HICKORY, N.C.- Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears held 17th ranked Carson-Newman to 121 yards on the ground in route to upsetting the Eagles, 20-7, on Saturday night in Hickory, North Carolina.
With the loss Carson-Newman falls to 2-1 on the year and 0-1 in South Atlantic Conference play and Lenoir-Rhyne improves to 2-1 and 1-0 in SAC play.
The Bears outrushed the Eagles 281 to 121 and ran 26 more offensive plays (73 to 47) to shutdown Carson-Newman's option offense. Carson-Newman struck in the first minute of the game as Sophomore quarterback Johnny Foster (Roebuck, SC) found a streaking Jason Brown (Plant City, FL) for 66-yard touchdown pass to give C-N a 7-0 lead 55 seconds into the game.
It would be Carson-Newman's only score of the night.
Lenoir-Rhyne would put up 20 unanswered points controlling the ball and the clock holding an almost twelve minute advantage in time of possession. The Bears would get on the board on their opening drive as kicker Collin Corpe converted on a 22-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. The Bears would take the lead on their following possession as quarterback Major Herron scored on a 20-yard run.
Carson-Newman would gain some momentum in the second quarter as the Eagle defense forced three straight three-and-outs. The Eagles would move the ball into Lenoir-Rhyne territory with a chance to take the lead, but a Tyron Douglass (Clover, SC) fumble stalled the threat at the Bears' 44 yard line.
The Bears would add a field goal before half time and score on their opening possession of the second half to extend their lead to two possessions without the Eagles offense touching the ball. Carson-Newman would mount one last threat in the fourth quarter, but a fourth-down Foster run would come up short, stalling the Eagle drive just outside the Bears' twenty.
Foster led the Eagle offense completing 7-of-14 for 126 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, GA) led the Eagles with 12 carries for 62 yards.
Herron led the Bears with 16 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Carson-Newman returns to action next Saturday (Sept. 24) against Newberry. Kickoff is at 1 pm at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The game is the Eagles' conference home opener.