WISE - - As has been the case all season, UVA Wise used big plays to knock off Limestone last week. This week, Dane Damron's squad is back on the road to face the Catawba Indians in a 1 p.m. kickoff from Salisbury, N.C.

UVA Wise enters at 4-5 on the season and has a chance to post its first winning season since 2016 if it can win its final two games of the season. Meanwhile, Catawba has secured its first winning season since 2017 as the Indians enter with a 5-2 record.

The Cavaliers have been one of the more opportunistic defenses in NCAA Division II. To date, UVA Wise leads the South Atlantic Conference and ranks ninth nationally in passes intercepted with 13. Additionally, the Cavaliers lead the league and rank 10th in NCAA Division II in sacks per game at 3.56.

The Indians have been successful this fall by not beating themselves. Catawba has allowed the second-fewest sacks in the league at 1.29 per game while having lost only ten turnovers all season. Head Coach Curtis Walker's squad has been able to flip the field all season long behind the leg of punter Clayton Crile. The sophomore leads NCAA Division II in average yards per punt at 48 while having pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line eight times this season. The sophomore got off a 71-yard punt against Winston-Salem State earlier this year and has had at least one punt of 50 yards or longer in each of the season's first seven games.

UVA Wise will look to build off the momentum of its running game from last week when the team rushed for 130 yards. The 130 yards were the second-most rushing yards this season for a unit that averages 84 rushing yards per game. Catawba allows on average 155.6 rushing yards per game as opponents have gained at least 100 yards rushing in six consecutive games against the Indians.

This will be just the second all-time meeting between the two schools on the gridiron and the first-ever meeting at Catawba. In 20019, the Cavs took down the Indians 21-14 behind three forced turnovers. Then sophomore defensive lineman Chavon Fields had a big day for UVA Wise with a strip-sack while then-freshman receiver Jamal Fisher hauled in his first collegiate touchdown reception in the victory.

Next week, the Cavs return home for the season finale against Barton. Before the game, UVA Wise will honor its senior class as 16 student-athletes will play their final home game at Carl Smith Stadium.