For the first time this season, the No. 8 Bears hit the road as they travel to Richmond, Va. to take on Virginia Union. LR went 5-2 away from home in 2018.

The Bears outclassed St. Augustine's in the season opener, hanging 37 points in the first quarter. LR ran for three touchdowns, passed for four scores and had a score on special teams as well as a defensive touchdown. The LR defense held the Falcons to 107 yards of total offense on 56 plays, an average of 1.9 yards per play. Jaquan Artis registered nine tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks to go with a QB hurry and Kyle Dugger had two interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown.

Offensively, 15 different players had a rushing attempt for the Bears who were led by Jaquay Mitchell's 90 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. QB Grayson Willingham threw three touchdown passes to move his career total to 30 which is just 10 shy of Brian Bryson's all-time mark which has stood since 1987.

No other team in Division II scored more points in the opening weekend than LR did when they hung 68 on St. Augustine's. The Bears also rank No. 1 in the nation in total defense.

The 68 points is the most scored in a game since 1975 when the Jack Huss-led Bears put up 69 points on Davidson in a 69-14 victory. The 61 point margin of victory is the most since 1959 when LR defeated Maryville 68-0 in Hickory.

The Panthers come into the weekend fresh off a 19-point victory over Hampton where they held HU scoreless in the second half. QB Khalid Morris completed just seven of his 21 pass attempts but four of them went to the house including an 80-yarder to Charles Hall for the first score of the day. Hall would finish with three TD catches and 152 yards and Tabyus Taylor ran for 159 yards on 25 attempts. Taylor would go on to be named BoxToRow National Player of the Week after registering 255 multi-purpose yards.

The Panthers narrowly missed the NCAA Playoffs last year, going 8-2 with a 6-1 mark in the CIAA.