stadium. Dickey is in his first season as offensive coordinator with the Pioneers.

Tusculum upset 23^rd-ranked Wingate, 26-17 in the 2015 meeting in Greeneville. Two years later, TU spoiled the Bulldogs bid for an undefeated regular season with a 25-17 upset over No. 12 Wingate.

Nine of the 24 previous meetings have been decided by 10 points or less including the last three which have been by eight points or fewer.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

The Pioneers continue a tough stretch of its 2021 schedule as the hit the road for the next two weeks against nationally-ranked teams beginning with this week's contest at No. 10 Wingate.

Tusculum continues to have the SAC's top scoring offense which averages 34.8 points per game (33^rd in NCAA II), while Wingate will counter with one of the country's top scoring defenses (10.3 ppg – 1^st in SAC / 8^th in NCAA II).

Tusculum is tied for the DII-lead with its four defensive touchdowns, but had its three-game streak with a defensive score end last week against Newberry. In fact, the defense, which has forced seven turnovers this season, failed to cause a miscue last week for the first time this season.

Tusculum is second in the league in first down offense (82 – 47^th in NCAA II), defensive interceptions (4 – 36^th in NCAA II), passing defense (195.5 ypg – 29^th in NCAA II), tackles for loss allowed (4.75 tpg – 31^st in NCAA II), team tackles for loss (8.5 tpg – 26^th in NCAA II) and total defense (273.0 ypg – 17^th in NCAA II).

Senior quarterback Ivan Corbin has earned the start under center in every game this year where he has passed for 766 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. He has also rushed for 153 yards and a TD, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He eclipsed a personal milestone last week with 3,000 passing yards for his career.  Including his two seasons at Limestone University (2016, 2017), Corbin has passed for 3,173 yards and 27 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

This year, Corbin leads the conference averaging 13.68 yards per completion (49^th in NCAA II). He has also scored on a pair of two-conversion rushes.

His top target has been junior wide receiver Justice Parham. The Valdosta State transfer leads the Pioneers in receptions (14 – 9^th in SAC), receiving yards (314 – 3^rd in SAC) and TD catches (4 – 1^st in SAC / 25^th in NCAA II). He is also averaging 78.5 receiving yards per game (4^th in SAC). He has hauled in a TD catch in six straight games dating back to last season and has a TD grab in eight of his nine career outings with the Pioneers.

Parham has accounted for a team-best seven "explosive" plays (20-plus yards this season, including six receiving and one passing, with five of them resulting into touchdowns.

Sophomore Tyler Ajiero is second on the roster with 13 receptions for 130 yards, but went without a catch last week against Newberry. Derrick Wright is third with 10 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Cortney Jackson and Reggie Kellum are tied for the team-lead in rushing yards (161 – 40.2 ypg – T7th in SAC). Jackson has rushed for a pair of scores, while Kellum is looking for his first Tusculum touchdown.

Senior Maurice Gomillion earned the start at running back in the first three games of the season, missed last week's game due to injury. Gomillion has rushed for 153 yards on 44 attempts this year and is closing in on a personal milestone, needing 169 yards to become the 13^th player in program history with 1,000 rushing yards in his career.

Will Shellenback is slated to start at tight end once again. Last week, he tied a career-high with three receptions as he posted 39 receiving yards against the Newberry Wolves. Bryce Moore, who played quarterback in his first two seasons at Tusculum, has moved to tight end where he has made four catches for 77 yards including a 33-yard TD toss from Justice Parham in the final moments of the Newberry game.

The offensive line, which has allowed four sacks in its first four games, includes tackles Andrew Theobald and Rick Jeantihomme, guards Ben Shellenback and Mike Peppin, and anchored by two-year starting center Thomas Mahoney. The TU offensive front has helped the TU rushing attack average 172 yards per game (4^th in SAC / 49^th in NCAA II).

Linebacker Jahaud Russ leads the Tusculum defense with his 21 total tackles including a team-best 15 solo hits. He has posted four tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and returned a fumble for a 49-yard touchdown in the SAC-opener against Limestone.

The trio of Kahmari Lovett, Raynell Killian and Nelson Louis are tied for second on the team with 16 tackles apiece.

Louis, a junior defensive end and the 2018 SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year, is second on the roster with five tackles for loss including a team-best four sacks (3^rd in SAC / 26^th in NCAA II). Louis also forced a fumble which resulted in a defensive touchdown in the season-opener at St. Augustine's.

Killian and Lovett split time at the "nickel" position. Killian has accounted for four tackles for loss with one sack and a fumble recovery. Lovett has made two tackles for loss, broken up two passes, has one interception and a QB hurry.

