HICKORY, NC - Lenoir-Rhyne hits the road this week for a matchup with the Emory & Henry Wasps. The Bears come into the matchup with a 4-0 (2-0 SAC) record, helped in part by a 37-23 defeat of Tusculum last Sunday. Emory & Henry is coming off their first loss of the season, faling 37-24 to a solid Limestone team. They enter this game with a 3-1 (1-1 SAC) record. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.

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Matchup History: Saturday's game will be the ninth meeting all-time between the Bears and Wasps. Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series 7-1 and are currently on a seven game winning streak. This weekend will be the first time these two teams will face off against one another since the 1957 season, due to the Wasps making the jump to NCAA DII just two years ago. In their last matchup the Bears prevailed in a 27-0 victory at Fred Selfe Stadium in Meadowview, Virginia. Lenoir-Rhyne has averaged 21.12 PPG in the previous eight meetings and are seeking their fourth win on the road in the series.  

Opponent Profile: Emory & Henry began their 2024 season with back-to-back non-conference victories against Glenville State and Bluefield State. The Wasps were dominate in week one at home, defeating Glenville State 38-7 in a weather-shortened game. E&H finished with 271 yards of total offense on 47 plays, and forced four interceptions and one fumble recovery against the Pioneers. In week two, Emory & Henry completed non-conference play with a 40-13 win against Bluefield State at home. The Wasps gained 442 yards of offense including 233 yards on the ground. Emory & Henry won the turnover battle once again, picking off three passes and recovering a fumble. In week three, Emory & Henry opened up South Atlantic Conference play with a 41-0 blowout victory against Barton. The Wasps finished with 536 yards of total offense and averaged 7.9 yards per play. E&H generated 29 first downs and went 4-for-9 (44%) on third downs. It was the most one-sided home shutout for E&H since their 48-0 victory over Maryville (Tenn.) College on November 14, 1998. Due to Hurricane Helene's impact in week four, Emory & Henry's game against Limestone was postponed to Sunday afternoon. Limestone prevailed to a 37-24 victory, handing the Wasps their first loss of the season. The Saints gained 348 yards through the air and 65 on the ground while the Wasps had 253 yards passing and 147 rushing. For the first time all season, Emory & Henry lost the turnover battle, throwing three interceptions while managing just one takeaway. The Wasps are coming off a 5-6 (3-5 SAC) record last season. 

Tusculum Recap: Lenoir-Rhyne played in a rare Sunday contest due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. This was the first time the Bears have played on a Sunday since they took on App State on September 9, 2007. Despite the extra day, the Bears continued their winning ways, taking down Tusculum 37-23 at Shuford Stadium in Salisbury, North Carolina. Trailing 3-0 after the first quarter, the Bears scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and did not look back, cruising to their second victory in the SAC. Offensively, Jalen Ferguson threw for a career high 351 yards and a touchdown. Alex Boyd set a career high with 77 rushing yards and two scores. Adonis McDaniel led LR with five receptions for 134 yards, including a 75 yard reception in the 2nd Half. DeAree Rogers caught his first touchdown of the season and his seventh of his career. Defensively, Andre Jefferson finished with seven tackles, 2.0 TFL, and 1.0 sacks, while Christian Santana's pick-six was his first interception of his career. The Bears move to 4-0 overall for the second straight season. 

SAC Statistic Leaders: Jalen Ferguson ranks second in the SAC averaging 268.3 passing yards per game and is fourth in the SAC with six passing touchdowns. Alex Boyd is now tied for the lead in rushing touchdowns joining his teammate, Zayvion Turner-Knox, with four scores on the ground. Songa Yates is third in the conference in receiving, averaging 77.0 yards per game. Defensively, Andre Jefferson (4.0) and Na'Shawn Biggs (3.5) remain at the top of the SAC for sacks.

Rankings Update: Lenoir-Rhyne remained sixth in the latest AFCA Division ll coaches poll after their victory against Tusculum on Sunday. The top ten teams kept their same rankings from the previous week while Central Washington jumped ahead two spots to #11. Central Oklahoma made the biggest jump in the coaches poll, climbing six spots after defeating Fort Hays State 49-24 at home. Augustana (18), Henderson State (20), and West Florida (21) dropped out of the Top-25 while Bemidji State (Minn.) received the most votes outside (30) the Top-25. SAC conference rival Carson-Newman entered the Top-25 at #25 after defeating Catawba 35-34 this past weekend.