Eagles Set to Host Unbeaten UNC Pembroke Saturday

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- When the Carson-Newman football team wraps up its non-conference schedule on Saturday, it will be doing so against a team that has become accustomed to winning.

The Eagles (1-2) are set to take on UNC-Pembroke (3-0) at 1 p.m. in Burke-Tarr Stadium. The Braves enter the contest on a roll as they have won 10 straight games. UNC-Pembroke's last loss was a 23-16 setback at Wingate on Sept. 13, 2008.

C-N head coach Ken Sparks said his team better be ready to face a confident opponent on Saturday.

"They are 3-0 and rolling," Sparks said of the Braves. "Last year the only game they lost was Wingate, and this year they took care of that one (by defeating the Bulldogs 24-13 last Saturday). I'm sure they feel pretty good about themselves."

The Braves are in just their third season after the program returned to competition in 2007 for the first time in 56 years. Saturday's meeting will be the first-ever between the two schools, and a win for UNC-Pembroke would go a long way in putting its program on the national map.

"They are an outstanding football team and they've told everybody that this is their mark of arrival in Division II," Sparks said. "They are talented and their motors will be running high, so it will be very important for us to come out and play like we are capable of."

The Eagles have struggled to consistently play up to their potential this season, and after last Thursday's 38-10 win over Campbellsville, Sparks and the C-N coaching staff took a different approach to evaluating the game film, as they looked for how many plays all 11 players were on the same page.

Sparks said the results were very revealing.

"We had six plays where 11 guys at one time got their assignments," he said. "How many games can you win if you only have six plays the whole ballgame where the 11 guys on the field get the job done? It's pretty revealing."

"We haven't played Carson-Newman football yet. We are making so many mistakes and not playing with enough consistency to get where we want to get to. I'm hoping that we are going to get there and keep improving and keep working at it and be men with a purpose."

Sparks said it will take a total team effort on Saturday against a UNC-Pembroke squad that is well-balanced on offense and will provide a stiff challenge on defense.

The Braves are averaging 434 yards per game, including 233 yards on the ground and 201 through the air.

UNC-Pembroke will showcase a talented duo in the backfield in sophomore Travis Daniels and junior Rashon Kennedy, who are averaging 116.3 and 78.3 rushing yards per game, respectively.

Junior quarterback Corey Smith will direct the Braves' offense. Smith has performed well in the first three games as he has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 545 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception.

"They line up in everything (on offense)," Sparks said. "They will run everything from a power game to trying to spread it out all over the field and get the ball into the hands of their athletes. They've got a bunch of athletes that can really run. I was really surprised at the level of athletic ability that they have on their football team."

Defensively, the Braves have made a living in their opponents' backfield, recording 11 sacks and 26 tackles for a loss in three games. UNC-Pembroke is giving up an average of just 15.7 points and 271 yards per game.

The Eagles will need another offensive outing like the one they had against Campbellsville, in which they piled up 526 yards of total offense, including 411 yards on the ground.

Sophomore Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.) rushed for a career-high 114 yards and two scores on just eight carries, while junior wide receiver Doug Belk (Valdosta, Ga.) hauled in four passes for 82 yards and tied a school record with three touchdown receptions.

A familiar name should be back in the Eagles' lineup on Saturday to help the offense stay on track. Preseason first team All-South Atlantic Conference running back Buck Wakefield (Drummonds, Tenn.) is listed as probable after missing the first three games with a broken leg.

"Buck is a talented football player that has a lot of heart and plays with a lot of determination," Sparks said. "We've asked him to do a lot of things in the past. I hope that he has a week of practice where he continues to get his game legs back under him."

Eagle Notes:
C-N's rushing attack has taken off as it has averaged 362.5 rushing yards per game in its last two outings...The Eagles' defense has recorded six interceptions in three games and is on pace for 22 this season after recording 14 in 2008...The Eagles have lost just one regular season non-conference game at home since 1992 (North Alabama 20-13, 2008)...UNC-Pembroke is receiving votes in the Division II AFCA Top 25 Poll...UNC-Pembroke will be the 74th school that Sparks has coached against in 30 seasons at Mossy Creek and the 12th school from the state of North Carolina...The Eagles will travel to UNC-Pembroke in 2010...C-N has faced one of the toughest schedules in Division II to start the 2009 season as it has traveled to Winona State (2-1) and No. 3 North Alabama (3-0) and will face the Braves (3-0) on Saturday.