By Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics/LRBears.com
HICKORY, N.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne football dominated St. Augustine’s 45-7 to open the 2023 season on a perfect Saturday night at Moretz Stadium. The Bear defense suffocated the Falcons and held SAU to three first downs and two rushing yards on 27 attempts.
STATS OF THE GAME:
• The Bears scored the first 28 points of the game and never looked back in the dominating victory. LR outgained the Falcons 378-52 and held the ball for 36:37 of the game.
• Kelin Parsons scored from one yard out on a swing pass to get the Bears on the board at the 3:03 mark of the first quarter.
• Just 1:34 later, DeAree Rogers took a punt 41 yards back to the house for his first career touchdown.
• The lead swelled to 21-0 with another special teams score. James Ussery blocked a punt in the end zone that was recovered by Tye Roberson for a touchdown.
• Parson’s second TD of the first half made it 28-0 on the same swing pass. Parson’s two TDs covered three total yards.
• St. Augustine’s scored their lone TD of the game on a 37-yard catch and run with seven seconds left in the first half.
• The first TD of the second half went to Zyheir Dillard on a 6-yard run and Zayvion Turner-Knox punched in a 1-yard TD to make it 42-7.
• Jake Brown’s first career FG — a 19-yarder — made it a 45-7 final.
• Sean White went 16-for-21 for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• Songa Yates had a career-high five grabs for 58 yards.
• Jon Ross Maye led the defense with 9 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Zeke Nance had three tackles and two sacks.
• The Falcons went 9-for-16 in the passing game for 50 yards.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
• Parsons topped 100 career catches with his second grab of the night.
• The 5.6 yards gained per completion for the Falcons are the second-lowest allowed by the Bears in the NCAA era.
• The 52 total yards allowed are also the second fewest.
• LR managed just 12 first downs in the game with 10 coming through the air.
• The Bears move to 56-34-4 all-time in home openers.
• LR is now 19-4 since 2010 when scoring a special teams touchdown.
UP NEXT: Lenoir-Rhyne will hit the road for their first road test at Fayetteville State next Saturday at 6 p.m. St. Augustine’s will play against Elizabeth City State in the Annual Down East Viking Classic in Rocky Mount
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