WISE - - One football program will halt an elongated losing streak Saturday when UVA Wise visits Erskine in a 4 p.m. kickoff in Greenwood, S.C.
The visiting Cavaliers have dropped six consecutive games since winning their season opener while the Flying Fleet have lost five in a row after starting the season 2-0.
Dane Damron's UVA Wise squad is coming off its best defensive performance since the season opening win over Ferrum. The Cavs allowed just 255 yards while picking off a trio of passes in a 10-9 loss to the Tusculum Pioneers.
Former UVA Wise defensive coordinator Shap Boyd is in his third season directing the Fleet and like the Cavaliers his team has struggled to put points on the board.
Erskine has scored just three offensive touchdowns in the last three games and is coming off a 37-0 loss to Carson-Newman last Saturday. UVA Wise has scored just two offensive touchdowns in the last three games as the two teams enter the game with the two lowest scoring offenses in the South Atlantic Conference.
Both teams have played well at times on defense. UVA Wise secondary mates
Robert Carter and
Markel Dailey have combined for five interceptions and 61 tackles to aid a unit that ranks 11th in NCAA Division II in pass defense at 149.1 yards per game. For Erskine, takeaways have spurred the defensive effort. The Fleet have forced 14 turnovers this season to rank second in the league and 35th among NCAA Division II schools.
On offense,
Juwan Dent played quarterback for UVA Wise last week and completed 26-of-57 passes for 264 yards. His favorite target was
Daniel Davis who became the first Cavalier this season to surpass 100 receiving yards with a 9-catch, 127-yard performance.
Erskine's offense has been led by sophomore wide receiver Trevarus Walker. Walker has 32 catches for 411 yards and three touchdowns this season. The 411 receiving yards are the fourth most by any receiver in the conference.
Next week, UVA Wise will play its final home game of the season when Mars Hill visits Smith Stadium for Senior Day 2022. Kickoff from Wise is scheduled for 12 p.m.
