WISE - - UVa-Wise will play its second of 10 consecutive Mountain East Conference opponents Saturday when the team visits regining league champion Shepherd University. The Rams are 2-0 to start the year while the Cavaliers are 1-1 after last week's comeback bid against Notre Dame College fell short in a 35-29 defeat.

Picked to repeat as league champions, Shepherd has a pair of All-Americans on offense. Wide receiver Billy Brown and quarterback Jeff Ziemba. Brown caught 89 passes for 1,492 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2015 while Ziemba passed for 3,414 yards and 30 touchdowns as the Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II title game.

UVa-Wise will be looking to start 2-1 for the first time since 2008, that version of the Cavs won eight games.  In its first two games of 2016, Dane Damron's team has been lights out on defense in the second half.  Opponents have scored just six points against the Cavaliers in the second half.

Last week, sophomore Donavan Montague excelled in his first collegiate start. The Altavista native registered five solo tackles as part of an eight tackle performance. Montague was just one of four Cavaliers who had eight or more tackles. Defensive back Maurice Watkins had eight solo stops, two pass break ups and 11 total tackles last week. The Richmond native has 18 tackles on the season.

UVa-Wise quarterback Brycen Lee fired his first touchdown pass in last week's loss. The redshirt freshman has yet to throw an interception in his first 68 collegiate passes. On the ground, juniors Carlton Griffith and Javonte Latney combined for 121 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Overall, the Cavs gained 137 yards on the ground after posting just 39 rushing yards in the opener.

Shepherd will be looking to improve to 31-2 all-time in MEC play. The Rams are 2-0 in league action this year and have used their defense to get off to the fast start. Thus far, opponents are averaging 180 yards per game through the air. Last week, Shepherd limited Charleston to 160 yards through the air while forcing two turnovers and a safety in the 38-22 road victory.

Senior wide receiver Billy Brown caught a pair of touchdown passes in last week's victory. The 6-foot-4, 241-pound Gaithersburg, Md. native already has 14 receptions and three touchdowns this season. A year ago, Brown caught 89 passes for 1,492 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to All-America honors.

Shepherd also possesses one of the league's top punters.
Morgantown, W.Va. native Ruan Venter earned MEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades after averaging 47.8 yards on four punts last week. Venter had three of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including one inside the one-yard line which aided the Rams to a safety.

Next week, UVa-Wise will welcome Glenville State College to Carl Smith Stadium for Homecoming 2016. Sheperd will visit Notre Dame College in what figures to be a big MEC contest.