Williamsburg, KY – Every match-up in these two program's histories have been conference games, led by the Patriots at 11-6. This year, the Patriots look to continue their win-streak against the Bears, having one the last two meetings and eight of the last 11. James H. Taylor, II Stadium will host the two teams, Cumberlands looking to defend their home ground.
 
The Patriots currently sit 2-3 on the season, getting back to their winning ways with a big victory over Campbellsville. The win came after a pair of mid-season losses, boosting the confidence of the depth chart. Meanwhile, the Bears come into the day rolling in their last three games, including a recent win over #25 Bethel, a team who beat Cumberlands earlier in March. Pikeville opened the season with a pair of losses, now 3-2 on the year.
 
Last season, it was some trickery that helped the Patriots down the Bears for the second straight year, 24-13. A half-back pass to Brandon Stuckey, fending off a pair of defenders, resulted in an 80-yard score for the Patriots. Cumberlands defense also deserves credit for the win as well. On top of blanking the Bears in the final quarter, then-defensive back and now-coach Jarrett Cornellius recovered a fumble 76 yards for the touchdown.
 
Appalachian Wireless is proud to be a dedicated partner of Patriots Athletics and the Cumberlands Football program. They are Eastern Kentucky's leading provider of high-quality telecommunications products and services since 1991. Appalachian Wireless is supports local communities and committed to excellence throughout their service areas. Saturday's game is also presented by Lexington Clinic.
 
Dangerous Offensive Options
Nathan Arnold has earned the starting role to lead the Patriots for the third straight game. He first got the call to against Bethel and again in their last contest with Campbellsville. While not posing a strong showing against the Wildcats defense, a week later the second-year quarterback was responsible for four touchdowns in the win over Campbellsville.
 
Arnold has tossed four passes into the endzone this season, his first against Lindsey Wilson before lighting up Campbellsville with three more. The second-year Patriot was consistent against Campbellsville to pick up his first win of his career as a starter. He tossed 15-23 from the pocket for 232 yards, not giving up an interception in the trip across the Bluegrass. Arnold can also run the ball, gaining 89 yards this season including a 30-yard scramble for six points against the Tigers.
 
Darius Young has continued to be a red-hot target for the steady arm. Through five games played, the veteran wideout has three 100-plus yard days receiving, averaging 80 yards per game. Young averages about 15 yards per catch as well. He surpassed the century mark this season against Georgetown, Lindsey Wilson and recently Campbellsville.
 
Young will be a hard man to beat with his speed. Two of his three best receiving days this season have come against historically tough defenses. It has not slowed him though, as he has made five trips to the endzone. The Pikeville defense has seen some trouble against the air game, allowing 181 yards per game to their opponents. In addition to the Arnold-Young combination, Jacob Ward, TJ Williams and Alonzo Russell will likely get consistent looks as well.
 
Pikeville has been more consistent defensively against the run attack, however the speed and power of Martize Smith will be difficult to control. Smith has netted almost 500 yards this season, just shy of an average of 100 yards per game. This is not the full picture though, 381 yards of his count have come from the last two games against Bethel and Campbellsville.
 
Although, he second-year back was stifled last year against the Bears, held to just five carries for 13 yards. This year, the Bears have allowed 134 yards per game on the ground, four yards per attempt. Smith could potentially be a short-yardage option for the Patriots at the very least.
 
Defensive Takeaways
With each game, win or lose, the Patriots defense gains more confidence in their abilities to perform at a high level. The season has built up to big wins against Cumberland and Campbellsville, days where the defense was working in sync. With the home stands at their backs, the Patriots look to continue to roll and shut down Pikeville's three-game win streak.
 
JR Smith returns to the depth chart once again, the corner coming up big against Campbellsville to help set the tone for the game. He was the first Patriot to score in the game, coming up with a pick-six on the opening play. It was Smith's second interception grab of the season, his first was against the top-Bluegrass quarterback at Lindsey Wilson. Kynan Russell also stepped up to the line to make a name for himself, he tallied an interception against the Tigers as well. He contributed six tackles in the win, holding Campbellsville to limited yardage in the secondary and many three-and-out drives.
 
Walker Dunn rounds out the freshman trio to keep an eye on in the game this week. He may be the second-man deep into the depth chart but his versatility on the field will be instrumental for the Patriots to pull out a win. The true-rookie leads the team in tackles this season with 35. In the secondary, He will have to help contain Pikeville's Damien Sutton and Arties Clark, centerpieces in the Bear's receiving corps. Both of them have collected over 200 receiving yards this season, Sutton averaging over 20 yards per catch.
 
The goal however should be to limit the need for tackles in the secondary, rather force offensive miscues for Pikeville and limit yardage off the line of scrimmage. That responsibility will fall on linebackers Adam Chaney, Jeremiah McKibben and Chandler Kaylor, along with lineman Brad Montgomery. All four of those Patriots garner over 20 tackles this season, Chaney and Montgomery tied up at 28 apiece.
 
Cumberlands should definitely look to benefit from miscues by Pikeville's starting quarterback, Trevon Wofford. In addition to four interceptions thrown this season, the Bear's offensive line has allowed 10 sacks for 57 yards lost. Starting lineman Demone (DJ) Smith will look to get the job done off the block, he currently leads the defensive unit with four sacks to his name. Montgomery meanwhile has 1.5 sacks credited to him.
 
Gameday Information
The game originally was slated for a 6 PM kickoff on Friday, April 2. However, rain earlier in the week delayed the game a day and is now set for 1:30 PM on Saturday, April 3.
 
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.