Saturday, September 12
Davidson, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College
0
vs
42
Lenoir-Rhyne
Photo by: Sideline Sports
Lenoir-Rhyne Spoils Davidson Home Opener
9/12/2009 5:44:50 PM | Football
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Andrew Courman led Lenoir-Rhyne with 140 rushing yards, and the Bears ran for 370 as a team to post a 42-0 football victory over Davidson Saturday afternoon at Richardson Stadium.
The Wildcats committed five turnovers in the game, and the Bears took advantage, scoring 21 points off of the miscues. One fumble was returned for a touchdown, and Lenoir-Rhyne also blocked a punt, which led to another touchdown.
Hard running by the Bears and some missed tackles by Davidson also led two long touchdown runs in the third quarter. Byron Darby broke free for a 77-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. Two possessions later after Wildcat punter Andrew Wohler pinned the Bears on their own 5-yard line, Courman broke off a 95-yard touchdown run that made the score 28-0 and put the game away.
“Turnovers absolutely killed us today,” said Wildcat coach Tripp Merritt. “They put our defense into tough spots, and they got tired and didn't tackle well in the second half.”
Darby finished the day with 92 yards on five carries, and quarterback Justin Sanders rushed 12 times for 50 yards and a score. LRU averaged 7.3 yards a carry for the afternoon.
Kenny Mantuo led the Wildcats with 83 yards on 13 carries, and quarterback Michael Blanchard threw for 190 yards. Andrew Aldrich finished the day with 70 yards on four receptions, and Jonathan Adams had three catches for 48 yards.
Will Pickens led the Davidson defense with 10 tackles, and Tyler Lemons had nine tackles and a sack. The Bear defense combined for five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
The Wildcats won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, but Blanchard was picked off by Jamont Jones on the first play from scrimmage. The Bears went 41 yards in seven plays and got on the board with an Antwain Ross 9-yard TD run 3:09 into the contest.
The Bears benefitted from a Davidson turnover midway through the second quarter, when a fumble gave LRU the ball at the Wildcat 25-yard line. Sanders plunged in from 2-yards out five plays later to open a 14-0 cushion.
The Bears blocked a punt and recovered it at the 2-yard line, and Le'Quan McCorkle went in the end zone on the next play with 9:25 left in the game. The Bears capped the scoring with 3:32 to go when Brandon Brown sacked Blanchard, forcing a fumble, which Mike Harold recovered and returned for a TD.
Davidson remains home next Saturday as the Wildcats host Campbell in their Pioneer Football League opener. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
“Next week is the start of PFL play, and winning the league is always our goal,” said Merritt. “We have to see which team will show up tomorrow and start getting better.”
Game Notes: The Bears break a 3-game losing skid against the Wildcats… Davidson falls to 3-3 in its last six Homecoming games… The 'Cats are 7-3 in their last 10 home openers and 9-5 in their last 14 in Richardson Stadium.
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