VIDEO: Ashley Ingram press conference
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman begins its 17th NCAA playoff appearance with a road trip and a visit to a first-time opponent.
The 24th-ranked Eagles travel to Fairfield, Ala., outside of Birmingham to take on fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Miles at noon EST, 11 a.m. CST Saturday at Sloan-Alumni Stadium.
"We are super excited and honored to be playing in the Division II playoffs," C-N head football coach Ashley Ingram said. "We've got a great challenge in front of us. Miles has a super talented team, athletic, they can run around, they're well coached. You know, Coach Sam Shade has done a great job there. I think they were a one-win team three years ago and you know now they're a nine-win team. It'll be a lot of fun."
Carson-Newman football is back on familiar ground, headed to the NCAA playoffs for the 17th time and postseason play overall for the 31st time in the history of the program. The Eagles count three bowl games and 11 trips to the NAIA playoffs among their rich postseason history.
While the Eagles have never faced Miles, the SIAC champions, they do have several all-time meetings with the league, but none this century. Carson-Newman last faced off with an SIAC member in 1998, prevailing 38-31 in overtime in Burke-Tarr Stadium over Fort Valley State in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA playoffs.
Many battles against the league came in the form of legendary rival Central State – whom C-N met in the playoffs every season from 1987-1990. C-N is 9-3-1 all-time against the league's membership (Central State was not a member of the SIAC when the Eagles played them, but currently are SIAC members). One of the losses comes from the Marauders as does the tie. The other two losses are from the 1976 and 1977 teams to Kentucky State.
Miles has won nine straight games for the first time in modern history (since 1950) and has tied the school record for victories in a single season (2019).The Golden Bears are in the playoff field for the third time and hosting for the first time in school history. The Golden Bears dropped an opening-round game to Lenoir-Rhyne in 2019, 36-7. A 2012 trip to the playoffs ended in the first round 41-7 to West Alabama.
The Golden Bears have a havoc-causing defense. Miles leads the nation in turnovers forced (33) and turnover margin (+21). The Golden Bears are second in interceptions (23) and sacks (40). Miles is fourth in defensive touchdowns (5) and eighth in tackles for loss (89).
Former Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Sam Shade is in his third year with Miles, engineering a remarkable turnaround. After a 1-9 season in 2022, the Golden Bears are 16-5 over the last two seasons. Shade was named the SIAC Coach of the Year prior to winning the SIAC title game over Clark Atlanta, the Golden Bears first league crown since 2019.
"They're just super athletic," Ingram said. "They can run, they can run, they can run, and Ivory's an athletic quarterback that can obviously throw the ball, but he can make plays with his feet. Their skill is very good on offense. Defensively, the defensive front is great. They've got a defensive end- he'll be as good as we've seen all year and that's saying a lot. So athleticism is kind of the name of the game for these guys and they're very well coached as well."
Former C-N tight end Travaunta Abner is a two-time SIAC TE for Miles.
Carson-Newman has kept the defensive pressure dialed up. With a sack in every week of the 2023 season, last year's team became the fourth this century to tally a sack in every week of the season. C-N has registered a sack in 22 straight weeks and 30 of the last 31. The Eagles' seven sacks against Wingate in week three are tied for the second most in a NCAA Division II game this season and are the sixth-most in school history. C-N is second in the conference in sacks behind Wingate.
C-N will effort to buck a recent trend of road struggles in the playoffs. Trips outside Jeff City haven't been fun for Carson-Newman. The Eagles are 3-16 away from Burke-Tarr Stadium in the Division II playoffs. The Eagles' three victories came in first round of the 2019 playoffs against Bowie State, the quarterfinals of the 2009 playoffs against North Alabama and in the first round of the 2003 postseason with a win over Valdosta State.
Carson-Newman is 40-21-1 in postseason play since 1980. Carson-Newman has been one-and-done in just seven of its 28 all-time playoff appearances (1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2008 and 2015). Serendipitously enough, three of those years (1992-94) came at the hands of future national champions and Ashley Ingram-offensive line-helmed North Alabama teams.
Kickoff between the Eagles and Golden Bears is slated for 11 a.m. CST, noon EST. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins one hour prior to kickoff with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available through ESPN+ with a subscription.
