SEWANEE, Tenn. - The University of the South football team returns home for the third-ever night football game inside historic Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium, as the Tigers play the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern College at 6 p.m. on Saturday
THE BASICS
The University of the South (2-4, 0-3) vs. Birmingham-Southern College (4-2, 2-1) | Oct. 22, 6 p.m.
Sewanee, Tenn. | Historic Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium
All-Time Series: BSC leads, 11-3 (15th Meeting)
A LOOK AT THE PANTHERS: Coming off a second-round finish in the NCAA Championships, BSC had big shoes to fill from last year's class, including All-America Robert Shufford at tailback.
Currently 4-2 on the season, the Panthers are 2-1 in SAA play. After being edged by Trinity in San Antonio, 23-20, on Oct. 8, BSC returned home to blank Millsaps, 28-0.
So far in 2022, BSC has averaged close to 400 yards of offense, and it has been balanced for the year, 202.5 through the air and 195 on the ground.
Through the air, Matt McClary has a 57.38% percentage under center with 1,224 yeards and seven touchdowns. Of his 70 completions, Branden Rew has caught 20 for 500 yards on the nose with four scores.
Replacing Shufford on the ground is sophomore Jon Lewis with 749 yards on 141 carries. Posting 90 yards or more in each game this season, he has hit double-figures in four of the six games played.
On defense, Ty Armstrong leads all tacklers with 47 stops, but Garrett Smith has 6.5 tackles for a loss, including five quarterback sacks.
Tony Joe White is 32-20 as head coach of the Panthers in his sixth season.
THE ONE THING TENNESSEE DID NOT DO VERSUS ALABAMA: In case you missed it on Oct. 15, the traditional "Third Saturday in October" game between the University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee saw some firsts. UT defeated Alabama for the first time in the Nick Saban era (2006), and it's probably the first time in 16 years that the goal post has been replaced at Neyland Stadium.
UT saw some school records either matched or broken, as wide receiver Jalin Hyatt posted five receiving touchdowns to tie both the program and the SEC record. Meanwhile, quarterback Hendon Hooker tied Heath Schuler for 18 straight games with at least one passing touchdown.
There was one record that Tennessee did not break in its 52-49 victory: the most points allowed in a game by a team opposing Alabama. Vanderbilt holds the record for most points scored against Bama with 78 in 1906, but since 1907, that record belongs to the University of the South, as the Tigers dropped 54 on the Tide.
115 years ago on Oct. 21, the Crimson Tide hosted the Tigers in Tuscaloosa. After defeating Auburn in Birmingham two days before, 12-6, Sewanee rolled to a 54-4 win, and had a 38-4 halftime advantage.
According to the
Sewanee Purple on Oct. 25, the game started a 3 p.m. with 25-minute halves.
That 1907 season saw Sewanee go 8-1 on the year, with six of its wins via shut out. Along with Auburn and Alabama, Sewanee also defeated Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Virginia, Georgia and Georgia Tech. Only MSU made the trek to the Domain, the other wins came either at a true road site or a neutral site.
The Crimson Tide has the advantage in the series, 17-10-3, but Sewanee was dominant in the first 11 meetings that started in 1893. Winning nine and tying one to start the series, Sewanee won six straight between 1896 and 1911, outscoring them 162-16 in that stretch.
KNOCK IT OUT AND RECOVER: Sewanee co-leads the SAA in fumbles recovered in 2022 with six. The mark is 48th-best in the nation.
Quinn Johnson's three fumble recoveries is one off the nation's leader in Charlie Garbowski of Finlandia (Mich.).
MANO Y MANO: Sewanee holds the SAA's top spot in rushing yards per game with 204.8, good for 36th-best in Division III.
Michael McGhee and Jon Lewis are the top-two rushers in the league. Birmingham-Southern's Lewis is the conference leader in rushing touchdowns (8), rushing yards (761) and yards per game (126.8), but McGhee leads the league in rushing yards per carry (7.5) and is seventh-best in the country.
REMEMBER 1922?: Saturday's meeting will be the 15th all-time between the University of the South and Birmingham-Southern College. 14 of those 15 meetings have taken place since BSC made the transition from Division I to III in 2007.
However, the two teams did meet at Harris Stadium on Nov. 11, 1922, as the Tigers defeated the Panthers, 21-0.
BSC's first run of football lasted from 1918-39 and was restarted in 2007.
SAMUEL PASSES 500; CYRUS HOPES TO FOLLOW: With 65 receiving yards on Saturday,
Dagem Samuel surpassed the 500-yard mark in his career with the Purple and White.
The product of La Vergne High School in Nashville is four yards away from surpassing his season-high in receiving yards (221)
Next on the list eyeing 500 career receiving yards is
Cyrus Wilson, who had a 75-yard touchdown reception last week at Hendrix.
The Olney, Md. native is also closing in on 300 yards receiving this season with 278 on 16 catches and four touchdowns.
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