LEBANON, Tenn.--October brings cooler weather and Mid-South Conference football with the Phoenix opening up their conference slate on the road at Campbellsville this Saturday night. 

Cumberland and Campbellsville have met each year since the resurgence of the programming 1990. This is the 35th meeting between the two sides, the most common opponent in Cumberland history, with the win-loss record being dead-split at 17-17.

There is something a little extra in this year's meeting though as both sides have had their best starts in recent history. The Phoenix come in with a 4-0 record and Campbellsville brings a 5-0 record to the table. The last time Cumberland started 5-0 was in 2000 and the last time the Tigers started 6-0 was in 2017. Both teams will be striving for those records on Saturday as well as a good start in Mid-South Conference play. Campbellsville is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.

The Phoenix did what they needed to in non-conference play, running the table to win all four contests with wins over Missouri Baptist, Union Commonwealth, St. Andrews, and Florida Memorial. The only common opponent the two sides have played this season is Union with the Tigers getting a 48-12 win in Barbourville. Campbellsville also edged out Pikeville 33-32, went down to Webber International and beat them 28-10, and bested Bluefield and Roosevelt the past two weeks. 

Looking at the stats, the two sides look eerily similar however they get it done in different ways. Cumberland is averaging 40.3 points per game, 18th-best in the NAIA, while Campbellsville is averaging 40.6 points per game, 17th-best. The defenses are giving up 20.8 points per game and 20.0 points per game. Both offenses are averaging over 400 yards per game, but the Tigers are doing it through the air while the Phoenix are crushing the ground game. It is going to be an exciting game with the contrasting styles of offense. 

The Phoenix are averaging 279.8 yards per game, good-enough for the fourth-best run game in the NAIA up to this point. Quarterback Luke Holloway has controlled the offense this season being efficient throwing the ball completing 75.4% of passes for 618 yards and six scores. Holloway has also taken over as the team's leading rusher posting 328 yards and six more touchdowns. He was named the Mid-South Conference Offensive Player of the Week following the Florida Memorial game where he accounted for four touchdowns. Jeremiah Bryant has established himself as the main running back in the backfield rushing for 292 yards and five touchdowns, but freshman Jacob Cornejo is making a name for himself going for over 100 yards and a touchdown in the past two games, the first two games in his collegiate career. 

Freshman Jarrius Rogers has emerged as one of Holloway's favorite targets. Rogers has caught 10 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah O'Neal and Tim Freel have been touchdown threats in different ways for the Phoenix. Freel has been a big play target and O'Neal has been a big addition in the red zone, each of them hauling in two touchdowns as well this season.

The Cumberland defense have created nine turnovers this season, an average of 2.25 per game. Last game, CU intercepted three passes sparked by Kennan Burnley's pick six to give CU the lead. DeAndre Caldwell intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep Florida Memorial off the scoreboard and Cannon Johnson picked one off to end the first half. Boston Follis has taken over the team-lead in tackles posting 12 against FMU. 

Campbellsville returns a veteran group on offense led by junior quarterback Jagger Gillis. Gillis was a Second Team All-Conference last season and this year he has controlled the Tigers offense completing 67.4% of passes for 1,190 yards and 16 touchdowns with four picks. The Tigers will use Gillis with several run-pass option types of plays to get players open and the ball out of his hands quickly. Campbellsville will also trot out Stratford High School product Justyce Law at quarterback in certain packages throughout the game. 

Gillis has several weapons on the outside to throw to including his high school teammate and First Team All-Conference selection last season Luke Sheperson, Second Team All-Conference honoree Andre Siler, and Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year last year Ashton Auker. The Tigers have six receivers with 10 or more catches this season. Sheperson leads the bunch with 20 catches for 250 yards and five touchdowns. Andre Siler has caught 18 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns. Ashton Aucker has picked up 16 receptions for 213 and three scores. 

The Tigers feature back is Tre Bass. Bass was out last game, but still is the leading rusher for Campbellsville. Bass had a huge game in week one going for 237 yards and two touchdowns against Pikeville. CA Collins will also be in the backfield. Collins has 151 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season. 

Campbellsville has a big line up front manned by First Team Mid-South right tackle Cade Crume. Protecting Gillis' blind side is 6-6 left tackle Aquan Evans. 

The Tigers defense is giving up over 300 yards per game and an average of 20.0 points per game. A lot of the damage done this season on Campbellsville's defense has been through the air as they are giving up 257.4 yards per game and just 71.2, but they played a few air raid offenses this season to elevate those numbers. 

The defense is led by Second Team All-Conference honoree Ellis Reed. Reed is an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense that makes a ton of stops for Campbellsville. This season he leads the team in tackles with 29 and three for a loss. Safety Josiah Harris has been a ball hawk this season posting two interceptions with two pass break ups. 

Saturday's night game at Campbellsville is the first night game of the season for the Phoenix. Temperature at kick-off will be in the low 70s with it cooling down to the mid-low 60s as the sun sets. 

The game can be viewed live on Campbellsville+ on Youtube. Christian Kaposy and Bob Lea will bring all the action to Cumberland fans on go on WANT FM 98.9 on WCOR AM 1490. The duo will go live 30-minutes before kick-off at 5:30 p.m. central time.