Union KY projected to end 11-game skid to Bluefield VA

Strength of schedule is the real gap between these two Appalachian Conference teams, more than the power numbers suggest. Bluefield VA carries a strength of schedule rank of 95 out of 96 teams in NAIA, while Union KY sits at 68, a difference that colors everything else in the profiles even though both sides are graded in the same range elsewhere.

Bluefield VA enters having gone 2-3 over its last five games after being outscored across that stretch, though it snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Rio Grande. Union KY has its own form to point to, not allowing more than 31 points in four straight games, though all six of its losses this season have come against teams with winning records.

Versus projects Union KY to win at home 30-25, giving the Bulldogs a 63 percent chance in a game that counts in the Appalachian standings. That would be notable given the series history: Bluefield VA leads it 12-4 in 16 meetings since 2012 and has won 11 straight, with Union KY last beating them in November 2016. The ranks and grades here are close, graded D and C- respectively, but the schedule strength and recent series trend point in opposite directions for this one.