Williamsburg, KY – After back-to-back road games, the UC football team is eager to return home and take the field against Campbellsville to cap off homecoming week Saturday night with a 7 p.m. kickoff.  The Patriots are 4-2 on the season and have won six straight games at James H. Taylor, II Stadium. It marks the 33^rd meeting between these two schools, with the Patriots holding a 20-12 series lead all-time, however the Tigers hold an 11-10 edge in conference games.

Campbellsville enters the game with 1-4 overall and 1-2 in conference games after falling to Cumberland 54-32 last Saturday.  The Tigers are 0-1 on the road with their lone trip away from Campbellsville came in September when they traveled to Waleska, GA against Reinhardt. Campbellsville is averaging 341.2 yards of offense and 23.2 points per game this season.

"It means a lot to return home on Saturday especially as part of homecoming week.  We are striving to do a great job in front of the crowd, represent Cumberlands, and just have fun," said Head Coach Matt Rhymer.

Establish The Run

Cumberlands enters this week averaging 181.7 rushing yards per game, while the Tigers have surrendered 333.0 yards on the ground to opponents through their first five games.  Freshman Javarie White get the starting nod on Saturday, making it the first career start for the Lake Placid, FL native.  In addition to White, the Patriots should see heavy doses of Ben Nixon, Devin Jones, and Jamar Nuby to keep the Tigers defense off balance.  UC has gone over 1,000 yards on the ground this season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, with 15 touchdowns.  Saturday is an opportunity for the Patriots to reestablish their presence in the ground game.

"We need to get consistent with personally and get the guys that are in there ready to play," said Coach Rhymer.  "Javarie has had a lot of great practices, give us some dynamic burst, but we also have to get movement and create space for our backs to run."

In addition to establishing the run game, the Patriots return to their friendly confines of James H. Taylor, II Stadium where Nixon is 4-0 as the quarterback going 42-78 for 656 yards and ten touchdowns through the air.  Alonzo Russell returns to provide another weapon for the Cumberlands offense, while Brandon Stuckey, Eli Evans, Ethan Cox, and AP Parham have all tallied over 100 receiving yards this season.  That plethora of receivers will look to make explosive plays and keep the defense guessing. 

Forcing Turnovers & Applying Pressure

Despite having a couple of setbacks, UC defense is ranked 11^th in the NAIA, averaging 14.7 points per game.  Cumberlands has forced 16 turnovers this year with 10 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.  The Patriots have gone two games without an interception, however, with UC solidifying their secondary, this could be the week that the momentum changes.  Beyond forcing turnovers, Campbellsville enters Saturday averaging 207.8 passing yards per game so the Patriots secondary will have to contain a strong receiving core to aid in a win.

UC has continued to create havoc for opposing offenses with 21 sacks, which is tied for 12^th in the NAIA. 15 different Patriot have gotten to the quarterback this season led by Kendal Adams-Young, who has tallied a team-high 5.0 sacks. Kumi Sarpong  Jr. has made 4.5 sacks and ranks fourth all-time in program history. This duo along with the rest of the Patriot front seven need to continue to pressure the quarterback while shutting down running lanes to neutralize the Tigers offense.

"We need to continue to get pressure on the quarterback and continue to contain them in the pocket, while make the adjustments to stop Campbellsville rushing attack," said Coach Rhymer.

Special Teams Needs to Continue to be Special

Once again the special teams continued to be a strong performer for Cumberlands.  Last week it was a forced fumble on a kickoff that resulted in a Cumberlands safety.  Despite having some challenges last week, the Patriots special teams have been strong all season long and look for them to hit their stride this week.  Whether it's a big return, long punt, or a Tripp Holloway field goal, special teams will have to make a strong contribution for UC to come away victorious on Saturday night.

Put Together Another Complete Game

The Patriots have won the last five straight against the Tigers and come into Saturday's game looking to make plays in all three facets of the game.  UC is looking to show why they were ranked inside the top-ten of the NAIA in both offense and defense for majority of the season.

According to Coach Rhymer, "Our team has grown a lot over the past two weeks and we're excited to see them get after on Saturday.  These guys have really come together and will continue to lean on each other as we look to rebound."

Gameday Information

Fans can purchase tickets for the game at a cost of $8 per ticket for adult and $5 for students.  Fans can tune into the game on the UC Sports Network for live video here. In addition, The Country Giant 104.3 will be broadcasting to their local markets or the Country Giant App, while live stats of the game will be available here.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameDay, Instagram - @UCPatriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.