HICKORY, N.C. –  Freshman RB Dwayne McGee went off for 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns, the final coming with 1:11 left in the game, as Lenoir-Rhyne hung on to defeat Tusculum 38-31 on Saturday afternoon. In the victory, kicker Chase Allbaugh set the NCAA Division II record for most consecutive extra points made with 128 after LRs second touchdown of the day.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 38, Tusculum 31
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (3-2, 2-2 SAC), Tusculum  (2-4, 1-3 SAC)
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Moretz Stadium

STATS OF THE GAME:
•   For just the second time this season, LR failed to score on their opening drive. The Bears fumbled on Tusculum's side of the 50 and the Pioneers would capitalize on the takeaway as Will Sweeper caught a 5-yard TD pass from Ivan Corbin.
•   McGee's first TD run of the game was a 28-yarder with 7:45 left in the first quarter but Tusculum would march right back down the field on the next drive and take a 14-7 lead on Cobin's 9-yard TD rush. 
 •  Jordan Payne made a great catch on a 35-yard TD pass from Grayson Willingham and Allbaugh converted the extra point, his 128th in a row to set the DII mark. Allbaugh's last miss came on November 3, 2018. 
•   Tusculum would boot a short field goal as the first half expired to grab a 17-14 advantage at the break.
•   The second half got off to a crazy start. LR forced a three-and-out but fumbled the ensuing punt. Tusculum threw an interception two plays later and McGee took it 52 yards to the house on LR's first play after Jimmy Palmer III's pick.
•   After McGee's long TD, Tusculum would answer with an 82-yard run by Cortney Jackson on their first play. In total, the first 2:16 of the half resulted in a pair of turnovers and two long TD runs.
 •  Grayson Willingham's short QB sneak would put LR back up 28-24 but the lead would go back to Tusculum at the 12:57 mark of the fourth quarter when Bryce Moore ran for a 1-yard touchdown.
•   A fumble by the Pioneers inside their own 10-yard line resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Allbaugh to knot the game at 31 with 5:48 to play. Each team punted once but the Pioneers would fumble Michael Owen's punt at their own 30 yard line to set up McGee's game-winner.
 •  On third and two at the Pioneers' 25, McGee broke through to put LR up for good with just 1:11 left to play. The Bears wouldn't allow Tusculum to get much momentum on their final drive and a 4th and 15 heave fell incomplete as the Bears hung on. 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
•   A Donte Young sack extended LR's streak of consecutive games with at least one sack to 48 in a row. Young would finish with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. 
•   Amari Houston had a season-high 11 tackles and added 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. 
•   Palmer has three interceptions on the season.
•   Allbaugh has connected on 132 straight extra points. 
 •  This is just the 17th time in the NCAA Era that LR has come from behind in the fourth quarter to win and the third time they have done so against Tusculum. 
•   The Pioneers threw for 339 yards and finished with 452 yards of total offense. Justice Parham finished with nine grabs for 107 yards. 

UP NEXT: LR will travel to Carson-Newman on Saturday with kickoff set for 1 p.m.