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BLUEFIELD, Va. -- For the second-straight week, the Rams will host a top-10 ranked team, as No. 10 Lindsey Wilson College visits Mitchell Stadium on Saturday. The Rams will celebrate Senior Day prior to the game, while Saturday is also Military Appreciation Day, welcoming active and retired military to attend with free admission. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
The Matchup
Lindsey Wilson holds the 2-0 advantage in the series between the Blue Raiders and the Rams. LWC took the first meeting in 2012, 47-13 at Mitchell Stadium, then claimed a 51-3 win last season while holding a No. 17 ranking.
The Rams look to close the gap against the Blue Raiders as they have done with many of their MSC foes this season. The meeting is an MSC East Division game, with LWC being unbeaten (4-0) and the Rams going 1-3.
Scouting the Blue Raiders
Lindsey Wilson brings a high powered offense to Mitchell Stadium, ranking third in the country in scoring offense per game (46.8).
Branden Cresap quarterbacks LWC, completing 178-of-290 passing attempts for 2322 yards in the air this season and 25 touchdowns. His primary target has been Cortez Barber, who has 44 receptions for 618 yards and seven scores. Chaz Barnes (31 rec/452 yds) and Tavis Elzy (35 rec/ 365 yds) are two more threatening receivers.
Josh Haney and Dakota Brown lead the Blue Raiders' run attack, with 392 and 331 yards, respectively. Each averages 5.6 yards per carry. Haney has five TDs, Brown two and Jalen Sublett adds a team-best seven on the ground.
LWC's defense is gritty, having 24.5 sacks on the year. Michael Brooks leads the team with 51 total stops, including three sacks. Jeremy Bolden (45), Treon Hill (44), Andrew Wahl (41), and Eric Shaw (40) aren't far behind in the tackles total. Wahl leads the team with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, totaling 53 yards for loss.
Bennett's Streak Busted
Sam Bennett's three-straight games with 100-yards rushing was narrowly halted last week against the No. 5 Tigers as Bennett totaled 93 yards on the ground. That, however, was the most allowed to a single RB this season by the Tiger defense.
Carlton ToussaINT
Freshman defefensive back
Carlton Toussaint snagged his Mid-South Conference leading sixth interception last week against Georgetown. He has had an interception in each of the last four BC games. His six INTs rank him tied for third in the NAIA and second in INTs per game.
Last Ranked Opponent
BC's meeting with Lindsey Wilson marks the Rams' final matchup of the season with a ranked opponent, as LWC is No. 10 in this week's poll.
Creeping Closer to 1,000
With the Rams' run-concentrated offense and also getting
Armani Ford in the mix at QB,
Ashten Dixon is steadily creeping closer to 1,000 yards passing this season. The sophomore currently has 958 passing yards, completing 77-of-139 attempts this season. The Rams have not had a 1,000-yard passer since reviving the program.
1,000-yard season?
As two games remain on the schedule,
Sam Bennett has 808 rushing yards this season (ranking 20th in the NAIA) and is seeking the first 1,000-yard rushing performance in a single season for the Rams.
Punt Improvement
Punter
Daniel Griffin has steadily improved for the Rams, as he is currently averaging 40.1 yards per punt to rank 12th in the NAIA in the category.
Sack Attack
After recording two sacks last week, the Rams now have 16 on the year, the most since the program's return to the gridiron.
Three Man Rush
The Rams are one of just two NAIA programs that have three RBs with over 500 yards rushing this season, as
Sam Bennett (808)
Adrian Pope (568) and
Marion Harris (512) are all over the mark. However, Harris has not played in the Rams last two outings.
The only other program with three over 500 yards rushing is William Penn.
