Defense rules among North Carolina’s Division II college football elite so far this season.
Lenoir-Rhyne and Johnson C. Smith rank second and third nationally in total defense among D2 programs.
Lenoir-Rhyne, which improved to 4-0 with a 24-7 win over Carson-Newman, has only surrendered 578 total yards thus far. That’s an average of 144.5 yards per game, second only to Benedict in Division II (107.7 ypg). Lenoir-Rhyne has surrendered only three touchdowns.
Johnson C. Smith, meanwhile, improved to 3-1 with another stellar effort on the defensive front. The Golden Bulls are giving up just 171.5 yards per contest thus far, allowing seven touchdowns.
The Bears and Golden Bulls lead all of North Carolina in the total defense statistical category — by far. The next closest team on the list is Wingate, another Division II stalwart, which is giving up 243.5 yards per game.
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In our Statewide Stats comparison for total defense, the top five teams all play at the D2 level – and seven of the top eight, and eight of the top 10. Duke (sixth) and NC State (ninth) are the only schools from other divisions to muster comparable total defense numbers (albeit against a different level of competition entirely – but still interesting to compare all these schools together). Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, St. Augustine’s, Mars Hill and Winston-Salem State round out the D2 teams in the state’s top 10.
In terms of scoring defense, Lenoir-Rhyne (6.0 points per game) and Duke (8.8 ppg) lead the state as the only schools holding foes under 10 points per contest. Johnson C. Smith (13.3 ppg), Wingate (13.8) and undefeated Mars Hill (14.7) have been keeping foes to about two touchdowns per game.
Again, only Benedict has allowed fewer points at the D2 level than Lenoir-Rhyne. Opponent drives have been inside the red zone only three times against Lenoir-Rhyne, settling for one field goal and getting turned away with nothing twice.
Duke, which is gearing up for a high-powered Notre Dame offense this weekend, is fourth-best in the FBS in scoring defense.
More Notables On Defense
* Elon, which got a four-touchdown performance from running back Jalen Hampton against Campbell, will face the sternest defense in the FCS when No. 4/5 William & Mary visits on Saturday. The Tribe allow just 175.2 total yards per game (first in FCS) and 10.0 points per game (tied for first in FCS). They are seventh in the FCS in run defense (70 ypg).
* Elon’s defense is tied for second in the FCS in team sacks with 15.
* Davidson’s opponent this weekend, Pioneer Football League rival San Diego, leads FCS in turnover margin. San Diego has recovered six fumbles and picked off six passes, while only turning the ball over once. Davidson, meanwhile, is plus-four in that category — tied for 11th.
* Duke is plus-five in turnover margin, tied for ninth in the FBS. The Blue Devils are fourth — and Notre Dame is second — in pass efficiency defense.
* Wake Forest is tied for third in FBS with 16 sacks. Ten of those quarterback wrangles happened against Old Dominion a few weeks ago.
* Lenoir-Rhyne and Johnson C. Smith have both blocked four kicks this season. Lenoir-Rhyne is plus-seven in turnover margin.
* Elizabeth City State has recovered five fumbles this season. That ranks top 10 in Division II.
