Williamsburg, KY – Coming off of a homecoming win last Saturday, the Patriots football team sets it sights on its second NAIA Top-10 opponent of the season as they travel to McKenzie, TN to face eighth-ranked Bethel Saturday night at Wildcats Stadium.  Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. EST and it will be the 22^nd meeting between these two schools with UC holding the series lead 16-5.

Cumberlands comes into the game with a 3-2 record on the season and looking to move back to .500 in conference play.  Bethel is 5-0 on the season with wins over #9 Reinhardt and #8 Georgetown so far this season.  The Wildcats have won four straight games at home, dating back to last season and has outscored the opposition 196-47 during that streak.

"Bethel does a great job of getting their fans and band to pack the stadium and create a tough atmosphere for teams to play at," said Head Coach Shan Housekeeper.  "They are a talented team with playmakers and we'll need to execute at a high level to come away with a favorable result."

Special Teams Need To Be Special

Last week the Patriots had multiple key plays made by the special teams, including three blocked kicks, one of which was returned for a touchdown.  In addition to those blocks, Job Matossian converted his sixth field goal of the season extending his streak of making at least one field goal in every game so far this season.  This unit was a difference maker against the Phoenix and if the Patriots want to come away with a win, they'll have to continue to make plays.  A key to watch is Harlin Brown, who is averaging 38.8 yards per punt and has pinned the opposition inside the 20 12 times this season. One player to keep on eye on is the reigning MSC Special Teams Player of the Week Cam Jones, who made an immediate impact in his Patriot debut a week ago.

"The special teams unit has showcased a lot of effort throughout the season and their commitment to preparation is paying off on gamedays," said Coach Housekeeper.

Continue to Apply Pressure

Cumberlands defensive front seven has found their grove over that past several weeks tallying 15 sacks over the past three games.  Last week the Patriots accounted for five sacks, including 2.5 from Myles Simon and a pair from Kumi Sarpong Jr.  Cortez Brown and Simon are tied for the conference lead with 4.5 sacks apiece, while Cumberlands is ninth in the NAIA and second in the MSC with 19 sacks on the year.  With his multi-sack game last week, Sarpong Jr. moved into second place in program history with 21 sacks for his career and looks to add to that total this week.  If the Patriots are able to get pressure against a strong Wildcats offensive line, it could help shift field positions and force the quarterback to make quicker decisions. 
Coach Housekeeper said, "This defensive line has a lot of talent and experience and are gaining better understanding of the new defensive schemes."

Continue to Spread the Wealth

So far this season the Patriots have 14 players with at least one reception, including three with double-digit catches through the first five weeks.  Quarterback Ben Nixon has accounted for 811 yards and six touchdowns this season. The junior quarterback has completed 58.5% of his passes and with his nine completions last week Nixon moves into fifth place all-time in career completions.  The emergence of Romeo McKnight and Darius James have provided multiple targets on the outside.

Live video of the game is available here, while live stats will be available here.  Fans that are planning to attend the game can purchase tickets here.

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