WISE - - A pair of 3-2 teams lock horns inside Carl Smith Stadium Saturday when Newberry College visits UVA Wise in a pivotal South Atlantic Conference football game.
Picked third in the Preseason South Atlantic Conference Coaches' Poll, the visiting Wolves are coming off a 28-22 (OT) loss at Mars hill last week. In the loss, Newberry overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Standout wide receiver Bryson Woodruff was a big reason why, the redshirt senior hauled in 15 receptions for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite Woodruff's efforts, the Wolves could not overcome three turnovers in suffering their second defeat of the season.
UVA Wise enters on a two-game winning streak. Dane Damron's squad recently pulled off the program's biggest win since joining NCAA Division Ii when the Cavaliers took down No. 16 Lenoir-Rhyne 35-28 last week.
For their performances in the win, a pair of UVA Wise student-athletes were honored by the SAC. Quarterback Lendon Redwine earned Offensive Player of The Week honors after passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns with teammate Markel Dailey picking up the defensive award following a game that saw him intercept two passes and collect six tackles.
Big plays from the Cavs have spurred a two-game winning streak. UVA Wise leads the league with 13 forced turnovers from its defense while the offense has registered 14 plays of at least 30 yards. Dailey leads the SAC and NCAA Division II with five interceptions, while Redwine's 12 touchdown passes are tops in the conference.
A win by the Cavs would allow the program to start 4-0 at home for the first time since 2007 and the first time since joining NCAA Division II. A Newberry win would allow the Wolves to "stay hot" Todd Knight's team enters the game, having won 12 of its last 17 contests dating back to 2019.
This is just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. Newberry overcame an early deficit to win the first meeting 30-7 in Newberry on Oct. 12, 2019.
The game marks the conclusion of a three-game homestand for UVA Wise while wrapping up a three-game road trip for Newberry. Next week, the Cavs visit Tusculum and the Wolves return home to face Catawba.
