Fourth-Ranked Kilgore Looks to Flex Muscles Against Struggling Chapel Hill

No. 4 Kilgore Bulldogs (6-0, 3-0)
vs.
Chapel Hill Bulldogs (2-6, 1-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Bulldog Stadium, New Chapel Hill

Coaches
Kilgore: Mike Wood
Chapel Hill: Thomas Sitton

Last week
Kilgore: def. Gladewater, 31-8
Chapel Hill: lost to Bullard, 42-41 (2OT)

Next week
Kilgore: vs. Henderson
Chapel Hill: at Gladewater

Playmakers
Kilgore

QB Cooper Coldiron, Sr., 5-11, 170 (33 of 59, 718 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs; 35 carries, 99 yards, 4 TDs)
RB JuJu Brown, Jr. (86 carries, 393 yards, 7 TDs)
RB Austin Jordan (63 carries, 462 yards, 3 TDs; 1 catch, 71 yards, 1 TD)
WR Aaron Foy, Jr. (11 catches, 285 yards, 4 TDs)
DL LaDarrin Anthony, Jr., 5-11, 225 (47 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries)

Chapel Hill

QB Andrew Black, Jr., 6-0, 180 (48 of 115, 815 yards, 10 TDs, 7 INTs; 63 carries, 318 yards, 1 TD)
RB/S Joseph Clark, Jr., 5-9, 175 (87 carries, 707 yards, 6 TDs)
RB Jamarcus McCowin, Sr. (66 carries, 461 yards, 5 TDs)
RB/LB Wesley Thompson, Jr., 6-2, 190 (37 carries, 221 yards, 1 TD)
WR Corey Starks, Sr. (14 catches, 326 yards, 3 TDs)

Just the facts

This is the 33rd all-time meeting between Kilgore and Chapel Hill. Kilgore holds a 25-7 edge in the series, which dates back to 1970. Kilgore has won the last six matchups.
Kilgore is off to a 6-0 start for the first time since its 16-0 state-championship season of 2004.
For the year, Kilgore is averaging 33.8 points per game. The defense is giving up just 5.8, which leads the area.
Chapel Hill is off to its worst start since the 2005 team also started the year 2-6. That team finished 2-8.
Head coach Thomas Sitton, with last week's loss, will finish with his first losing record in four years as the Chapel Hill coach.
Chapel Hill averages 24.3 points per game on offense, while its defense yields 32.8.

Kilgore LB A.J. Davis. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Chapel Hill RB/S Joseph Clark (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Key matchup: Chapel Hill running game vs. Kilgore defensive front. If Chapel Hill is to pull of the upset, it will need a strong performance from running backs Joseph Clark and Jamarcus McCowin, who have combined for 1,168 yards and 11 TDs on the year. After struggling early in the season on offense, Chapel Hill has come alive in its last three games. Chapel Hill is averaging 323 rushing yards per game and 450 total over the last three weeks. In addition, Chapel Hill's scoring output has shot up exponentially. Since its district-opening loss to Henderson, Chapel Hill is averaging 40.3 points per game. Kilgore should provide Chapel Hill's running game its stiffest test of the season thus far. Kilgore only gives up 90 yards per game on the ground, and has allowed more than one touchdown in a game just once this season.

Don't be surprised if: Kilgore jumps on Chapel Hill early. Kilgore struggled in the first half against Gladewater, leading just 10-8 at halftime before pulling away with three second-half touchdowns. Chapel Hill, meanwhile, may still be feeling the effects of its tough, double-OT loss from a week ago. Kilgore, while it runs more than 80 percent of the time, has a propensity of burning teams early in the passing game. In its 27-14 win over Bullard three weeks ago, Kilgore passed for two first-half touchdowns. So don't be surprised if Kilgore tries a couple shots deep down the field in the early going.