MARS HILL, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne football team hits the road this week for a matchup with the Mars Hill Lions. 

With both teams sitting at three SAC losses, a win is vital to stay alive in the hunt for the conference title. 

Opponent: Mars Hill Lions
Game Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Mars Hill, N.C. | Meares Stadium

Notes:

Matchup History: These teams have a long and storied history, having first played in 1922. The modern version of this rivalry began in a 23-20 Bears win in 1973. Overall, Lenoir-Rhyne holds a 26-24-1 lead in the series, last losing in 2017. Last year's game was a 29-20 The last meeting took place last year, a 29-21 Lenoir-Rhyne comeback victory. Down 21-10 late in the third quarter, the Bears rallied to score 19 unanswered points in a 12 minute span to win the game. Jalen Ferguson finished 25-for-39 with 304 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Zayvion Turner-Knox ran for 87 yards and a score, while Songa Yates caught four balls for 93 yards and a touchdown. On defense Jaelin Willis was all over the Lions, leading the team with eight tackles and 3.0 TFL. 

Opponent Profile: Mars Hill currently sports a 3-4 (2-3 SAC) record under first year head coach Kevin Barnette. Barnette inherited a team that had been coached since 1993 by the legendary Tim Clifton, the winningest coach in Lions history. Barnette is no stranger to the Lions, having been their defensive coordinator under Clifton for hte past 31 years. The Lions opened their season with a 28-25 loss vs. Winston-Salem State. Following that setback, they took down Carson Newman (31-24), Anderson (21-14), and Mary Hardin-Baylor (21-7). That three-game winning streak was followed by a three-game losing streak, falling to Catawba (42-28), Emory & Henry (48-23), and Newberry (38-24) last week. They are led on offense by quarterback JR Martin, who has passed for 1740 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is second in the SAC at 248.6 yards per game. Junior Jon Gullette has run for 574 yards and three scores while also catching 36 balls for 295 yards and a touchdown. Receivers Charlie Guinade and Edward Louis Jr. have combined for 875 yards and eight touchdowns. Linebacker Stephen Reid is the team leader with 66 tackles. The Lions do nearly all their damage in the air, as they rank dead last in the SAC with 813 total rushing yards. 

Lenoir-Rhyne Profile: The Bears are 4-4 (3-3 SAC) and are coming off a 23-10 homecoming victory over UVA Wise. That game saw a balanced effort from the offense, passing for one touchdown and rushing for two. The defense held the Cavaliers to just 47 rushing yards, the lowest amount the Bears have allowed all season. Khamoni Robinson is the motor that makes this offense run, going 118-for-187 on the year with 1,670 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. His 63.1% completion percentage ranks third in the conference. Due to injuries, Trey Brenton and Alex Boyd have been able to take advantage of their extended running back duties, combining for 351 yards and four scores. Songa Yates has exactly 500 recieving yards and four touchdowns, while Zion Agnew and Destun Thomas aren't far behind with three and two scores, respectively. Ben Watson (55) and Tre'von Cooper (52) continue to lead the team in tackles, while Maddox Aprile ranks second in the SAC with four sacks. Punter Stewart Simmons doesn't quite meet the requirements (play in 75% of games and 3.6 attempts per game) to appear on the SAC rankings, but his 43.57 yards per punt average would rank him first in the conference if that were the case. Lenoir-Rhyne ranks third in the SAC in total offense, but are second to last in red zone offense, scoring on just 76% of their red zone opportunities. 

Rankings: The top four teams in the AFCA Top 25 stayed the same, with Ferris State still holding the No. 1 spot aftera  38-10 win over Michigan Tech. Augustana (SD) is now the No. 5 team, despite a bye week last week. The biggest upset last week was Grand Valley State, who fell to Saginaw Valley State 20-19 for the first time since 2012. The SAC had just one team represent them in the poll, as Carson-Newman were in the "others receiving votes" portion. 

SAC Standings: The SAC title is still up for grabs, as Newberry leads with a 5-1 SAC record. Emory & Henry (5-2) are just behind them, while Catawba, Wingate, and Carson-Newman each sport 3-2 marks. Anderson, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Mars Hill have three losses, while UVA Wise (1-5), and Tusculum (0-5) sit at the bottom of the standings.