HICKORY, NC - Lenoir-Rhyne hits the road this week for a matchup with the Barton Bulldogs. The Bears come into this game with a 5-1 (3-1 SAC) record, helped in part by a 24-3 defeat of Newberry last Saturday. Barton is coming off a 50-0 loss to Wingate last week. They enter this game with a 2-4 (1-3 SAC) record. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.

Notes:

Matchup History: Saturday's game will be the 14th all-time meeting between the Bears and Bulldogs. Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series 13-0 and are seeking their sixth win at Flemming Stadium. Last season, Lenoir-Rhyne took care of business at home with a dominating 47-3 victory,, helped in part by over 500 yards of total offense. Jalen Ferguson led the air attack with 241 yards passing and three touchdowns while Dwayne McGee rushed for 92 yards and a score. Defensively, Lenoir-Rhyne forced three turnovers and held the Bulldogs to less than 200 yards of total offense. The first ever meeting between the Bears and Bulldogs happened way back in the 1928, where Lenoir-Rhyne prevailed to a 25-0 shutout victory at home. 

Opponent Profile: Barton opened their 2024 season by going 1-1 in non-conference play. After a narrow 27-24 loss to West Virginia State in week one, Barton responded with a 24-20 victory on the road at Chowan. In week three, Barton began SAC play with a 41-0 loss on the road at Emory & Henry. In that game the Bulldogs were held to under 149 yards of total offense and committed 11 penalties for 88 yards. The Bulldogs got their first conference victory in week four, a 27-13 decision against Anderson. Trevor Nored threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns while the defense forced an interception and a fumble in the win. However, Barton has been outscored 78-17 in their last two losses on the road against conference rivals Carson-Newman and Wingate, dropping their conference record to 1-3. Last season, Barton finished above .500 with a 6-5 (4-5 SAC) record.

Newberry Recap: After suffering their first loss of the season against Emory & Henry the week prior, Lenoir-Rhyne responded with a 24-3 victory against the Wolves at Moretz Stadium. Jalen Ferguson threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season while Alex Boyd rushed for 92 yards on the ground and a score. DeAree Rogers caught two touchdowns and has now scored a touchdown in three straight games. The Bears defense stood out, as Newberry went 1-for-13 on third downs and committed two turnovers in the loss. The Bears now lead the series 49-35-7 against the Wolves and claimed the Bishop's Trophy for the fifth time in the last seven years. 

Lenoir-Rhyne Statistics: Jalen Ferguson remains second in the conference in passing yards per game (277.7) and fifth in the SAC in touchdown passes (9). Alex Boyd remains second in the conference in rushing touchdowns (6), sitting only behind Catawba's LJ Turner (10). Adonis McDaniel is now fourth in the conference in receiving yards per game (72.0) through the first six games. Andre Jefferson is tied for first in the SAC in sacks (5.0) while Na'Shawn Biggs is tied for third in sacks (3.5) with Wingate's Daniel Morrison. 

Rankings Update: Lenoir-Rhyne remained at 17 in the latest AFCA Division ll coaches poll after their victory against Newberry on Saturday. The top eight teams kept their same rankings from the previous week. SAC rival Carson-Newman made the biggest leap in the rankings from 23 to 18 after their 28-27 victory against Mars Hill last week. Delta State (19), Findlay (20), and Indiana (PA) (25) were the only teams to drop out of the Top-25. Augustana (34) and Delta State (19) received the most votes outside the Top-25.