WISE - - A familiar tale continues to repeat itself for UVa-Wise. A week ago, the Cavaliers scored just 19 points and fell 21-19 at home to Tusculum University. It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Cavaliers who have scored over 20 points just once this season. Saturday, Dane Damron's team will face one of its toughest tests of the season when the club visits No. 12 Wingate's Belk Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

The Bulldogs have won 17 consecutive regular season games and 10 straight South Atlantic Conference contests entering Saturday's game. Coach Joe Reich's squad is led by its defense which ranks 16th in NCAA Division II in total defense by allowing just 276.4 yards per game.

While the defense has been slowing down the opposition, the offense has protecting the football. To date, Wingate has turned the ball over a league low seven times. The Bulldogs have lost the turnover battle just once, coming in a 34-24 win over Fayetteville  State when the team turned the ball over three times.

Both teams have shown the ability to make big plays on special teams. Wingate and UVa-Wise have each blocked four kicks this season while the Bulldogs' Raymond Owens and the Cavs' Demetrius Mann each have a punt return touchdown this season. Wingate kicker McLean Robertson has already booted nine field goals this season, five of which have been longer than 40 yards. On the opposite side, UVa-Wise is in search of its first successful field goal of the season.

UVa-Wise defense back Marcus Tarrer leads the league in tackles with 63 having registered at least eight tackles in six of the season's first seven games. Last week, the redshirt junior made nine tackles to surpass 150 career tackles for his career. His 152 career tackles make him the active UVa-Wise leader in the category.

Sacks could be a big factor in the game, Cavs' defensive lineman Rondre Knowles-Tenner's 5.5 sacks ranks fourth in the league while the Bulldogs have seven players with multiple sacks to rank 19th nationally with 21 team sacks.

This will be the final game of a three-game home stand for the Bulldogs who are averaging 37.3 points per game at Belk Stadium. Next week, Wingate visits Lenoir-Rhyne for a battle of the SAC's two ranked squads.

The game completes a stretch of playing four-of-five away from Carl Smith Stadium for UVa-Wise. The Cavs are winless on the road this season averaging 12 points per game away from home. Damron's team finishes the season by playing two of its final three games at home. Next week, UVa-Wise entertains Limestone for the school's annual homecoming game in a 2 p.m. kickoff.