VIDEO: Mike Clowney Presser
VIDEO: Carson-Newman Dark Mode Black Jersey Player Reaction
VIDEO: Erskine Cinematic Highlights
VIDEO: 2021 Mars Hill Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (3-4, 2-3 South Atlantic Conference) will try to keep and outside shot at a Mountain Division title alive when it pays a visit to Mars Hill (4-2, 4-1 South Atlantic Conference) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Meares Stadium.
A win over the Lions would keep the Eagles within two games of Tusculum for the top spot in the standings with two to go in divisional play. Carson-Newman would need further help to claw all the way back. Tusuclum has games left with Emory & Henry, Erskine and Mars Hill. The Lions have an Eagle and Pioneer sandwich around UVA Wise.
Carson-Newman has played the 19th toughest schedule to date in the nation. Five of the Eagles first seven opponents have fewer than two losses. Carson-Newman's first seven opponents have a combined 16 losses, the Eagles final four opponents have a combined 17 losses.
The Eagles lead the all-time series 47-11 and have won four straight at Meares Stadium. Mars Hill won last year's meeting at Burke-Tarr Stadium 49-23 to snap a streak of eight straight losses to C-N.
The Eagles haven't won away from Burke-Tarr Stadium in eight tries. That goes down as the 10th-longest active road losing streak in the country. Carson-Newman last tasted victory away from home on March 13, 2021 in a 40-37, four-overtime win at UVA Wise's Carl Smith Stadium.
C-N is on the hunt for back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
"You're playing a good football team this week, and the biggest thing that you don't want to do is you don't want to go beat yourself," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "We have to go take care of football. We've got to get off the bus ready to play. We've got to make sure that we don't give up big plays defensively and in the kicking game. We've got to find a way to make plays like we did last week to get short fields."
Conversely, Mars Hill's Division II opponents have a combined record of 13-25. The Lions' strength of schedule ranks 143rd in the country. Limestone and Emory & Henry are the only two teams MHU has played with winning records.
Mars Hill has gained at least 400 yards of offense against Carson-Newman in eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams.
As is the custom of the dean of SAC coaches Tim Clifton, the Lions aren't shy about trying for it on fourth down. Mars Hill leads the SAC and is ninth nationally in converting on 75 percent of its fourthdown chances.
Mars Hill running back Jervon Newton is 13th nationally and fourth in the SAC in rushing yards per game with 113.8 a game. He's topped 140 yards in all four of Mars Hill's wins.
"I think the big thing you see is they are going back to doing a lot of stuff with him that they did with (Harlon Hill trophy winner Jonas) Randolph when they had Randolph there," Clowney said. "They were very similar. The kid's got good speed, and he sees the hole well. They do a good job of blocking up front and creating gaps. He does a good job of finding them and exploiting them once he sees them."
Mars Hill has been phenomenal at stopping the run this season. The Lions have the SAC's second-best run defense. The unit ranks 12th nationally, allowing 76.5 yards per game on the ground. Only Barton and FCS East Tennessee State have rushed for more than 100 yards on the Lions.
The Lions have bottled up some of the SAC's best backs, Limestone's Tre Stewart (67 yards on 18 carries) and Barton's Jordan Terrell (96 yards on 25 carries) were both limited to two of their worst rushing performances of the season. Both rushers are in the top three in the league.
"Their linebackers are really good. It is funny because like you talk about maturity of our kids and a couple of our kids came and said coach like they're doing a good job," Clowney said. "Those kids, those guys are really good. So, for us to be able to identify that, see that, and know that we need to take our best game to the game on Saturday, they do a good job, they run to the football well."
Carson-Newman wide receiver Braxton Westfield's next touchdown catch will (the 17th of his career), move him into sole possession of fifth on the all-time receiving TD list. He needs four more touchdown catches to match Tank Black for fourth all-time (21).
With 83 career receptions and 1,282 receiving yards, Westfield is within 26 yards of Darren Hughes (70-1306) for 15th on the all-time receiving yards list. He is in the top-10 for career receptions and needs two more to catch TraShaun Ward for ninth all-time.
Westfield is already up to 36 catches and 402 yards receiving this season. The 36 catches rank 18th for a single season in school history. He is on pace to break TraShaun Ward's option-era record (45), which is seventh all-time. The single-season record is held by Tank Black (69 in 1978).
Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche has tallied 14.0 sacks in his career. That's good for 16th all-time. He needs 1.5 more sacks to catch Robbie Tebow for 13th all-time (15.5).
Kickoff between the Eagles and Lions is set for 1 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Seveirville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
