Lenoir-Rhyne is coming off a memorable 2023 postseason run that saw the Bears advance to the national semifinals of the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
The bittersweet finish to the season set the bar for Lenoir-Rhyne, and the Bears are among the 16 teams remaining in this year’s Division II bracket.
On Saturday, the Bears will host Virginia Union in a second-round contest at Helen & Leonard Moretz Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. It will be the third meeting in history between the two programs, and kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Eastern.
Lenoir-Rhyne is coming off a 37-34 opening-round win over West Alabama that included a record day from redshirt junior quarterback Jalen Ferguson, who became the first player in 105 years of Bears football to throw for more than 400 yards in a single game (411), with 202 of them coming from sophomore receiver Adonis McDaniel on seven catches.
Since 2012, Lenoir-Rhyne has made eight postseason appearances, including consecutively in 2023 and 2024.
The team’s 2023 campaign ended with a 55-14 loss to eventual national champion Harding in the national semifinals. Lenoir-Rhyne finished the year at 13-2.
The Bears will enter Saturday’s meeting with Virginia Union at 10-2, including a three-game winning streak.
Virginia Union is 9-3 and coming off a 34-31 win over Wingate in the opening round of the 2024 playoffs. It was the first Division II playoff win in the 125-year history of the football program and required an overtime period.
VUU scored with 20 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game, while Wingate scored first in overtime with a field goal to pull ahead 31-28.
The Panthers answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from redshirt sophomore quarterback RJ Rosales to seal the victory.
In their previous two meetings, Lenoir-Rhyne and Virginia Union each have won one game. VUU took the first contest in 2007 (28-13), and Lenoir-Rhyne won the 2019 meeting (28-11).
The winner of the Virginia Union vs. Lenoir-Rhyne matchup Saturday will advance to next week’s quarterfinals and meet the winner of the Miles College vs. Valdosta State game.
The Virginia Union vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Division II playoff football game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Highlights, breaking news and full coverage of the Division II playoffs will be available on FloFootball.
The NCAA Division II championship game is set for Saturday, Dec. 21 in McKinney, Texas.
First Round: Saturday, Nov. 23
Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 30
As of Nov. 18, 2024
Dropped Out: Minnesota St. (18), Findlay (Ohio) (22).
Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 65; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 45; Virginia Union, 38; Miles (Ala.), 36; Minnesota St., 34; New Haven (Conn.), 21; Findlay (Ohio), 18; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 9; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 4; Davenport (Mich.), 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Glenville St. (W.Va.), 1.
To see the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, click here.
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