BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- The Bridgewater College football team is set to travel to Rocky Mount, North Carolina for its final nonconference matchup of the year against N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday.

Bridgewater (2-0) at N.C. Wesleyan (0-2)
When: Saturday, September 17, 2022
Where: Rocky Mount, N.C.
Stadium: Vernon T. Bradley, Jr. Complex
Kickoff: 12:00 pm
Gameday Forecast: Mostly Sunny
    High: 83; Low: 59; Rain:  <>
Series Record: Bridgewater leads, 1-0

SCOUTING THE BATTLING BISHOPS: N.C. Wesleyan has started off the 2022 season on a two-game skid after taking on a pair of ODAC opponents in Randolph-Macon and Shenandoah. The Battling Bishops have been outscored 94-7 across the opening two contests with the lone touchdown coming from running back Trevon Crank. The Bishops finished the 2021 season with a 4-6 record after falling in three of their last four games of the year, including a 19-10 win against Southern Virginia on the NCWU senior day. N.C. Wesleyan opens its new football stadium against the Eagles with the unveiling of the Vernon T. Bradley, Jr. Complex.

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN HEAD COACH: Jeff Filkovski was named head football coach at North Carolina Wesleyan in spring 2013. A Pittsburgh, Pa. native, he joined the Battling Bishops after a five-year stint at Marietta College and is the third head coach in program history. Filkovski holds a 45-91 record as a head coach, including a 35-51 record at the helm of NCWU. His best season in Rocky Mount came during the 2019 season where the Battling Bishops garnered six victories en route to a third-place finish in the USA South. That year, NCWCU earned five of its six wins in league games, including upended the league champion, Huntingdon, 23-7, who eventually advanced to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. 

LAST MEETING: The two sides met for the first time in the 2018 season as Bridgewater closed out the season with a 21-14 win against the Battling Bishops. In the game, the Eagles led at halftime, 14-7, before the Bishops tied the game late in the third quarter. Nearly halfway through the fourth quarter, Bridgewater capitalized on a 10-play, four-minute drive to score the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Jay Scroggins. Also in the game, Brendon Maturey led all rushers with 128 yards on the ground off 23 touches.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Bridgewater holds a 1-0 edge in the all-time series with the only match up happening in the 2018 season. The ODAC and USA South officials struck a deal in 2021 for the two nearby conferences to have an agreed nonconference match up for the 2022 and 2023 season, so the series will continue next year at the Jopson Athletic Complex

ODAC PRESEASON POLL: The Bridgewater College football team was picked to finish sixth in the annual ODAC Football Preseason Poll. Randolph-Macon walked away with six of the eight first-place votes to top the yearly head coaches' survey, while Washington and Lee received the last two first-place tallies and Hampden-Sydney rounded out the top three.

IMPACT PLAYERS: Since halftime of the first game of the season, the Eagles have exploded for 84 points and forced double-digit turnovers on their way to starting off the year 2-0. As the team looks to stretch that to a 3-0 start for the first time since the ODAC Championship 2019 season, BC scored 58 points en route to a win against Southern Virginia next week. Malcolm Anderson and Aaron Moore swept the ODAC Players of the Week awards for offense and defense as the Eagles have earned three of a possible four conference weekly accolades on the young season. Seven different players found the end zone, including a defensive score in the win.

ODAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE  WEEK: Malcolm Anderson finished the game 11-for-13 for 148 yards and three touchdowns through the air and also scampered in from eight yards out on the ground to claim his first weekly conference accolade of his career. Anderson also registered his first career rushing score and helped the Eagles grab another score before halftime as a 40-yard Hail Mary with no time remaining on the clock fell into the hands of Freddie Watkins on Saturday afternoon.
ODAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For a second week in a row, junior defensive back Aaron Moore garnered weekly attention as he claimed the conference Defensive Player of the Week honor. He had two interceptions, including one he took 20 yards for a touchdown, led the Eagles with seven tackles (six solo) and also picked up a fumble. He now has three interceptions, two touchdowns and a FR on the season. 

A FAMILY AFFAIR: Bridgewater experienced a bit of an anomaly on the field last Saturday as a pair of brothers scored touchdowns for Bridgewater. Brendan Robinson took a kickoff back for an 88-yard touchdown before his older brother Ronald Robinson, Jr. capped off a nine-play drive with a four-yard TD run. Each brother scored their first touchdown of the year. The pairing hail from Stafford, Virginia and played at Mountain View.

AROUND THE ODAC (WEEK 3): The ODAC and USA South will feature in cross-conference matchups this week as the two conferences agreed on a deal prior to the season. Huntingdon travels to Guilford, while Southern Virginia takes on Randolph-Macon. Greensboro makes the trip to Hampden-Sydney and Shenandoah heads to Maryville. Washington and Lee goes to Fayetteville for a matchup with Methodist, while Ferrum returns to familiar foe LaGrange. Rounding out the week as the only non 1 pm start, Averett plays host to Brevard at 6 pm.

OTHER BRIDGEWATER TEAMS IN ACTION: This weekend is the busiest of the fall season for Bridgewater as almost every single team is competing on Saturday. In addition to football, the women's soccer team is hosting N.C. Wesleyan, while the cross country teams host their annual home meet. The volleyball program will host a quad-match with matches beginning at 2 pm on Saturday. The field hockey program hosts its yearly Morgan's Message game at the Jop beginning at 4:30 and the men's soccer team and men's tennis teams hit the road.

OTHER NCWU TEAMS IN ACTION: As football is set to open its brand new facility, the men's soccer program also hosts a match on Saturday afternoon as Averett comes to town for the first time as an ODAC member. In addition, the women's soccer team plays at Bridgewater at 2 pm. 

NEXT TIME OUT: Following Saturday's contest, the Eagles are idle for a week before opening ODAC play on Oct. 1. Bridgewater will host Hampden-Sydney with kickoff set for 2 pm.