Pikeville, KY – UPIKE football fell to top-ranked Lindsey Wilson Friday afternoon by a final score of 31-0. Despite the Bears holding them to the fewest points of any opponent, the defending NAIA champions remain undefeated on the season.

With the loss the Bears drop to 2-5 overall on the season and 0-4 in MSC play. The Blue Raiders improve to 7-0 (4-0 MSC).

Offensive production proved tough for the Bears against a fortified Lindsey Wilson defense who held UPIKE to 53 yards of total offense. The Blue Raiders wrapped up with 485 yards.

Trevor Jones and Adrian Medacco handled the ground effort for UPIKE and were held to a combined 25 yards. Jones found the most success as the Stanton, KY native netted 19 yards on just three attempts.

The Blue Raider secondary held the Bears to 29 yards through the air, all via Lee Kirkland who finish with 14 completions on 23 attempts. Randy Ramanan led the receiving core with four catches for 24 yards, his longest coming on a 12-yard snag.

Defense was the highlight for UPIKE on Saturday and were led by senior linebacker Alexander Carmichael who totaled a season-high 12 tackles, recording five solo and seven assists. Seneca Fuller Jr. finished with five solo tackles (seven total) and a pass break-up.

The secondary was undoubtedly paced by Timothy Butler who provided impeccable coverage much of the game. Butler finished with three solo tackles, three assisted tackles, two break-ups and an interception – running the pick back 20 yards.

The games first two quarters were a testament to the Bears defense who held the number one team in the country to just 14 points. The second half saw solid reads from reigning NAIA Player of the Year Cameron Dukes paired with great line play from
Lindsey which allowed them to score 17 in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a clock management affair as the Blue Raiders ran clock and secured the victory.

The Bears return to the friendly confines of Hambley Athletic Complex next Saturday, October 30^th to take on University of the Cumberlands. Next weekend's games will culminate homecoming week and will follow the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Kick-off between the Bears and Patriots is set for 1:30 PM.