HICKORY, N.C. - South Atlantic Conference play opens for Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry as the Bears look to defend their 2018 SAC Championship. This marks the 86^th all-time meeting between the Bears and Wolves with LR holding a 45-33-7 edge in the series.
 
In this matchup a season ago, Kyle Dugger became the first LR player in team history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game on his way to winning National Special Teams Player of the Week accolades. Dugger returned punts 69 and 64 yards to the house in a 34-21 victory at Setzler Field. Gunnar Anderson made his first career start at QB and didn't turn the ball over as the Bears ran 52 times for 250 yards on the day.
 
LR is going for a ninth straight home win as Newberry comes to Moretz Stadium with an 0-2 record but the two losses have come by a combined 12 points. In their home opener, the Wolves took Florida Tech to the last play in a 30-28 loss to the Panthers who were a NCAA Playoff team in 2018. Newberry scored the last 14 points of the game and had a chance to win it with a Hail Mary on the last play that fell incomplete by inches.
 
The Bears are coming off a big road victory at Virginia Union on Saturday. In their first road test of the season, LR went to VUU and came away with an impressive 28-11 victory over a team that just beat FCS Hampton by 19 points. Dareke Young scored a career-high three touchdowns and had 79 all-purpose yards to lead the offense and Landon Scott finished with a pair of interceptions to earn SAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
As a team, Lenoir-Rhyne ranks second in Division II in total defense, allowing just 184 yards per game under DC Joel Taylor. The Bears rank third in the nation in rushing defense, permitting opponents just 18 yards per game. On the offensive side, LR ranks sixth in DII in scoring offense at 48 points per game.
 
The Bears are ranked No. 8 for the third straight week in the NCAA poll. The last time these two teams met with LR owning a national ranking, the No. 5 Bears topped Newberry 23-10 on Oct. 18, 2014.
 
The Bishops' Trophy is on the line in this contest. Prior to LR winning it last year, Newberry had won three straight by an average of 34.7 points per game. The two teams have played for the Bishops Trophy annually since its creation in 1987 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Lenoir-Rhyne has a 17-15 edge since the first Battle for the Bishops' Trophy.