Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots of UC enter week two of the 2018 season on a high point, coming off an upset of 11^th-ranked Southeastern University 27-26 last Saturday in Lakeland, Florida. Cumberlands now looks to carry the momentum into Saturday night's home opener against the Eagles of Cincinnati Christian University, a team who struggled the previous week against Union in a 46-7 loss.  Kickoff for Saturday's contest at James H. Taylor, II Stadium is set for 7 pm. Here are six things to watch for in this weekend's contest.
 

1. Home is where the heart is if you are a Patriot.

UC has had a plethora of success when it comes to home openers at James H. Taylor, II Stadium. The Patriots are a perfect 4-0 in the Matt Rhymer era in their first contests in friendly territory. To find the last loss for UC in a home opener, you have to go back to 2010 when UC began the season 1-1, but lost their home opener to Georgetown College 58-40. Since that game, the Patriots have outscored their opponents 208-120 or an average of 30-17.
 

2. The run game can be a tempo setter in this contest.

UC running back Milton Shelton is continuing a great run from the end of the 2017 season to present day. Over the last four games, he has carried the ball at least 19 times a game and has tallied 420 yards, averaging 105 yards per contest.
 
For the Eagles, running back Chris Young will be the player to watch today. The senior rushed for 148 yards last week vs. Union, which was more than his combined total of rushing yards last season.
 

3. CCU continues to search for that eluding first win.  

The Eagles are still in pursuit of their first win in the program's history. CCU went 0-11 in each of the previous two seasons, including a 42-7 loss to the Patriots back in 2016. They are currently 0-1 this year with their week one loss to the Bulldogs of Union last week.
 

4. Patriots in pursuit of season start they wanted.

The Patriots look to move to 2-0 with a win on Saturday over the Eagles. If they earn a win, it will be the first 2-0 start for the Patriots under the tutelage of Matt Rhymer. The head coach also looks to move to 2-0 all-time against teams from the state of Ohio. The other win came against the Eagles of Cincinnati Christian in 2016.   
 

5. Defense led by Johnson looks to stifle Eagles.

The Cumberlands' defense looks to keep an Eagle offense at bay this weekend. Junior Adam Johnson led the Patriots last week as he was named the Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division Defensive Player of the Week. He tallied six tackles, a half tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and the game-winning interception that he returned 48 yards for a touchdown.
 

6. Special Teams can change the complexion of the contest quickly.

UC's special teams unit was big in the opening week of the 2018 season. The kick coverage team allowed 21.6 yards per return against the 11^th-ranked Fire. Cumberlands' punter Devon McMillin averaged 42.8 yards per punt while the coverage team allowed just 5.5 yards per return as well. McMillin also went 2-3 on field goal attempts in the contest while being a perfect 3-3 on point after attempts.
 
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