September 22, 2023

C-N set for Bear battle with No. 17/15 Lenoir-Rhyne

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-2, 0-1 South Atlantic Conference) will take on its first nationally-ranked team in nearly a calendar year when N0. 17/15 Lenoir-Rhyne (3-0, 1-0 SAC) arrives at Burke-Tarr Stadium for a 1 p.m. kick Saturday.

#17/15 Lenoir-Rhyne

4-0

Carson-Newman

1-3

Final	1	2	3	4	T
#17/15 Lenoir-Rhyne (4-0)	7	14	0	3	24
Carson-Newman (1-3)	7	0	0	0	7

VIDEO: Mike Clowney Press Conference

C-N Game Notes

LR Game Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-2, 0-1 South Atlantic Conference) will take on its first nationally-ranked team in nearly a calendar year when N0. 17/15 Lenoir-Rhyne (3-0, 1-0 SAC) arrives at Burke-Tarr Stadium for a 1 p.m. kick Saturday.

"I think number one for us is it's good to be back home after being on the road for two weeks. You realize how much fun it is to be in your own place doing your own thing," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "Then, going into week two of SAC play with Lenoir-Rhyne this week, I knew they were ranked, but I didn't know exactly where they would fall. They're a good football team. They've become a steady Eddy in this conference as far as being at that top-tier, and I think they're still there right now. I think the big thing for us, though, is to continue to work on us and work on developing and growing."

Carson-Newman is looking to break a four-game losing streak to Lenoir-Rhyne on the banks of Mossy Creek. The Eagles beat the Bears twice inside Burke-Tarr Stadium in 2012, winning both regular season and playoff meetings 47-23 and 38-35. However, the Bears have taken all four meetings since.

C-N won 31 straight games in the series from 1978-2009. However, the Bears have taken 10 of the last 11 meetings. Lenoir-Rhyne will be looking for its first six-game winning streak in series history. The Bears have scored at least 30 points in all five games on their current win streak against C-N.

This weekend's game features the 40th anniversary reunion of Carson-Newman's first national championship winning football team. The 1983 team defeated Colorado Mesa 36-28 to capture that crown. That team took a 21-15 decision from Lenoir-Rhyne in Jefferson City. C-N jumped out to a 21-0 lead but LR recovered two onside kicks before C-N stopped the potential game-winning score on the one to win the game.

"A key thing to me that you said is that when you get one of those guys back, you get a lot of them back, and I think that's a testament to relationships that those guys built over the time period that they were here," Clowney said. "That blood, sweat and tears that they put in together on the field and off the field creates a bond that's pretty much an eternal bond. The way we do things here to where you learn to grow in Christ together, and you learn and develop as people, that's kind of what pushes you down the road in life."

The 1983 team, and all players in attendance who were members of the 1980s teams, will be recognized on the field during halftime.

For Carson-Newman to have success against the Bears, it will have to compete against one of the nation's best defenses and special teams units.

Lenoir-Rhyne's defense and special teams have been stupid good through three weeks. Those two units have combined to score 42 points by themselves (three punt return TDs, two blocked punts returned for TDs, one pick six). Lenoir-Rhyne's special teams is averaging 11.67 ppg, defense and special teams 14 ppg. If those two units were football teams, they'd rank higher than 20 Division II teams in scoring.

Lenoir-Rhyne return man DeAree Rogers is the reigning SAC Special Team Player of the Week. Rogers broke the record for most punt return yards in a single game with 170 and he broke the record for most punt returns for touchdowns in a single season, having returned three punts for touchdowns in his first three games of the season. Rogers averaged 34 yards per return in the win. He is second in the nation in yards per punt return.

"They've got a lot of chemistry and they're working together. I think they've done a good job of creating some things for one another," Clowney said. "They've got a returner that's a freshman that's really a good player and making a lot good plays, but he's also benefiting from the experience of those other guys and those defensive players that are playing on special teams. That's making an impact to help get him in the end zone. Defensively, I mean, we talk about opportunities. There's several times on video where you see that there's an opportunity to test a tipped ball. Other guys run to the football, and he's able to capitalize on it because he's doing his job the right way and winds up being in the right place at the right time and being able to make a play to help his team. So, I think those are the things that you see and that production is kind of a result of them doing the old things correctly."

Lenoir-Rhyne ranks in the top two nationally in first down defense, rush defense, pass defense, total defense, scoring defense and fourth down defense.

If there is a knock against Lenoir-Rhyne, its the Bears strength of schedule. Lenoir-Rhyne's opposition to date has combined for one win. The Bears' strength of schedule is 10th worst in NCAA Division II.

Carson-Newman is 36-34 all-time against ranked opposition and 1-3 against ranked foes under Mike Clowney. C-N collected a win, a 24-14 triumph over then No. 7 Newberry, the last time it squared off against a ranked foe.

Lenoir-Rhyne has won its last seven games against C-N when playing the Eagles as a ranked team. Carson-Newman won the first ever meeting between the two teams when Lenoir-Rhyne was ranked - taking a 31-3 decision from the Bears on Oct. 30, 1993 when LR was ranked 16th.

The games features heavy cross pollination. Carson-Newman offensive line coach Joe Ray was a three-time Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner for the Bears in the early 2010s. Carson-Newman QB Tre Luttrell transferred to Mossy Creek from LR. Luttrell returned a block punt nine yards for a score against the Eagles in the playoff meeting between the two teams in 2019.

A win for Carson-Newman would be the 100th in South Atlantic Conference play to have featured Mike Clowney as a player, assistant or head coach.

Kickoff between the Eagles and Bears is set for 1 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.