Ryan McIntyre and Craig Watts have 15 tackles each, while Kane Deshauteurs has 13 stops including a team-leading six for loss with two sacks and a forced fumble, which led to Russ's TD return two weeks ago.

Senior punter Andrew Cantrell is slated to appear in his 31^st consecutive game. The CoSIDA Academic All-American is second in the league with his 40.6 punting average (23^rd in NCAA II) where he has forced nine fair catches and four punts inside the 20-yardline in his 17 kicks this year.

Greeneville sophomore Eli Shepherd will handle the placekicking duties for the Pioneers. He is tied for the team-lead with his 24 points going 4-of-6 on field goals and 12-of-14 on his extra point tries.

Tusculum rookie Tyler Burke is third in the conference averaging 21.0 yards on kickoff returns, while rookie Kanon Hall has been handling a majority of TU's punt returns averaging 7.4 yards which is the second-best average in the conference.

SCOUTING WINGATE

The Wingate Bulldogs are motoring along and have climbed into the national top-10 in both the AFCA Coaches' Poll and the D2Football.com Poll.

Head coach Joe Reich, who is in his 21^st season with the Bulldogs, has a solid corps of returners from a 2019 squad that advanced to the NCAA II Playoffs. Wingate went 2-2 this past spring with losses to Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry in the SAC Piedmont Division during the COVID shortened season.

The Bulldogs boast a balanced attack with a veteran leadership in the offensive backfield and a stifling defense which ranks atop the SAC in 14 categories including a Division II leading red zone defense (.000) and fourth down offense (1.000).

WU also leads the SAC in scoring defense (10.3 ppg – 8^th in NCAA II), time of possession (34:15 – 15^th in NCAA II), total defense (246.7 ypg – 12^th in NCAA II), team passing efficiency (154.54 – 30^th in NCAA II), completion percentage (.667 – 10^th in NCAA II), third down defense (.216 – 3^rd in NCAA II), punt return defense (0.0 ypr – 6^th in NCAA II), passing defense (157.7 ypg – 27^th in NCAA II), fewest fumbles lost (1 – 13^th in NCAA II), first down defense (42 – 4^th in NCAA II) and fewest penalties per game (4.67 – 15^th NCAA II).

Junior quarterback Shaw Crocker leads the Wingate offense where he leads the conference in completion percentage (.679 – 8^th in NCAA II) and passing efficiency (158.0 – 23^rd in NCAA II). Crocker is averaging 237.7 passing yards per game (4^th in SAC) with six touchdowns (4^th in SAC). He is also posting 248.3 yards of total offense per game (3^rd in SAC) and averaging 12.0 points responsible for per game (4^th in SAC).

Junior running back Nijere Peoples leads the Wingate ground game with 82.3 yards per game (5^th in SAC) with three rushing touchdowns (3^rd in SAC). Peoples is also averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

Sophomore receiver Trevor Grant leads the team with 12 receptions for 164 yards, while junior tight end Ryder Martin has made 10 catches for 157 yards and a TD.

Defensively, sophomore linebacker Jaquan Edwards leads the Bulldogs with 19 tackles including two for loss, two pass break-ups and a sack. Junior tackle Sirod Cook has been credited with 16 stops with five tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Defensive back Matthew Ellis-White has 13 tackles, while senior defensive back Daron Bowles and junior defensive end Jesiah Carlton have 11 tackles each.

Graduate student kicker McLean Robertson is having an outstanding season so far whee he has been successful on seven of his eight field goal tries (.875 - 1^st in SAC / 8^th in NCAA II) including four field goals in a 25-3 win at Carson-Newman in the Bulldogs' SAC opener two weeks ago. The All-Region and All-SAC honoree has connected 13 career field goals of at least 40 yards. In 2021, Robertson is averaging 2.33 field goals per game (1^st in SAC / 2^nd in NCAA II).

Punter Ethan Evans is averaging 43.2 yards per punt on his nine attempts with three of those over 50 yards and six punts inside the 20. The Bulldogs rank fifth nationally in net punting (41.11).

Wingate boasts the SAC's top returners with Kyron Thomas (33.0 kickoff return average - 6^th in NCAA II) and J Max Swaim (13.6 punt returns - 11^th in NCAA II).

FOLLOW THE GAME

The radio call of the game will be available locally on WSMG Radio on 95.5 FM and 1450 AM, as well as online at https://jewel955.com/listenlive. The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton and Joe Byrd will describe all the action. The Pioneer Pre-Game Show begins at 5 p.m. (ET). Stayton is in his 25th season as the broadcast voice of Tusculum University Athletics.

Wingate University will also provide a video stream of Saturday's contest and those links will be available at www.TusculumPioneers.com.