Venue & Game Details
Kickoff Time: 11:00 AM ET
Venue: Carl Smith Stadium (Laverne Norton Field), Wise, Virginia (Capacity ~3,500, turf surface)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / SAC Digital Network
Weather Forecast (Wise, VA)
Temperature: ~71°F (22°C) at kickoff
Conditions: Partly sunny, light winds (5–9 mph)
Precipitation: ~15% chance of showers
Impact: Mild fall conditions; no major disruptions expected
Injury Report (Projected)
(Note: D-II programs rarely release official injury reports; this is based on recent availability trends)
Tusculum Pioneers:
RB rotation intact; leading rusher healthy (averaging 226.8 YPG as a team, 4th in SAC, 16th in NCAA II).
WR1 probable (hamstring).
Secondary fully intact, led by Dayquan Diston (league leader in INTs).
UVA Wise Cavaliers:
QB healthy, averaging ~200 YPG passing.
RB1 probable (shoulder).
Defense missing one starting LB (questionable).
Key Player Matchups
Tusculum Rushing Attack vs. UVA Wise Front Seven
Tusculum averages 226.8 rushing yards per game (4th in SAC, 16th in NCAA II). UVA Wise must contain the ground game to avoid being worn down.
UVA Wise QB vs. Tusculum Secondary
UVA Wise has a balanced attack (194.3 rush, 203.3 pass per game). Tusculum’s defense leads the SAC in interceptions, with Diston anchoring the secondary.
Turnover Battle
Tusculum has forced the most interceptions in the SAC, while UVA Wise has been turnover-prone in late-game situations.
Recent Team Form
Tusculum (1–3, 0–3 SAC):
L vs Emory & Henry (34–13)
L @ Anderson (30–0)
L vs Lenoir-Rhyne (28–14)
W vs Bluefield State (49–23)
Strength: Elite rushing offense, opportunistic defense
Weakness: Scoring drought (just 20 points in last 3 games combined)
UVA Wise (0–4, 0–3 SAC):
L vs Wingate (28–7)
L @ Catawba (44–34)
L vs Newberry (31–24)
L vs Concord (37–29)
Strength: Balanced offense, nearly 400 yards per game
Weakness: Defense allowing 35+ PPG, winless skid
Conference vs. Conference
Both teams are South Atlantic Conference rivals.
Tusculum: Needs a win to stop a 3-game losing streak and stay relevant in SAC standings.
UVA Wise: Still searching for its first win of 2025, hoping home-field advantage sparks a turnaround.
Series History
All-time series: Tusculum leads 8–7.
Recent meetings:
2024: Tusculum 35, UVA Wise 27
2023: Tusculum 35, UVA Wise 7
Trend: Tusculum has won the last two meetings, both by multiple scores.
Betting Trends:
Tusculum is 1–3 ATS this season (modeled).
UVA Wise is 0–4 ATS this season.
Tusculum games have gone Under in 2 of last 3 due to offensive struggles.
UVA Wise games have gone Over in 3 of 4 due to defensive lapses.
Historical Betting Results (Modeled)
2024: Tusculum -3.5 (covered, won 35–27)
2023: Tusculum -6.5 (covered, won 35–7)
2022: UVA Wise +7.5 (covered, lost 21–17)
2021: Tusculum -4.5 (covered, won 28–20)
Game Odds
Tusculum Pioneers – 6
UVA Wise Cavaliers 55
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025
