Will David Bennett be more nervous over today’s game at Mars Hill (1:30 p.m.) than he was for the 13-10 Carson-Newman win last week?

Probably.

And for good reason. Since 1976, Catawba is 1-3 after winning over Carson-Newman, the perennial South Atlantic Conference juggernaut.

“That’s something you’ve got to look at,” Bennett admitted. “You can’t be like you’ve just defeated the world.”

When you get right down to it, Bennett doesn’t have time to think about past hexes. He has a talented Mars Hill team to contend with.

“They play really, really well in their stadium,” Bennett said of the 5,000-seat Meares Stadium. “They’ve only lost one game there in two years.”

One of the reasons is Terrance Stokes, who has not been stopped this season. In fact, he won the SAC Offensive Back of the Week Award for the third time after Mars Hill’s 25-18 win over Wingate last week.

Stokes ran for a career-high 252 yards and broke three school records: single game yardage, single-game carries (34) and single-season yardage (1,210). The Bunn native broke marks that had stood for 20 years.

Mars Hill is second in the league in rushing at 245 per game. That ranks the Lions 20th in Division II.

It’s another challenge for a defense than ranks second in the country against the rush (50 yards).

But Mars Hill has much more than Stokes. Tim Clifton’s team has weapons. Travis McFadden is overshadwed by Stokes on the stat sheet but still averages 66 yards rushing.

Mars Hill has to rely on the run because it is dead last in the SAC in passing (97.4).

Bennett also reminds his fans and players that Mars Hill (5-3, 3-2) was ranked nationally in the preseason.

It lost to Carson-Newman 42-0, fell to Presbyterian at home 34-27 and lost its opener to Cumberland in a game Bennett figures the Lions were probably looking past.

“They could easily be 7-1,” said Bennett.

At quarterback, the Lions have Carlos Gatlin, who reminds Bennett of North Rowan’s Alfonzo Miller. He is very quick. When he does throw, Gatlin looks for preseason All-American tight end David Cassell. He averages 11 yards on 30 catches.

“He’s got great hands,” Bennett said. “He’ll go get that ball.”

Defensively, the Lions are led by last year’s Freshman of the Year Khalid Abdullah. The 6-3, 220-pound linebacker was headed for Clemson before going to Bethune Cookman and now Mars Hill. He is fourth in the league with 76 tackles in eight games.

For Catawba, tailback Kevin McKenzie needs 185 yards in his last two games to break the school record for single-season rushing. He has 817 and is playing his best ball of the year. He ranks fourth in the SACrushing stats. Against Carson-Newman, McKenzie ran for 149.

“And he broke nine tackles,” Bennett points out.

There’s other incentive for the Indians. Their coach is going for career win No. 50. He stands 49-14 in his six years. Clifton is 38-41 during his tenure.

But you might as well throw all the numbers out. Mars Hill will be ready and Bennett knows it.

“They’ll be foaming at the mouth to play us,” he said.

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Livingstone will try and win its third straight game of the season and end on a positive note when it takes on Benedict in Columbia, S.C. (2 p.m.).

No one is looking forward to the clash more than Bear lineman O’Brian Scott.

“That’s my hometown,” he said happily Thursday afternoon.

Scott and the Blue Bears know their season could’ve been much different with a few breaks. Close losses left them 0-7 before breaking through.

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The schedules for the SAC, CIAA, ACC, Southern and Conference USAare in the scoreboard on Page 2B.

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Ronnie Gallagher will be at Mars Hill to cover Catawba while Ed Dupree travels to Columbia with Livingstone.