Bulldogs have no bite vs Lenoir Rhyne
 9-23-13

A group of loyal Wingate fans gathered at a familiar roadside restaurant on the road to Hickory, NC. They were on their way to watch their beloved Bulldogs play the Bears of Lenoir Rhyne. There was hope and fellowship among them as they enjoyed a nice meal and pleasant conversation.

A steady rain had fallen throughout the day and continued into the early evening.

"The Bears had trouble hanging onto the ball in their first game" said one. "They fumbled 8 times against Concord University"

"Surely our defense can cause them to cough up the ball on a wet field. The ball gets awfully slippery as the game wears on" said another. "A wet field is the worst enemy of the triple option offense".

It wasn't to be. 

Lenoir Rhyne did hang onto the ball and put up some impressive numbers against the Bulldogs. the most impressive being the final score of 34 - 13. The Bears ran for 422 yards and threw the ball only twice, completing one pass. They averaged almost 8 yards per running play. They had the big plays: a 49 yard breakaway by fullback Isaiah Whitaker for a first quarter score and a 56 yard scamper by tailback Miles Freeman. Their defense kept pressure on Wingate quarterback Robbie Nalenweg and stopped the Bulldog running game. 

There were some bright moments for the Wingate fans. Nallenweg found 10 different receivers for a total of 324 yards and one touchdown. For the second week in a row Forest Hills graduate, tight end Mark Clyburn caught a Nallenweg aerial for a touchdown. For the second week in a row runningback Mycah Gaylord dove headfirst into the endzone for the second score. Punter Austin Anthony had a big night in Hickory. He averaged 41 yards per punt and his longest went for 47 yards. The Wingate defensive line seemed to gel into a cohesive unit late in the game stopping the dive plays and containing the runners. 

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never is, but always to be blessed:

The soul, uneasy and confined from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.  

- Alexander Pope, "An Essay on Man"

The Bulldogs travel again Saturday afternoon as they head east on US 74 to play Pembroke.

The Latest News

1. It hasn't been announced by the SAC....but sources at Lenoir Rhyne, Carson Newman and Catawba tell me that the SAC presidents have voted to lift the athletic scholarship cap. If true (and I believe it is) then each sport could have it's full complement of scholarships as mandated by NCAA Division 2 rules. For example, the SAC cap for football is 25 scholarships. When the cap is lifted the SAC schools can go to the 36 maximum allowed in Division 2 by the NCAA.

2. Big Saturday was 100% wins for WU....Big Saturday Football won over Saint Augustine 24-3, Volleyball won over Anderson 3-1, Women's Soccer won over Carson Newman 4-1 and Men's Soccer pulled out a 2-1 victory over Carson Newman in OT.

3. I'm hearing Men's Basketball will be....taller and more talented. Taking nothing away from last years great team, I'm hearing that, if the pieces fall together just right and Jupiter aligns with Mars we may be talking playoff basketball next February.

4. Wow! Those Freshmen Cross Country Women are....really fast! Brittany Tretbar, Alyssa Johnson, Morgan Neher finished in that order, 1,2 and 3 at the invitational hosted by Montreat College on the course where the SAC conference finals will be held later.

5. Fans missed seeing some familiar numbers... at the football game Saturday. I know 88 Cory McNulty is out for the season with a Knee injury. We've got a couple that are expected back for the LR game: 55 Ernest Bridges and 21 Tim Nalesnik.

Big Saturday---Dogs win!! Dogs win!!

Senior QB Robbie Nallenweg was 23 of 30 for 203 yards and 2 TDs as Wingate defeated Saint Andrews 24-3 on Saturday Spetember 14, 2013. Nallenweg utilized 8 receivers. His longest completion was a 30 yard catch and run by Redshirt Junior Hunter Haffly. 

Wingate's Defense came up big when it counted. They stopped the talented running corps of the Falcons and forced them into a passing offense. Wingate had no turnovers. The Falcons had a fumble and were intercepted twice by the Dogs. Sophomore Phillip Staples swiped a Falcon pass on his own 4 yard line and raced downfield 83 yards. He was touchdown bound but a desperate grab at his facemask by a Falcon stopped Phillip just short of the endzone. The refs tacked on a "half the distance" penalty putting the Dogs on the 4.

The Wingate Report

Richard Harding Davis

Under a clear Carolina blue sky and perfect fall football weather The Wingate University Bulldogs began their 2013 football season at Irwin Belk Stadium Saturday afternoon September 14.

 It was Patriot's Day at the stadium and all retired and active duty soldiers and veterans were recognized along with Law Enforcement, Firefighters and Emergency Personnel. To add to the excitement, fans were treated to a flyover by a WWII aircraft. 

The Saint Augustine Falcons found the Wingate defense against the run stout and turned to the air on their second possession. Quarterback A.J. Gilford found receiver Jermaine Jones for a long gainer to the Wingate 8. Two losses on successive running plays and an incomplete pass set up a Michael Lima field goal from the 28 and Saint Augustine took a 3 - 0 lead.  

Wingate came right back and marched downfield behind the passing of Senior Quarterback and Academic All American nominee Robbie Nalenweg. True Freshman Jordan Berry's third reception took the ball to the Saint Augustine 11 where the drive stalled. Junior placekicker Patrick Smith drilled a 28 yarder to tie the score 3 - 3.

Neither team held an advantage until Wingate Return Specialist Cameron Leviner, a Piedmont graduate, fielded a punt and scampered 12 yards into Saint Augustine territory. From there Nallenweg completed three passes, the last being to Tight End Mark Clyburn, a Forest Hills graduate which took the ball to the 4. The drive ended with Runningback Mycah Gaylord's dive into the endzone for the score. With the extra point Wingate led 10 - 3.

With less than two minutes before halftime Saint Augustine began a drive behind the passing of reserve quarterback Alex Munro. He completed four straight passes taking the ball to the Wingate 27. The Falcons called timeout with 30 seconds on the clock.  An incomplete and two quick short passes took the ball to the 9. Munro attempted to score on the quarterback draw but was stopped at the 1 by linebacker Josh Everts when the clock ran out. 

The second half began with Wingate's defense pushing the Falcons backwards, forcing them to punt from their own endzone. Leviner again gave the Bulldogs great field position with a 20 yard return, taking the ball all the way to the Saint Augustine 21. Four plays later Nallenweg found Clyburn for the score. With the extra point Wingate led 17 - 3.

Wingate's defense kept pressure on the Falcons and forced turnovers. Wingate's defensive ends were in the Falcon backfield stopping runners for losses and keeping pressure on the quarterback. The Bulldogs had two interceptions in the game. The second one took the wind out of the sails for the Falcons. Sophomore Defensive back Phillip Staples intercepted a Gilford pass at the Wingate 2 and rumbled 83 yards before he was tackled in desperation by the facemask at the 15. The resulting penalty put the ball on the Saint Augustine 7. Two plays later Nallenweg found runningback Nestor Lantiqua for the touchdown. The Patrick Smith extra point made it 24 - 3. 

Wingate used the clock to their advantage to wind down the final minutes and preserve the victory. 

The Bulldogs travel to Lenoir Rhyne Saturday for a 7 PM contest.