NEWBERRY – Newberry opens the 2019 season with a Thursday night matchup in Tigerville as the Wolves take on North Greenville in a nonconference showdown.

Newberry finished the 2018 campaign with a 5-6 overall record while North Greenville went 4-6 a season ago. The teams have not met since 2016, when a dramatic touchdown with 1:04 to go lifted Newberry to a 29-28 win over the Crusaders, the second win in Newberry's 10-win season.

WHO: Newberry College at North Greenville University
WHERE: Younts Stadium on the campus of North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C.
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 5
RECORDS: Newberry and North Greenville are both playing in their season opener.
LIVE VIDEO: North Greenville Sports Network (YouTube)
LIVE STATS: www.nguathletics.com
LIVE AUDIO: www.newberrywolves.tv, WKDK-AM 1240 in Newberry County, www.wkdk.com, WKDK app, "WKDK" on TuneIn Radio app
WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy with a high of 90 degrees and a low of 68. Winds will be out of the north-northeast at 10-20 miles per hour. The chance of rain is 20 percent.
SERIES HISTORY: Newberry leads 12-3 overall. That record includes a 6-1 mark on the road, although the teams have split the four previous meetings in Tigerville. 
TICKETS AND PARKING: Tickets are available at the gate for $20 (cash, check, and Visa accepted). Newberry fans are asked to sit on the visitor's side until it fills. Parking is free and can be accessed from S.C. Highway 414. North Greenville is an alcohol- and tobacco-free campus.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORYLINES

1. Newberry's defense held its 10 non-Division I opponents in 2018 to an average of 102 yards below their total offensive output entering their game with the Wolves. 
    
2. Newberry tied for the national lead in 2018 with Ouachita Baptist and Saginaw Valley State with five passing touchdowns allowed all season. Seven of 11 opponents completed 50 percent of their passes or fewer.
    
3. The Wolves will have to replace major production in 2019, including: Markell Castle (2,484 career receiving yards, 2nd in school history), Jamarcus Henderson (62 career tackles for loss, T-20th in Division II history), and Joe Blue (303 career tackles, 9th in school history). 
    
4. Shea Rodgers has scored 158 points in his career in 21 field goals and 95 PAT's. He is two points shy of Pete Bember (1983-86) for 10th in school history in scoring and ranks fourth in both field goals and PAT's made.
    
5. In the teams' last meeting, Raleigh Yeldell engineered a 12-play, 87-yard drive capped by his own bruising, 4-yard touchdown run with 1:04 to play to lift Newberry to a 29-28 win in 2016. It was the second of Newberry's 10 straight wins to close the regular season.
    
6. Newberry is .500 or better against North Greenville in every city in which the two teams have played (6-1 in Newberry, 2-2 in Tigerville, 3-0 in Taylors, 1-0 in Greer).
    
7. Of the 58 positions on Newberry's initial two-deep, 55 are filled by Palmetto State natives.
    
8. The SAC has fielded exactly eight teams for 42 of its previous 44 seasons but will have nine football-playing members in 2019 for just the second time ever. The other came in 1999.
    
9. Like Newberry, North Greenville advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2016. The Crusaders reached the national quarterfinal before bowing out to North Alabama.
    
10. Both teams have finished with sub-.500 records the past two seasons, with Newberry completing the last two campaigns at 5-6 and North Greenville at 4-6.

MORE INFORMATION

For complete coverage, view game notes from the Newberry Athletic Communications staff.

IMPORTANT LINKS
Rosters: Newberry | North Greenville
Stats: Newberry | North Greenville
Schedule: Newberry | North Greenville
Standings: SAC | Gulf South