SALISBURY, NC - The sixth longest rivalry in NCAA DII returns this week, as Lenoir-Rhyne travels to Catawba College to face off against the Indians for their final road game of the season. The Bears are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Wingate 14-10 at home as they look to bounce back in week ten. Lenoir-Rhyne comes into the matchup with a 7-2 (5-2 SAC) record, while Catawba enters the matchup with a 2-7 (1-6 SAC) record after dropping their fourth straight game against Barton last week. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. from Salisbury, North Carolina.
Notes:
Matchup History: Saturday's game will be the 103rd all-time meeting between the Bears and Indians. Beginning in 1907, this makes it the sixth longest rivalry in NCAA DII history. The series is tied at 49-49-4 as both teams seek the series lead this weekend. Lenoir-Rhyne has won seven of the last ten matchups, including a 28-7 victory last season at Moretz Stadium. The Bears defense produced seven sacks in that game, which is tied for the second-most in a single game in the NCAA era. Offensively,
Sean White led the air attack with 190 yards passing yards and three touchdown passes while
Dwayne McGee rushed for 96 yards on 12 carries. Lenoir-Rhyne seeks their 24th win at Shuford Field and their 6th straight win against Catawba.
Opponent Profile: Catawba opened their 2024 season going 1-1 in non-conference play on the road, falling to FCS Davidson 49-14 on the road in week one and defeating Shaw 37-28 for their only road victory of the season. The Indians opened up conference play with back-to-back narrow loses to UVA Wise and Carson-Newman in week three and four. However, Catawba generated their first win in the SAC with a 44-41 overtime win at home against Anderson. LJ Turner made history by breaking Catawba's program rushing record (329 yards) and matching a program record with five rushing touchdowns. The last four weeks in conference play, the Indians have been outscored 136-104 during their four-game losing-streak. Preston Brown leads the team in passing throwing for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdown passes. Last season, Catawba finished with a 5-6 (2-6 SAC) record.
Wingate Recap: Lenoir-Rhyne dropped their second conference game of the season and first game at Moretz Stadium with a 14-10 loss to Wingate last weekend. The Bears offense only generated 28 yards of total offense in the first half as they trailed 14-0 at halftime. However, the Bears scored on their first two possessions of the second half to cut the deficit to four in the third quarter. The Bulldogs defense shut down the Bears offense for the remainder of the second half to hang on to their fifth win in the SAC.
Jalen Ferguson threw for just 119 yards, a rushing touchdown, and an interception.
Jaelin Willis led the Bears defense with 14 tackles while
Nic Cheeley collected his fourth straight game with an interception.
Lenoir-Rhyne Statistics: Jalen Ferguson remains second in the conference in passing yards per game (239.8) and tied for third in touchdown passes (12). The Bears remain second in the conference with 16 interceptions through nine games. Lenoir-Rhyne's defense remains near the top of the conference in sacks and only allowing just 162.4 passing yards per game this season.
Rankings Update: Despite the two losses, the Bears come into this week ranked eighth in the Region II rankings, giving them a chance at making their second straight trip to the NCAA DII Playoffs. Fellow conference rivals Wingate (1) and Carson-Newman (5) also appeared in the first rankings. Nationally, the Bears are tied with Carson-Newman for 21st in the AFCA Poll. Following their win over the Bears, Wingate is now tied for 24th in the poll. Holding on to the No. 1 spot is Valdosta State, followed by Ferris State and Kutztown.
