Bears Earn First NCAA Playoff Road Victory in Program History
COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the first time in NCAA Playoff history, the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears won a playoff game on the road with a 35-25 triumph at Benedict on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Dwayne McGee rushed for an LR NCAA Playoff record 216 yards as the Bears advance to the National Quarterfinal for the third time in the past five years.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne 35, Benedict 25
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (12-1), Benedict (11-1)
Location: Columbia, S.C. | Charles W. Johnson Stadium
STATS OF THE GAME:
• For the 11th time this year, Lenoir-Rhyne scored first. McGee scampered 29 yards as he reversed fields and capped a 6-play, 73-yard drive to put the Bears up 7-0.
• The Tigers would answer right back with a 58-yard pass on the first play of their next drive. The extra point was blocked and LR led 7-6.
• The Bears pinned BC deep but on the first play of the drive, Aeneas Dennis hit Reginald Harden for an 87 yard touchdown. Harden caught the first TD as well and ended the quarter with two grabs for 145 yards. The two point conversion failed as Benedict led 12-7.
• Zayvion Turner-Knox ran one in from four yards out at the 13:32 mark of the second quarter to put LR up 14-12 but the half would end with Dennis’ third TD toss, this one covering 29 yards, as Benedict led 19-14.
• The Bears defense had back-to-back sacks on Benedict’s first possession of the second half, forcing them to punt from their own 1. The LR drive started at the 22 and was capped by a 21-yard strike from Sean White to Songa Yates as LR regained the lead. It was Yates’ sixth touchdown grab of the past three games.
• White then hit John Godwin for a 26 yard strike with 4:42 left in the third quarter as LR’s lead swelled to 28-19.
• Turner-Knox converted a 2-yard TD run which was the final play of a 7-play, 80-yard drive to put LR up 35-19 with 9:42 left in the game.