NEWBERRY – The Newberry football team will honor their senior class this Saturday at Setzler field as they host the Bulldogs of Wingate University at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Wolves are 4-5, 3-4 SAC after falling last Saturday at Limestone 28-24.
 
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 6-3, 5-1 SAC record after winning at home against nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne last Saturday 34-30 in Wingate.
 
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.
 
Joe Reich enters his 23rd season as Wingate University head football coach in 2023. Reich was named Wingate's Interim Director of Athletics in April of 2023. The 2022 season saw the Bulldogs win a program-record 11 games and advance to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. In 22 seasons as the WU head coach, Reich is 150-89 overall. He is the all-time winningest coach in Wingate football history. 

The 2022 season saw the Bulldogs rank among the nation's best in nearly every defensive category, leading the nation in tackles for loss while ranking second nationally in total defense and third down defense and third in sacks and scoring defense. Eleven Bulldogs earned All-SAC honors, with DJ Horne earning SAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, while Evan Surgeon earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and Jordon Thomas was named the SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year. In addition, Trevor Grant was named the SAC Scholar-Athlete. Horne added Region Defensive Player of the Year honors. Surgeon and Horne both earned multiple All-American honors, along with Tre Morrison, who led the nation in passes defended and earned AA honors from three publications. Punter/kicker Ethan Evans earned first team All-American recognition from two publications, while Davon Gilmore also collected a pair of All-American trophies. Evans became the second player in WU history to be selected in the NFL draft, going in the seventh round to the LA Rams. 

Wingate went 8-3 overall and 6-2 in league play in the 2021 season. McLean Robertson was a consensus first team All-American placekicker, with Andrew Strikcland also picking up multiple All-American trophies to go along with the SAC Jacob's Blocking award, SAC Scholar-Athlete Award and the SAC Man of the Year trophy, while also being named an Academic All-America honoree. The 2020 fall season was cancelled due to COVID, leading the 'Dogs to play an abbreviated four-game schedule in the spring of 2021 that saw Wingate go 2-2. 
The Series
This will be the 34^th  matchup between the Indians and the Bulldogs. Newberry holds a 17-16 overall record against Wingate. Last season, the Wolves went up to Wingate and left clinching the Piedmont championship with a 24-15 victory.    


Scouting the Wolves

• The Wolves defense comes in limiting opposing teams rushing attack to 138.8 yards per game. Senior middle linebacker A.J. Valentine led the way with 53 total tackles in the season. Freshman defensive end Colby Taylor has been in opposing team's backfields throughout the season leading the Wolves with four sacks on the season and 6.5 TFLs.
• The Wolves' offense has been taking care of the ball. With four straight games of not turning the ball over, Junior quarterback Jy Tolen has led the offense with 363 total yards and two touchdowns in his three first starts. The Wolves rely on their sophomore running back duo of Dwayne Wright, and Trakell Murray. Wright has 691 yards and six touchdowns the season. Redshirt sophomore Keith Desaussure has led the Wolves in receiving yards with 402 on the season.

Scouting the Bulldogs.

• Wingate's offense averages the SAC's third best 383.9 yards per game. With averaging over 239.6 through the air, Wingate's passing attack goes off the arm of Freshman quarterback Brooks Bentley. Bentley has completed 90 of 137 for 1440 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last week vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Bentley threw 24-37 335 yards and a TD.

• Wingate's defense has limited opposing rushing attacks holding teams to 81.6 yards per game. Senior linebacker Dontorian Best has led the Bulldogs with 51 tackles this season. In the win vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, Senior Defensive Backs Tre Morrison and Jaheim Mullen led the defense with 10 tackles Morrison had a TFL. Redshirt Junior defensive back Dequan Mosley had six tackles and an interception.