Oct. 3, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The win over Newberry may be impressive, but there is still a "Hill" to climb.

The 7th-ranked Carson-Newman Eagles returned to practice Tuesday afternoon with a full-pad workout. C-N will practice again today in full pads, before moving to shorts to wrap up the week. Today's practice is from 3:15-5:30.

The Eagles went through a light workout, along with weights and meetings on Monday, just 48 hours removed from their 49-19 win over then-9th ranked Newberry.

C-N (5-0, 1-0 SAC) does not have the luxury of looking back to Saturday's win. It travels to Mars Hill Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff with the 4-1 (0-1 SAC) Lions.

"This is an important game for us," Eagle Head Coach Ken Sparks said Tuesday. "We've struggled (at Mars Hill) in the past, and if we're not focused, we will again this year."

Carson-Newman fell 14-7 in its last through the mountains. The Eagles comitted seven turnovers in dropping their South Atlantic Conference opener in 2005, on their way to an 8-2 finish.

"I expect us to show some maturity," Sparks said. "We handled our highs and lows well (against Newberry), but you have respond well every game."

Mars Hill's task is tough as well on Saturday. The Lions must rebound from their first defeat of the season, a 45-21 loss at Catawba last Thursday night, in a game that was much closer than the score might indicate.

"Mars Hill made some mistakes early that were costly," Sparks said. "We know they'll come out and fight us for sixty minutes."

Saturday's game will be C-N's first visit to Mars Hill's new Meares Stadium, which opened in September.

Polls: The Eagles stayed at seventh in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll, despite the impressive win over a top ten opponent.

C-N jumped only one spot in the D2Football.com poll, moving up to 10th, replacing Newberry.

Notes and Stats:

- The Eagles are second nationally in rushing defense, allowing 35.2 yards per game. C-N also ranks in the top five nationally in rushing offense (5th) with 273 ypg and team sacks (4th) with 4.6 per game.

- The Eagles are 7th in passing efficiency with a rating of 167.75.
- Some special teams are fairing well for the Eagles. C-N is 4th nationally in team punting, netting 39 yards per punt.