Rock Hill, S.C.----The South Atlantic Conference Football Players of the Week have been announced for the week ending Sept. 26, 2009. Wingate University senior safety Tylan Merkerson (Oxford, Ga.) was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week. The Asheville School product wins POTW honors for the second time in his Bulldog career.

Merkerson had two huge interceptions in the Tusculum College end zone Thursday night, helping the Bulldogs earn the 42-31 road victory on national television. He added six tackles and one pass break-up to his statistics ledger Thursday.

An All-South Atlantic Conference performer last year, Merkerson and his Bulldog teammates won the turnover battle Thursday. Wingate outdistanced Tusculum 3-1 in this all-important category. The Bulldogs grabbed two interceptions and recovered one fumble. The Pioneers could manage only one fumble recovery Thursday.

Wingate leads the SAC in turnover margin. Merkerson tops the Wingate charts with his three interceptions. He is fourth on the team in tackles. Merkerson and his 2009 Bulldog teammates hope to fill big shoes left behind by their 2008 predecessors. The Wingate defense finished the 2008 campaign ranked number one in the SAC in pass defense. The Bulldogs charted in the number nine spot nationally.

Mars Hill College running back Jonas Randolph and Carson-Newman College quarterback Alex Good were named Co-Offensive Players of the Week, while Carson-Newman kicker Carlos Lopez was named Special Teams Player of the Week.

A sophomore running back from Daleville, Ala., Randolph rushed for 232 yards with a pair of first-half touchdowns as the Lions edged Catawba College 14-12. Randolph got his 232 yards on 44 attempts to lead the Lions. The 44 rushes broke Randolph’s previous school record of 43 rushing attempts set against Saint Augustine’s College on September 12, 2009.

A senior from Greensboro, N.C., Good rushed for 203 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown to lead the Eagles to a 23-20 win over visiting Newberry College. During torrential rains at Burke-Tarr Stadium, Good’s statistics ledger included 82 rushing yards in the fourth quarter. He had carries of 34 and 25 yards in the final frame, helping to facilitate the Eagles’ game-winning field goal with 37 seconds left. Good became the first Eagle to rush for over 200 yards since he went for 209 against Newberry in 2008.

A sophomore from Seymour, Tenn., Lopez drilled the 35-yard game-winning field goal for Carson-Newman Saturday. He went three-for-three on field goals and two-for-two on PAT attempts in the torrential downpour.

Lopez converted field goals from 23, 27 and 35 yards. He became the first Eagle to boot a game-winning kick since 2003, when Angel Gonzalez helped C-N beat Presbyterian 24-21 as time expired. Lopez also had two touchbacks on six kickoffs Saturday. He is six-for-six on field goals this season.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, faith development, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physical education, physician assistant studies, sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.