JEFFERSON CITY, TN - Fresh off an exciting win over Emory & Henry on Saturday, the No. 19 ranked Lenoir-Rhyne football team travels to Jefferson City, Tennessee, to take on Carson-Newman. The Eagles are coming off a 31-24 overtime loss at Mars Hill last week that dropped them out of the top-25. 

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Matchup History: These teams have faced off 66 times over the course of their long history, with Carson-Newman leading the all-time series 44-22. Recently the wins have been in the Bears' favor, coming out victorious in 11 of the previous 12 matchups. The last time these two teams faced off was on September 23, 2023, when the Bears won 24-7 in Jefferson City. The last time the Eagles found themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard was on November 4, 2017, when they came into Hickory and took down the Bears 42-28. Both teams have a history of success, with Carson-Newman making 17 NCAA tournament appearances and Lenoir-Rhyne having eight. 

Opponent Profile: Carson-Newman currently has a 1-1 record with their lone blemish being last week's loss at Mars Hill. They took down West Virginia State 41-10 to open the season then won 59-0 over South Carolina Central Christian in a non-countable exhibition game. The Eagles are averaging 32.5 points on 410 yards of offense per game. Much of that offensive yardage comes on the ground as the they average 296 rushing yards per game. Sophomore Tedros Gleaton is the quarterback behind Carson-Newman's triple-option offense. He is 8-for-13 with three touchdowns in the air and has 26 rushes for 161 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Senior Jayden Sullins is the team's second leading rusher, totaling 132 yards and a touchdown in two games. Defensively, Mekhi Brown is averaging 5.5 tackles per game and already has two sacks. He has 16.5 sacks in his career, eighth among all active players in DII. Carson-Newman has won six consecutive home games and will be looking for their first seven-game home win streak since winning 10 straight home games from the 2008-09 seasons. 

Lenoir-Rhyne Profile: Lenoir-Rhyne sits at 2-1 with wins over Emory & Henry and Tusculum. Big plays have been the story of the Bears' season as eight of their 11 touchdown drives have featured a scoring play longer than 25 yards. Khamoni Robinson is leading the SAC with 256.7 passing yards per game and is tied for the conference lead with seven passing touchdowns. Last week he went off for 180 passing yards, 154 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns. Songa Yates has been the go-to receiver this year, totaling 302 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs LJ Turner and Zayvion Turner-Knox have combined for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Local product Ben Watson is the team's lead in tackles (24.0) and has 2.0 TFL. Maddox Aprile s tied for the conference lead with 2.5 sacks. Punter Stewart Simmons has the longest punt in the SAC this year (67 yards vs. West Florida) and is third with a 42.0 average. 

Rankings: The Bears continue to appear in the national poll, being ranked No. 19 in this week's AFCA poll. This marks the 33rd straight week Lenoir-Rhyne has been ranked. Wingate jumped into the rankings at No. 23 after a 72-7 win over Bluefield State. Carson-Newman, who was ranked No. 24 last week, dropped out after their overtime loss to Mars Hill. The top-five consists of Ferris State, Harding, West Florida, Slippery Rock, and Kutztown. Week six opponent Valdosta State stayed one spot behind the Bears at No. 20. Second-year program Anderson appeared in the receiving votes section of the poll for the first time in their program's young history. The Trojans are 3-0 and defeated Tusculum 30-0 in their SAC opener last weekend.