Coaches — Catawba coach Curtis Walker (28-19) is in his fifth season as head coach. His team is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2013. Catawba has played well on the road during Walker’s tenure and is 16-8.

UNC Pembroke’s Shane Richardson (19-15) is in his fourth season as head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for the Braves from 2007-13. Like Walker, Richardson is a former linebacker. He was a fine player at Northern Michigan and got his start in the college coaching ranks at his alma mater in 2001. Richardson is 1-2 against Catawba.

Last game: Catawba won a big one at FCS opponent VMI last Saturday afternoon, coming back in the second half to win, 27-20. Catawba defensive lineman Ryan Watts said he got “teary-eyed” at the end of it, had a feeling he hadn’t had since he won against his biggest rival in his high school days in Florida. Safety Jeremy Addison, who clinched the win with  his first carer interception, said that as emotional as the win was the Indians will be able to move on from it and build on it. “Playing football is what we do,” he said.

UNC Pembroke went on the road, forced seven turnovers and registered nine sacks and destroyed CIAA squad Elizabeth City State, 66-14, last Saturday.

Series: This is the seventh meeting. Both teams have won three times. UNC Pembroke won a wild one last season, 41-31. Catawba won in 2014 and 2015. Considering that both head coaches are former linebackers and defensive coordinators, there’s been a lot of scoring in the series.

“We’ve gotten into track meets with them the last few years,” Walker said. “But we like where our defense is right now.”

Players to watch: The main story line will obviously be Catawba quarterback Patrick O’Brien, who will lead the Indians against his former school, coaches and teammates. O’Brien quarterbacked UNC Pembroke to 10 wins last season and keyed the Braves’ high-scoring victory against Catawba. Both O’Brien and Walker downplayed that aspect of Saturday’s game at Tuesday’s press conference, but this is a pretty unique situation. O’Brien, a mature 24-year-old, should be able to handle the challenge emotionally and mentally, as well as physically.

O’Brien has a supreme weapon  in receiver Sam Mobley, who has 12 catches for 332 yards and four TDs. Linebacker Kyle Kitchens, an All-America candidate, has been Catawba’s best defensive player in both games. Return man and backup running back Kenyatta Greene was huge on special teams last week.

For UNC Pembroke, young QB Dominick Samson, who was throwing 40 TD passes for Cary’s Panther Creek High in 2015, looks like a star of the future. The 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman has thrown for 396 yards in two games. He’s hit five different receivers for touchdowns.

Worth mentioning: UNC Pembroke is a state-supported school making it an attractive destination financially for in-state students. The Braves’ roster is about 95 percent from North Carolina. On the other hand, Catawba depends a lot on players from Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

Weather: It’s expected to be dry with warm temperatures.

Outlook: UNC Pembroke spotted Winston-Salem State a huge lead on opening night and couldn’t come all the way back, but the Braves still lead Division II in turnover margin. They’ve forced nine turnovers (including five picks) and they’ve yet to turn it over. So that’s the key to the game for Catawba: win the turnover battle.

Can Catawba move on from last week’s drama and win on the road again? It sounds like the Indians can.

“We met a goal by beating VMI last week,” Walker said. “But the most important game is always the next game. UNC Pembroke is next, and we started thinking about them on Sunday.”