HICKORY, NC - Lenoir-Rhyne returns home this week for a matchup with the Newberry Wolves. The Bears come into the matchup with a 4-1 (2-1 SAC) record, after suffering their first loss of the season 31-20 at Emory & Henry last Saturday. Newberry is coming off a 34-9 loss to Mars Hill last week. They enter this game with a 1-3 (1-1 SAC) record. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.

Notes:

Matchup History: Saturday's game will be the 91st all-time meeting between the Bears and Wolves. Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series 48-35-7 and are 24-19-4 at Moretz Stadium. Last season, Lenoir-Rhyne took down the Wolves 24-10 on the road, with Jalen Ferguson leading the air attack with 269 yards passing and two touchdowns. This rivalry began all the way back in 1923, when Newberry took down Lenoir-Rhyne 27-0 on the road. Since 1987, Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry have been playing for the Bishops Trophy. Bears hold a slight edge over the Wolves in the series, claiming the Bishops Trophy in 20 of the last 37 meetings. 

Opponent Profile: Newberry began their 2024 season with back-to-back non-conference losses at home against Valdosta State and Keiser. The Wolves were outscored 69-47 and gave up over 500 yards rushing and six scores in their first two weeks. In week three, the Wolves produced their first win of the season, a 50-20 road victory at Tusculum. Dwayne Wright led the team in rushing with 142 yards on the ground and a score. Reed Charpia completed 13 of 17 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. The Wolves defense forced two turnovers and held the Pioneers to 251 total yards. Due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, Newberry's week four game at home against UVA Wise was canceled. Last week, Newberry lost their third game at Setzler Field 34-9 against Mars Hill. The Wolves were held to less than 200 yards of total offense and committed two turnovers in their loss against the Lions. Newberry is coming off a 4-7 (3-6 SAC) record last season. 

Emory & Henry Recap: The Bears seven game winning-streak against Emory & Henry was snapped last Saturday as Lenoir-Rhyne suffered their first loss of the season, falling 31-20 to the Wasps. Lenoir-Rhyne led 17-10 at the end of the 3rd quarter, but the Wasps scored 21 of the game's next 24 points in the game to earn their fourth win of the season. Jalen Ferguson threw for 265 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while Alex Boyd rushed for 68 yards on the ground. DeAree Rogers registered a touchdown reception for the second straight game. Defensively, Maddox Aprile, Tyriek Johnson, and Andre Jefferson combined for three sacks for 20 yards while Jaelin Willis led the defense with seven tackles. 

Lenoir-Rhyne Statistics: Alex Boyd now leads the Bears in rushing touchdowns (5) through the first five games. He is second in the conference in rushing touchdowns, sitting only behind Catawba's LJ Turner (8). Jalen Ferguson remains second in the conference in passing yards per game (267.6) and fifth in the SAC in touchdown passes (7). Andre Jefferson now has five sacks on the season and has reached 34.5 sacks in his Lenoir-Rhyne career. He is also leading the SAC in sacks while his line-mate Na'Shawn Biggs is tied for third in the conference with 3.5 sacks.

Rankings Update: Lenoir-Rhyne dropped to 17 in the latest AFCA Division ll coaches poll after their defeat to Emory & Henry on Saturday. The top three teams kept their same rankings from the previous week. However, many upsets occurred in the Top-10 this past weekend, including Colorado School of Mines falling to Colorado Mesa and Minnesota State losing to Sioux Falls. Western Colorado made the biggest leap in the rankings after defeating Fort Lewis 44-7 to jump to #8. Central Missouri (12) was the only team to drop out of the Top-25 after their 31-21 loss on the road against Fort Hays State. Central Missouri (45), Augustana (28), and West Florida (19) received the most votes outside the Top-25. SAC conference rival Carson-Newman moved up to #23 after defeating Barton 28-17 at home this past weekend. 

Cranford Hospitality Field Level VIP Experience: The newly introduced Cranford Hospitality Field Level VIP Experience has been a hit this season. Located under videoboard and behind the open endzone, the experience includes catered food from the culinary team at Cranford Hospitality and exclusive beverage options from City Walk Brewing, all while having the best seat in the house. To view this week's menu, click HERE. Tickets are one sale this week for just $40. To purchase tickets for this experience, go to lrbears.com/tickets. Select the Football vs. Newberry, and when the "purchase today" option is clicked, a mock of the field will pop up. Click the red "field level" option on the bottom left to secure your spot in the best seat in the house.