HICKORY, NC - Lenoir-Rhyne enters week nine with first place in the Piedmont Division on the line as they face off against the Wingate Bulldogs today at 1:00. The Bears come into this important SAC matchup with a 7-1 (5-1 SAC) record, helped in part by a narrow 21-19 victory over Limestone last Saturday at Moretz Stadium. Wingate won their fourth straight game after defeating Catawba 24-15 last weekend at Irwin Belk Stadium. They enter this game with 6-1 (4-1 SAC) record. 

Notes:

Matchup History: Saturday's game will be the 40th all-time meeting between the Bears and Bulldogs. Lenoir-Rhyne leads the all-time series 24-15 and are seeking their first win against Wingate since 2021. Last season, the Bears and Bulldogs went down to the wire as Wingate scored on their final possession to end Lenoir-Rhyne's 10-game regular season winning streak. Jalen Ferguson led the air attack with 262 yards passing, three touchdowns and one interception. The Bears are 12-7 all-time at Moretz Stadium against the Bulldogs.

Opponent Profile: Wingate opened their 2024 season with back-to-back non-conference victories, taking care of business on the road 17-12 against UNC Pembroke in week one and defeating #17 ranked Delta State 21-7 at home in week two. However, Wingate lost their SAC opener in week three in double overtime, 31-28 to Carson-Newman. In that game, Wingate produced 347 yards of total offense, but missed the potential 42 yard go-ahead field goal in overtime. Wingate's week four game against Mars Hill at home was canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. The next four weeks, Wingate dominated in SAC play outscoring opponents 145-27, improving their conference record to 4-1. During this four game winning streak, Brooks Bentley has thrown for over 600 yards passing with six touchdown passes while O'Brien Barnett has rushed for over 300 yards and three scores. Last season, the Bulldogs finished with an 8-3 (7-2 SAC) record while finishing the year on a four game win streak. 

Limestone Recap: A failed game-tying two-point conversion by Limestone in the fourth quarter propelled the Bears to a 21-19 win on homecoming weekend. The Bears defense had Chris Brown and Nic Cheeley intercept Limestone's signal caller Jalen Stinson in the victory, bringing their team total to 16 interceptions this season. Ben Watson led the Bears with a career high nine tackles while Christian Santana notched five tackles, including 2.5 TFL. Offensively, Jalen Ferguson threw for 217 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while DeAree Rogers led the Bears with four catches for 53 yards. Tye Roberson started for the Bears in the backfield and he did not disappoint, finishing the day with 11 carries for 37 rushing yards, and four receptions for 50 yards and a receiving touchdown. Lenoir-Rhyne have won their last seven straight matchups against the Saints and are now 8-1 all-time. 

Lenoir-Rhyne statistics: Jalen Ferguson remains second in the conference in passing yards per game (254.9) and is now tied for third in touchdown passes (12). After allowing just allowing a total of 22 points in their last three games, Lenoir-Rhyne's defense ranks third in the conference at 16.6 points allowed per game. The Bears are also second in the SAC with 16 total interceptions through eight games. Not only has the Bears defense generated 16 sacks on opponent's quarterbacks this season, they are third in the SAC in pass defense, only allowing 151.8 passing yards per game. 

Rankings Update: Lenoir-Rhyne moved up to 12 in the latest AFCA Division ll coaches poll after last weekend's narrow victory against Limestone. For the second straight week, there is a new team at the top of the rankings in week eight. #1 ranked Grand Valley State dropped their first game of the season 34-7 to #3 Ferris State, dropping their ranking to #6. Valdosta State is now #1 in the latest polls while Ouachita Baptist jumped to #3 after defeating Arkansas Tech 38-7 to remain undefeated. California (Pa.) (23) and Findlay (25) entered the Top-25 after both teams improved their record to 7-1 this past weekend. Angelo State (46) received the most votes outside the Top-25 while SAC rivals Emory & Henry (45) and Wingate (35) also recieved votes. Carson-Newman dropped in the rankings to 24 after falling to Emory & Henry 17-10 on the road. 

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. Wingate, 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.