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| TOTAL DEFENSE | DIVISION | GAMES | YARDS | YPG | OPP TD |
| Lenoir-Rhyne | D2 | 4 | 578 | 144.5 | 3 |
| Johnson C. Smith | D2 | 4 | 686 | 171.5 | 7 |
| Wingate | D2 | 4 | 974 | 243.5 | 7 |
| Elizabeth City State | D2 | 4 | 1025 | 256.3 | 10 |
| Fayetteville State | D2 | 4 | 1056 | 264.0 | 7 |
| Duke | FBS | 4 | 1105 | 276.3 | 5 |
| St. Augustine’s | D2 | 4 | 1182 | 295.5 | 17 |
| Mars Hill | D2 | 3 | 893 | 297.7 | 6 |
| NC State | FBS | 4 | 1304 | 326.0 | 11 |
| Winston-Salem State | D2 | 4 | 1320 | 330.0 | 11 |
| Davidson | FCS | 4 | 1331 | 332.8 | 11 |
| NC Central | FCS | 4 | 1347 | 336.8 | 13 |
| Wake Forest | FBS | 4 | 1354 | 338.5 | 11 |
| Appalachian State | FBS | 4 | 1355 | 338.8 | 15 |
| East Carolina | FBS | 4 | 1381 | 345.3 | 14 |
| Elon | FCS | 4 | 1409 | 352.3 | 11 |
| Gardner-Webb | FCS | 4 | 1430 | 357.5 | 18 |
| Catawba | D2 | 4 | 1449 | 362.3 | 15 |
| North Carolina | FBS | 4 | 1452 | 363.0 | 10 |
| Western Carolina | FCS | 4 | 1472 | 368.0 | 14 |
| Chowan | D2 | 4 | 1477 | 369.3 | 23 |
| Shaw | D2 | 4 | 1483 | 370.8 | 15 |
| Methodist | D3 | 4 | 1504 | 376.0 | 22 |
| Barton | D2 | 4 | 1518 | 379.5 | 8 |
| NC A&T | FCS | 3 | 1155 | 385.0 | 12 |
| Campbell | FCS | 4 | 1565 | 391.3 | 13 |
| UNC Pembroke | D2 | 4 | 1575 | 393.8 | 12 |
| Guilford | D3 | 3 | 1232 | 410.7 | 11 |
| Greensboro | D3 | 4 | 1646 | 411.5 | 23 |
| Charlotte | FBS | 4 | 1661 | 415.3 | 10 |
| Livingstone | D2 | 4 | 1749 | 437.3 | 23 |
| Brevard | D3 | 4 | 1771 | 442.8 | 14 |
| NC Wesleyan | D3 | 3 | 1363 | 454.3 | 17 |
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| SCORING DEFENSE | DIVISION | GAMES | POINTS | PPG |
| Lenoir-Rhyne | D2 | 4 | 24 | 6.0 |
| Duke | FBS | 4 | 35 | 8.8 |
| Johnson C. Smith | D2 | 4 | 53 | 13.3 |
| Wingate | D2 | 4 | 55 | 13.8 |
| Mars Hill | D2 | 3 | 44 | 14.7 |
| Fayetteville State | D2 | 4 | 67 | 16.8 |
| Barton | D2 | 4 | 71 | 17.8 |
| Davidson | FCS | 4 | 72 | 18.0 |
| Elizabeth City State | D2 | 4 | 75 | 18.8 |
| Winston-Salem State | D2 | 4 | 80 | 20.0 |
| NC State | FBS | 4 | 87 | 21.8 |
| North Carolina | FBS | 4 | 88 | 22.0 |
| Wake Forest | FBS | 4 | 91 | 22.8 |
| Louisburg | JUCO | 3 | 70 | 23.3 |
| Elon | FCS | 4 | 98 | 24.5 |
| NC Central | FCS | 4 | 99 | 24.8 |
| Campbell | FCS | 4 | 100 | 25.0 |
| Charlotte | FBS | 4 | 104 | 26.0 |
| East Carolina | FBS | 4 | 104 | 26.0 |
| Guilford | D3 | 3 | 80 | 26.7 |
| Appalachian State | FBS | 4 | 108 | 27.0 |
| Catawba | D2 | 4 | 108 | 27.0 |
| Western Carolina | FCS | 4 | 108 | 27.0 |
| UNC Pembroke | D2 | 4 | 110 | 27.5 |
| St. Augustine’s | D2 | 4 | 111 | 27.8 |
| Brevard | D3 | 4 | 112 | 28.0 |
| Shaw | D2 | 4 | 116 | 29.0 |
| NC A&T | FCS | 3 | 92 | 30.7 |
| Gardner-Webb | FCS | 4 | 143 | 35.8 |
| Livingstone | D2 | 4 | 157 | 39.3 |
| Methodist | D3 | 4 | 158 | 39.5 |
| Greensboro | D3 | 4 | 162 | 40.5 |
| NC Wesleyan | D3 | 3 | 126 | 42.0 |
| Chowan | D2 | 4 | 171 | 42.8 |
| St. Andrews | NAIA | 4 | 261 | 65.3 |
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