NEWBERRY – The Newberry football team will hit the road this Saturday to Gaffney, S.C., to face the Saints of Limestone University 12:00 at Saints Field.
 
The Wolves are 4-4, 3-3 SAC after falling last Saturday at home vs. nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne 24-10.
 
The Saints enter the weekend with a 5-3, 5-1 SAC record after winning at home against the Indians of Catawba 27-16 last weekend.
 
The Coaches
Todd Knight enters his 15th year at the helm of the Newberry program in 2023 season, 21st season coaching at Newberry, having made his mark as one of the most successful coaches in program history. Knight signed a contract extension at the end of the 2022 season to continue leading the Wolves through the 2027 season.
 
His 92-63 overall record makes him the winningest coach in school history, a feat which he accomplished with his 73rd win in a 24-19 contest over Tusculum in front of the home crowd on September 25, 2021, remaining the only 40-game winner with a winning record in the 105 years of Newberry football. The 2016, 2021, and 2022 South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year has a .589 winning percentage, good for second in school history among coaches with 10 or more games at the helm.
 
The Wolves' 31 wins from 2013-16, all under Knight, are the second-most wins in a four-year period in school history. Newberry's 32 victories from 2006-09, the final six of which came during Knight's first season as Head Coach following six seasons as Defensive Coordinator, are the current standard-bearer.
 
Mike Furrey begins his second stint as the head football coach at Limestone University after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach on Matt Nagy's staff with the Chicago Bears. The eight-year NFL veteran begins his third overall season with the Saints in 2022 after previously serving as the head coach in 2016 and 2017, compiling a 9-12 combined record during his first two seasons with the Blue and Gold and a career coaching record of 16-16 over three collegiate seasons.
 
Furrey became the second head coach in program history on May 11, 2016, and rejoined Limestone football on March 7, 2022. He remains the program leader in career wins. 
 
After two seasons on the sidelines with the Saints, including guiding the Blue and Gold to a fourth-place finish during the program's inaugural campaign in the South Atlantic Conference, Furrey quickly helped lead the Bears to an NFC North title in 2018 and two postseason appearances in both 2018 and 2020. With Furrey on the staff, the Chicago Bears amassed a combined record of 34-31 over a four-year span.
 
Furrey graduated from UNI in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. He and his wife Koren are the proud parents of Makayla, Stone and Kanon. 
The Series
This will be the ninth matchup between the Indians and the Saints. Newberry holds a 6-2 overall record against Limestone. Last season, the Saints came into Setzler field and defeated the Wolves 42-37.    


Scouting the Wolves

• The Wolves defense comes in limiting opposing teams air attack to 174.2 yards per game, which ranks third in the SAC. Senior middle linebacker A.J. Valentine led the way with 45 total tackles in the season. Freshman defensive end Colby Taylor has been in opposing team's backfields throughout the season leading the Wolves with three sacks on the season and 5.5 TFLs. Sophomore linebacker Jalen Stradford had a career-high nine tackles in last weekend's game against Lenoir-Rhyne.
• The Wolves Offensive end has been moving the ball well especially on the ground. Sophomore running backs Trakell Murray and Dwayne Wright have been the work horses. Wright has the team best 609 yards on the season along with five touchdowns this season. Murray has 480 yards and three touchdowns this season. Junior quarterback, Jy Tolen has earned the starting role in the past two weeks, Tolen has totaled 276 yards in the last two starts.

Scouting the Saints.

• Limestone's offense relies on the passing attack which is the best in the SAC. Senior quarterback Dustin Nollen has completed 146 of 235 passes for 1,840 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Nollen went 26-35 for 237 yards and one touchdown in the 27-16 win against Catawba last weekend. Senior wide receiver Jelani Baker has 49 catches for 681 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Junior running back Tre Stewart finished the night with 24 carries and 178 yards while punching in one score in the 27-16 win against Catawba last weekend.
• Limestone's defense has limited opposing rushing attacks holding teams to 139.4 yards per game. Senior linebacker Chandler Matthews has led the Saints with 54 tackles this season. In the win vs. Catawba, Senior linebacker Chandler Matthews (Dillon, S.C.) led the defense with seven tackles, including one sack and one tackle for loss. Sophomore linebacker Damon Early (Charlotte, N.C.) tallied one sack while setting the new single-season record with 5.5 sacks on the year. The Limestone defense tallied a total of four sacks on the evening.