Williamsburg, KY – Kickoff is set for 3 PM at James H. Taylor, II Stadium on Wednesday as the Patriots square off against Georgetown in their season opener. The Patriots are 5-1 in season openers under head coach Matt Rhymer.
 
Historically Speaking:
This season-opener will be history for Cumberlands for a variety of reasons, first of which it marks the first time that the Patriots have played in February.  It will also mark the Patriots earliest in the season that UC will face Georgetown. In 33 meetings, they have only met each other on the field as early as the third game of the season, usually in mid-September. Meanwhile, the Patriots have not lost a season opener since the year head coach Rhymer took the helm in 2014.

With one of the oldest rivalries in the MSC, Cumberlands pulled out an impressive win last season, notching their first win over the Tigers since 2013. What was key was that they did it on the road without a home crowd at their backs. It was the first win at Georgetown since 1996. It was a close, 14-7 win however the Patriots prevailed with a strong defense and opportune offense. This time, with the home advantage, the Patriots look to open the season 1-0 with a consecutive win against the Tigers.

While it's unlikely that the Patriots will tally their third straight 10+ win season, with only playing a seven conference game schedule, Cumberlands is still focused on the bigger goal of advancing to the NAIA Playoffs for the third straight season.  A win over Georgetown will get this season started in the right direction. 
 
Repeat Success, and Then Some
There is no better feeling than opening the football season in the 'Burg. To pull out consecutive wins over the Tigers, Cumberlands will have to establish their offense early, and keep improving as the game continues on. Last season, the Patriots won by a narrow margin, 14-7.
 
Gavin Wilkinson is the likely candidate to lead the Patriots offense Wednesday and through the season. Recruited out of Knoxville, TN and Farragut High School, Wilkinson is a one-of-a-kind quarterback; in his senior season, he threw for 2,308 yards and 15 touchdowns. It is worth noting that the last true-freshman to earn the starting job was Adam Craig in 2013. That same year, the Patriots made an appearance at the national title game.
 
Wilkinson will likely target standout Darius Young early and often. Young hauled in one of the two scores last year against the Tigers, a 17-yard pass for the 14-0 lead. Despite finishing that game with only four receptions and 31 yards, he closed out last season as the leading receiver for receptions and yards. While the Tiger defense could have a target on his back, that will open up room for the rest of the receiving corps to get some work.
 
Connections to Brandon Stuckey and De'Ondre Boggs are likely in store as well. Stuckey had a pair of receptions for 26 yards in this match-up last year. While the passing attack struggled on the road in 2019, the air raid could open up more this year with the pro-style arm of Wilkinson and balance receiving threats, including Boggs who transferred to Cumberlands from Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
The passing game will open up more with a strategic run game as well. The backfield this season will be one of the most explosive and versatile the Patriots have seen in recent history due to the skill level across the board. Making a return, Freshman Offensive Player of the Year Martize Smith will look to get in on the action. He pulled through for the first score in last season's game, a two-yard burst in the second quarter for the go-ahead score. However, he moved back in the depth chart for the season opener with the return of Zalon Reynolds after injury. Reynolds as well is a hard man to beat once he finds open field.
 
It will be up to the offensive line to create room for the Patriots offense to move full steam ahead. This is especially true to give the rookie quarterback time to work in the pocket, in addition to creating space for the running backs. Last year, the Patriots were able to dominate the run game, pushing 235 yards. The added threat by running back combos, and the H-backs too, will repeat last year's success with their versatility. Meanwhile, the Patriots need to improve their passing game if they want another W against this Georgetown team.
 
Controlling the Game
Georgetown will enter the game with veteran arms. Seniors Hunter Krause and Zach Dampier return for their senior seasons with the Tigers. A year ago, it was Dampier who was a steady starter, throwing for 1,916 yards and 17 touchdowns. Krause meanwhile is noted at the top of the depth chart Wednesday despite only 808 yards thrown with six scores.
 
The leading target will be Jake Johnson, leading scorer as well from last season. He led the team with 10 touchdowns throw the air in 2019. With the departure of graduate JJ Ogbogu, another star receiver who found the endzone nine times last season, the Tigers need a new receiver to step into that role if they want any chance in the game.
 
However, that leaves a match-up against Patriot corner Myles Betts, a ball hawk who is hard to get past. He tallied five interceptions in 11 games last season, including a big grab in the endzone against Keiser in the postseason to keep the Seahawks off the board and give the Patriots their first postseason win on the road. Betts will likely line up across from Johnson to keep control of the air game.
 
Adding pressure in the box, Adam Chaney opens his Patriots career as a starting linebacker. Recruited out of Saraland, AL, this man will offer a ton of quarterback pressure inside on the Georgetown pocket. In addition, he will blow up the run game off the edge with his quick feet. He adds to the veteran pressure from transfer Dondre Winn on the opposite side and junior Tae Hammond in the middle in three linebacker sets.
 
Georgetown's run game was very weak last season. Despite returning their best back in the form of Isaiah Cobb, barely broke 500 yards rushing through the season and only saw three scores on the ground. The Tigers pose little threat on the ground overall, but small pick-ups here-and-there could be a difference maker in the grand scheme of the game, especially to reach the first down marker to retain the ball and keep the Patriots offense off the field.
 
That leaves the Patriots defensive line to make the biggest impact in the game, combining forces with linebackers to limit the run and hurry the quarterback. Coming off the line will be star returners Brad Montgomery and Kumi Sarpong, who made a name for themselves in 2019 with over 50 tackles a defensive score apiece. Given their skills, they will easily note at least a sack apiece if they make an appearance in the game, or if not create space for the linebackers to do their dirty work.
 
Gameday Information
Due to University COVID-19 protocols, gameday attendance at all home events will be limited to students, faculty and staff. As such, a UC ID is required to enter the facility. In addition, dressed Patriots may select up to two (2) immediate family members to be allowed access into the venue. These family members have to be submitted prior to game day, and will be required to be screened prior to entering the facility.
 
Seating and entrances will be separated at the stadium; UC students, faculty and staff will use the main entrance and sit in the home stands, while family members will use the side entrance past the pavilion and sit in the visiting stands. All fans in attendance will be required to wear a face covering and social distancing will be encouraged while at the facility.
 
Fans not in attendance can watch the game live, free of charge, on UCSN or tune into 104.3 FM WEZJ. Live updates will be posted to Twitter via @UCPatsGameDay. 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.