VIDEO: Mike Clowney presser
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-2, 0-1 South Atlantic Conference) will try to do something it hasn't in five years when it hits the gridiron Saturday.
Beat a ranked SAC foe.
For the second time in four weeks, the Eagles will butt heads with a nationally-ranked foe when it arrives in Moretz Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff with 18th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (2-1, 1-0 SAC).
"I think Lenoir-Rhyne has done a good job over the past few years of kind of growing and developing their program," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "I think to be able to see that they're 18 in the country is a staple that they've kind of been able to put together and create. The thing for us is we really can't worry about Lenoir-Rhyne. The thing that we've got to do is focus on the things that we need to do to continue to get better, to go in there and give ourselves a chance for victory."
Carson-Newman is searching for its first win against a ranked opponent since the opening round of the NCAA playoffs in 2019 when it beat No. 11 Bowie State 17-9. C-N has dropped three consecutive games to ranked foes since then. The Eagles haven't beaten a ranked SAC team since Sept. 30, 2017 when C-N handed 23rd-ranked Catawba a 31-18 loss. C-N has lost five straight to ranked SAC opponents, exclusively at the hands of Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate.
This will be Carson-Newman's second crack at a milestone win after dropping a two-overtime heartbreaker to Limestone last week. Carson-Newman is playing to win its 650th game all-time as a football program. The Eagles are fourth in NCAA Division II history with 649 wins behind Pittsburg State, Tuskeegee and Hillsdale. Carson-Newman has a six-game lead on Central Oklahoma to become the fourth team with 650 wins in D2.
With six rushing touchdowns through three weeks of football, Carson-Newman has already accounted for 67 percent of its total rushing scoring output from a year ago. The Eagles also occupy a familiar spot, tops in the SAC in rushing yardage per game (245) and time of possession (33:58).
"I think we've got a lot of guys there that's working, that's contributing," Clowney said. "They all come to work every single day. I think (Running Backs) Coach (Leonard) Weaver has done a great job with them. I think anytime in coaching, the one thing that you want to do is develop a mentality. I think if you go turn on some of his tape and you kind of start to see some of his mentality show up in some of our running backs to where they're doing a good job as far as being downhill, physical runners, trying not to get tackled by that first contact."
The Bears have been elite at generating pressure. The Bears have produced a sack in 57 consecutive weeks and rank ninth nationally with 9.7 tackles for loss per game, including 13 against Virginia State in the opener.
"They're super talented, especially up front," Clowney said. "On the back end, they're really athletic. But the biggest thing they do is they rally to the football. They've got a bunch of guys that have won games and they do the little things. They're going to attack, get up field, then they're going to work back to the ball."
In last year's 59-0 Lenoir-Rhyne win, Carson-Newman saw the Bears set records for yards of total offense allowed (750) and yards per play allowed (8.9). Lenoir-Rhyne also tallied 8.1 yards per rush (second most in school history allowed) and became the second team to score six rushing touchdowns on the Eagles.
Dwayne McGee became the first opposing running back to score five rushing touchdowns against the Eagles. He finished with 200 yards on 19 carries, becoming the third opposing tailback to rush for 200 yards against C-N.
"He really does a really good job of changing direction," Clowney said. "He's got good speed. He can stop on a dime and get the ball back vertical. I think that's the one of the main reasons you've been able to kind of see his success. Small kid, but he still kind of runs like those bigger guys."
Lenoir-Rhyne is among the nation's best on special teams. Through three weeks, the Bears have blocked two punts and two field goals. LR ranks third nationally in blocked kicks.
Carson-Newman wide receiver Braxton Westfield's next touchdown catch will (the 15th of his career) move him into the top five for receiving TDs in Carson-Newman history and a tie with Tim Gaines (1975-77) and his 16 receiving TDs.
Westfield is already up to 18 receptions on the year, good for second in the SAC. If he were to haul in 11 passes (the second most in a game in C-N history), he would begin to move up the top 20 for most catches in a single season at C-N in only week four.
Linebacker Alonzo Houston needs nine tackles to crack 200 stops for his collegiate career. He is trying to become the program's first 200-career tackle player since all-region selection Sha'Heem Stupart in 2017.
Through 10 opponent trips into the red zone, Carson-Newman has yet to keep an opponent from scoring. The Eagles rank 143rd in the country in red zone defense. Dating back to the regular season finale at Tusculum last season, opponents have scored on 14 straight trips inside the C-N 20.
Kickoff between Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman is set for 6 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 5 p.m. with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and
