HICKORY, N.C. - It's homecoming in Hickory! This weekend the Bears take on UVA Wise at 3:00 p.m. from Moretz Stadium. 

Due to the nature of homecoming campus will be busy, so make sure you get to school early to get a parking spot. To view the parking map, click HERE.

Opponent: UVA Wise Cavaliers
Game Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Moretz Stadium
Game Promotion: Homecoming
Parking Lot Opens: 9:00 a.m.
Gates Open: 1:00 p.m.

Notes:

Weekend Events:​​​​​​ The weekend will kick off with the inauguration of Dr. Summer McGee in Shuford Arena on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The annual Hanley Painter Golf Tournament kicks off Friday's events, with tee times at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. To sign up for one of the few open spots, click HERE. The official Lenoir-Rhyne Homecoming Kickoff Party will take place at City Walk Brewery and Distillery on Friday night from 7-10 p.m. The official homecoming parade will take place on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. along Stasavich Place. The annual homecoming tailgate will be in the Shaw Plaza from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Bears walk is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., two and a half hours before kickoff. The men's and women's basketball teams will be having an open gym meet and greet from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Shuford Arena. For all homecoming information and events, click HERE.

Game Honorees:​​​​​​ During the game Lenoir-Rhyne will be honoring the 1975 Football team, the 10-year anniversary of LR's Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and the 1975, 1985, 2000, and 2015 classes.

Matchup History: This is the fifth ever meeting between the two teams, with Lenoir-Rhyne holding a 3-1 lead in the series. The last time the Bears and Cavaliers matched up was on September 30, 2023. That game ended in a 56-3 win for the Bears. Leading the way in that contest was Dwayne McGee, who finished with 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Jalen Ferguson passed for 234 yards and three scores. Jon Ross Maye led the team with 10 total tackles while Toney Black, Andre Jefferson, and Qadree Ziyad each tallied a sack. The lone victory for the Cavaliers came in 2021, when they upset the No. 16 ranked Bears 35-28 in Virginia. 

Opponent Profile: UVA Wise is coming off an uncountable 65-0 win over South Carolina Central Christian. In that game they ran for 217 yards and passes for 303, finishign with five touchdowns on the ground and four in the air. Their last game against a DII opponent came two weeks ago when they lost 50-7 on the road at Anderson on their homecoming. Their lone win this year came in a 35-21 home victory against Tusculum. Tied at 21-21, Wise scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. Leading the show is quarterback Jake Corkren, who has 1,240 passing yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. The ball is ran through Daniel Thomas, who is averaging 119.33 rushing yards per game and has eight touchdowns. Wide receiver DJ Powell had nearly double the receptions of the next closest receiver, catching 40 balls for 465 yards and a score. Their defense has struggled, giving up a conference leading 211 points and 412.3 points per game. They have recovered seven fumbles, which leads the SAC. 

Lenoir-Rhyne Profile: The Bears are 3-4 (2-3 SAC) and fell 35-28 to Anderson last week. Khamoni Robinson is the Bears' passing leader, throwing for 1,503 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Zion Agnew, who caught two touchdown passes last week, leads the team with 442 yards and 27 receptions. Joining him in the 20+ reception club is Songa Yates and Destun Thomas. Due to injuries, the running back duties will look to be split between Alex Boyd and Trey Brenton. Brenton came in last week and stepped up, running for 107 yards and a score. Ben Watson (52) and Tre'von Cooper (46) each have 45+ tackles, while Maddox Aprile continues to lead the team with 8.0 TFL. Tye Roberson was a menace in the return game last week, finishing with 181 kick return yards and a 98-yard touchdown. 

Rankings: The AFCA Top-25 top five didnt' change this week, with Ferris State, Harding, West Florida, Kutzdown, and Western Colorado holding down those spots. Emory & Henry, who is ranked No. 22 in the D2Football.com poll, is the first team out of the rankings, receiving 36 votes. The lone team to enter the rankings for the first time this week was Benedict, who are now 6-0 after a 14-7 win over Fort Valley State last week. 

SAC Standings: Emory & Henry continues to lead the conference with a 5-1 mark. Just behind them is Newberry (4-1), while Anderson (3-2) and Catawba (3-2) continue to push for a title. Wingate, Carson-Newman, and Mars Hill are all tied with a 2-2 record. With each team having at least one loss, there will be plenty of shake ups in the SAC standings over the final five weeks of the year.