Conference championship aspirations set the tone for a pivotal Week 7 in the South Atlantic, with four of the league's six teams sporting 3-1 records meet head-to-head. 

Saturday's full SAC docket promises some separation in the tight title race, as well as a test of two the conference's most contrasting styles. A Wingate defense leading the nation in points allowed tries to slow the surging Limestone Saints, one of the top 25 scoring teams in Div. II and the second-most prolific offense in the league. 

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⁣#OneDog pic.twitter.com/XIqerC14MC

— Wingate Bulldogs Football (@WingateFb) October 10, 2022

While Wingate and Limestone meet, both looking to avoid losing ground to divisional counterpart and the only team unbeaten in SAC play, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mountain Division counterparts Emory & Henry and Mars Hill aim to retain a share of first place. 

Wingate at Limestone 

Limestone's perfect start to SAC play came to an end in a 51-30 decision last week at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Saints fell behind early and could never fully bridge the initial deficit, despite cutting the gap to one possession on a couple occasions. 

They play their first home game in three weeks, and it's another key divisional showdown. The Saints welcome to The Reservation a Wingate team currently in the SAC's 3-1 logjam. Seven of the league's squads have at least three SAC wins, and four of them reside in the Piedmont Division. 

The Bulldogs rebounded from a 27-10 loss to surprising Emory & Henry with a pair of blowouts: 31-7 at Erskine, and 28-0 against Catawba. With those opponents sporting combined records of 0-8 in the SAC, the degree of difficulty climbs with Wingate seeking its third straight win. 

Their two dominant wins bumped the nation's best scoring yield down to a little more than a touchdown-plus-extra point per game. Tenacious pass-rush is central to the Bulldogs' defense; D.J. Horne registered six sacks through the season's first two weeks, while Marquise Fleming's broken out for 4.5 of his 5.5 sacks since SAC competition began. 

The duo of Horne and Fleming also pace Wingate to a nation-leading 76.5 tackles for loss with nine and 12. The Bulldogs' prowess on that side of the ball contrasts Limestone's resurgent offense, which is the second-most prolific in the SAC and ranked in the top 25 nationally at 34.7 points per game. 

Tre Stewart has buoyed Limestone with 777 rushing yards, fifth-most in Div. II. His nine touchdown runs are tied for eighth, and he's averaging a whopping 8.2 yards per carry. 

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Quarterback Dustin Noller had two of his most statistically productive performances in Limestone's last two outings, both against quality competition: He finished2 16-of-26 with a touchdown pass against Mars Hill, and went  24-of-46 with three scores last week at Lenoir-Rhyne. 

Emory & Henry at Mars Hill 

Another pair of 3-1 teams, this time in the Mountain Division, Emory & Henry and Mars Hill come into Week 7 tied atop their side with Tusculum. None of the three have played each other yet, so the Wasps' visit this week to Mars Hill marks the beginning of a round robin likely to determine1st place in the Mountain — though not necessarily impact the playoff race, because of Emory & Henry's reclassification status. 

Mars Hill rebounded from its setback against Limestone with a 33-13 romp against Erskine. The Lions continued their run of four games holding SAC opponents to 18 points or fewer, and in this instance gave up just 190 total yards. 

All-SAC linebacker Landon Honeycutt is having an excellent season with team-highs in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. He's the heart of an outstanding linebackers corps responsible in no small part for Mars Hill's 75.8-per game rushing yield — the 14th-lowest average in the nation. 

Emory & Henry hasn't been particularly productive on the ground, averaging fewer than three yards per carry through six games, but it isn't hindering the surprising Wasps. The newcomer Emory & Henry was picked to finish in the SAC basement, but has three wins — two by double-digits and a defeat of a tough Wingate side — with the only loss coming in two overtimes against reigning conference champion Newberry. 

Wasps quarterback Kyle Short has been solid, averaging north of 226 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions. Kashawn Cosey, Jermawn Ford and Tmahdae Penn all have 20-plus receptions. The versatility of the Wasps receiving corps is enough to keep defenses off-balance. 

Behind four from Chendrick Cann and three from T.J. Payne, Emory & Henry is tied for seventh-most interceptions in Div. II. Linebacker Ivan Philips, meanwhile, is coming off a SAC Defensive Player of the Week nomination for his 10-tackle performance against UVA Wise, which included a scoop-and-score. 

Congratulations to Ivan Phillips of @EHCFootball on being named @SAC_Athletics Football Defensive Player Of The Week https://t.co/EIDHQNmKZQ #GoWasps #BlueCollarGoldStandard pic.twitter.com/AEsAIXRWL5

— Emory & Henry Wasps (@GoWasps) October 10, 2022

The turnover battle has been central to Emory & Henry's success, but generating takeaways against the Lions isn't a given. Mars Hill has more interceptions (six) than touchdown passes (four) this season, but leans more heavily on its rushing attack. 

Lenoir-Rhyne at Barton 

Lenoir-Rhyne stands as the lone remaining SAC team unscathed in conference after taking down fellow (formerly) unbeaten Limestone in Week 6. Since mustering only five points against No. 1-ranked and reigning national champion Ferris State, the Bears have been almost unstoppable offensively with 167 total points over their last four games. 

All but two of L-R's 12 possessions last week against Limestone went into Saints territory, a credit to the potent rushing tandem of Zyheir Dillard and Dwayne McGee. Dillard gained 121 yards on just eight carries, while McGee gained 117 yards with a touchdown. Quarterback Sean White, however, stole the show: 17-of-22 passing for 247 yards, a career-high four touchdowns through the air and a fifth score rushing. 

White's four touchdown passes went to four different pass-catchers. 

Now that’s how you start a game‼️@ParsonsKelin gets behind the defense to put the Bears up 6-0! pic.twitter.com/oG81QuKNDs

— Lenoir-Rhyne Football (@LRBearsFootball) October 8, 2022

Of the SAC's newcomers, Barton was projected for the strongest finish in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs have been slow off the blocks, however, first dropping a pair of one-score games to Mars Hill and Tusculum — the latter by just one point — but losing a 42-21 rout to Newberry last week. 

Running back Terrell Jordan is having another outstanding season carrying the ball, coming into Week 7 at 128 yards per game. Barton has otherwise struggled to get going offensively, however, scoring more than 21 points just once all season (vs. UVA Wise). 

The Bulldog defense will have to find ways to limit Lenoir-Rhyne's offense; Barton's not in position to keep pace in a track meet.