Building Momentum:
The University of Pikeville Bears defeated the Campbellsville University Tigers 66-41 last week and are on a two-game win streak. UPIKE had lost the previous two meetings with the Tigers in 2020-21 and 2021 by a combined four points.
The Bears offense exploded for 663 yards of offense against the Tigers. Bears quarterback Xavier Malone stole the show in his first start, going 17/25 for 417 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. The sophomore quarterback from Knoxville, Tenn. was named Mid-South Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his stellar performance. Malone is the second UPIKE quarterback this season to be named Offensive Player of the Week.
This Saturday, the Bears will travel to Crestview Hills, Ky. to take on the Thomas More Saints. Unlike the other five teams from the state of Kentucky on UPIKE's schedule, the Bears do not have much history with Thomas More. The Bears and the Saints have only met three times in their history, with UPIKE holding a 2-1 all-time advantage.
UPIKE comes into this Mid-South matchup against TMU having won the last two meetings over the Saints. The Bears capped off their 2021 campaign with a 13-7 road win over the Saints a year after downing TMU 35-27 in 2020-21.
The University of Pikeville Bears are going into this matchup with a 4-3 (3-2 MSC) record. UPIKE is riding a two-game win streak heading into Saturday after a 24-17 win at Cumberlands (Ky.) two weeks ago and a 66-41 win last week against Campbellsville.
Thomas More is 4-4 (3-2 MSC) and has been up and down all year. After back-to-back wins at Faulkner and vs. Cumberland (Tenn.), the Saints suffered a 57-7 drubbing at the hands of Bethel (Tenn.) last week.
Saturday is a huge game for both teams, with the Bears and Saints sitting at fourth and fifth in the Mid-South standings, respectively. UPIKE matched their win total from 2021 last Saturday and a win over the Saints would best their win total from a year ago. A win over the Saints would also give UPIKE a path to finishing in the upper half of the conference, which would be a huge momentum boost for Coach Corey Fipps' program.
Who/What To Watch For:
After being strictly air-raid for the first four weeks, the Bears have found a good mix of run and pass over the past three games. UPIKE rushed for a season-high 246 yards against Campbellsville just a week after rushing for 191 at Cumberlands (Ky.). Alex Sanders is UPIKE's rushing leader with 555 rushing yards, three touchdowns and ranks second in the MSC with 73.7 rushing yards per game.
While Alex Sanders has been effective on the ground, he does a lot of damage catching passes out of the backfield. Sanders is first on the team in receptions (35) and second in yards (401) and touchdowns (5).
Derrick Griffith is the Bears' leading receiver with 30 receptions, 559 yards and six touchdowns. Griffith had two touchdown catches last week against Campbellsville, including an 81-yard score that ignited the UPIKE offense. While Griffith and Sanders are UPIKE's receiving leaders, they are not the only playmakers that Coach Corey Fipps has. Seven different UPIKE pass-catchers have over 200 receiving yards.
The Bears' receivers are going up against a Saints defense that surrenders an average of 272.1 passing yards per game. While the Saints have given up some yards passing, TMU's defense has ten interceptions and 36 pass break-ups. Colton Sandhas is the Saints' leader in interceptions (3) while Christian Rice leads TMU with seven pass break-ups.
The play of the Bears' offensive line was a big reason why they won last week. UPIKE's O-line protected Xavier Malone, allowing zero sacks and gave Malone plenty of time to make throws. The O-line also opened a lot of holes which allowed the Bears to rush for 246 yards. UPIKE's offensive line is about to face a defense that has 49.0 tackles-for-loss on the year, led by Tanner Lawrence with 7.0.
UPIKE's defense has played well over the past three weeks, forcing eight turnovers during that time. A big reason for the improvement has been the play of the defensive line. Over the past three games, the Bears have ten sacks and 24.0 tackles-for-loss. Coach Quamari Tinsley's defensive line group will be facing a Saints team that has allowed 28 sacks on the year. Getting after the quarterback will be huge because they are facing a dual-threat quarterback in Blaine Espinosa Saturday.
Blaine Espinosa is TMU's leading passer and second-leading rusher. Through the air, Espinosa has thrown for 1,148 yards, is completing 58.4% of his passes, has seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Espinosa also has 67 rushes for 162 yards and is tied for third in the MSC with five rushing touchdowns.
The Game Will Be Decided By…
Defensive line play. UPIKE's defensive line is trending upward and will be tested against a dual-threat quarterback this week. If they are able to generate pressure and create havoc, they have a chance to limit the QB run game. Additionally, pressure from the Bears could force an errant throw and a chance for a turnover.
UPIKE has also gotten their run game going in the past few games which has opened up opportunities for them to hit big plays in the passing game. TMU's front seven has forced a lot of negative plays and will play a big role in this game. The team that does a better job at stuffing the run and getting after the quarterback will likely win this game. Saturday is a big game for both teams and will be a fun one to watch.
#BearNation
