WISE - - After back-to-back non-conference games, UVA Wise and Mars Hill open up South Atlantic Conference play Saturday when the Lions play host to the Cavaliers in a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Both schools enter the contest 1-1, with each program coming up with a dominating win over Virginia University-Lynchburg. UVA Wise won its season opener 54-0 behind a 13-sack effort from its defense, while Mars Hill took down VUL 50-14 last week behind a defensive effort that held the Dragons to negative 76 rushing yards.
Dane Damron's UVA Wise squad is coming off a 45-14 setback to No. 15 NCAA Division I (FCS) East Tennessee State University. Despite the loss, senior wide receiver Devin Heckstall continues to impress. The Utah State transfer caught 10 passes, two of which went for touchdowns. The two touchdowns give Heckstall a league-leading four for the season.
Linebacker Landon Honeycutt leads what, to this point, has been the nation's top rush defense at Mars Hill. Honeycutt has tallied 22 tackles, a sack, blocked a kick and registered 2.5 tackles for loss. The Lions have held their first two opponents to negative 43 rushing yards to lead NCAA Division II as a unit.
This will be the second meeting between UVA Wise and Mars Hill in the last six months. The Cavs took down the Lions 40-28 on April 2 behind 368 passing yards. Jamal Fisher caught five passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns that day while Caleb Martin added six receptions for 78 yards and two scores. Mars Hill was led by quarterback Jimmy Urzua who completed 11-of-18 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Lions to a 21-19 halftime lead before the Cavs' comeback.
This will be the ninth all-time meeting between the two programs, all coming since 1999. Mars Hill leads the series 7-to-1 and has won the games by an average of 15.4 points per contest. With a win Saturday, the Lions would be 2-1 for the second time in three seasons while also winning their conference opener for the second time in three seasons.
A victory by UVA Wise would send the Cavs to a 2-1 mark for the first time since 2017 while also giving the program a win in its conference opener for the first time since 2017.
The SAC opener for both schools, Mars Hill was slated seventh in the Preseason SAC Coaches' Poll, while UVA Wise was picked eighth.
Next week, the Cavs will host the Carson-Newman Eagles in the home conference opener while the Lions visit preseason SAC favorite Lenoir-Rhyne.
