Football Opens Home Slate Saturday at 7 p.m.

Davidson Wildcats (0-1) vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (1-0)

Date: Sept. 10, 2011 - 7 p.m.
Site: Smith Field at Richardson Stadium (4,500 capacity) - Davidson, N.C.
Audio: Mark Plemmons calls the action on the Davidson Radio Network (1350 AM, online at DavidsonWildcats.com and mobile with the TuneIn Radio App)
Video: Live on Davidson All-Access at DavidsonWildcats.com
Web sites: Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com), Lenoir-Rhyne (LRBears.com)

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Tailgate Zone
The Tailgate Zone opens at 4 p.m. (three hours before every game). Billy Jones and the Pocket Band will be on the Coca-Cola stage. There will be four inflatable games for kids, and the men and women's swimming and diving teams are signing autographs from 5:45-6:45 p.m..

Today's Game
• Davidson opens its home schedule by hosting Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday at 7 p.m. in Richardson Stadium.
• The 'Cats are coming off a season-opening 40-16 loss at Georgetown last Saturday, while Lenoir-Rhyne topped Concord 26-6 on the road.
• The Wildcats return 53 lettermen and 15 starters from the 2010 squad, which went 3-8 overall and 3-5 in the PFL.
• Five of the returning starters were All-PFL selections last year, and sophomore quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff was the league's Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
• Davidson is 7-3 in its last 10 home openers. The Wildcats are 11-12 in Richardson Stadium in their last 23 contests and have suffered seven straight losses at home, dating back to 2009.
• Lenoir-Rhyne returns 18 starters from its 2010 team, which went 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the South Atlantic Conference. Seven Bears were named preseason all-conference.
• The Bears were 2-2 on the road last season.
• The 'Cats were picked ninth in the PFL preseason poll while Lenoir-Rhyne was picked third in the South Atlantic Conference. The Bears earned two first-place votes in the poll.

Series Record
• The Wildcats trail the series, which began in 1910, 9-7 but have won three of the last five games.
• Prior to the 2009 meeting, the previous four games were decided by an average of 5.5 points. That stretch included a one-point Wildcat win in 2007 and a 20-16 Davidson victory at LRU in 2008.
• The Bears won five straight against Davidson from 1974 to 2005.
• Four Davidson turnovers in the first half turned into 21 Lenoir-Rhyne points, and James Pone rushed five times for 70 yards and a touchdown as Lenoir-Rhyne defeated the Wildcats 41-13 at Moretz Stadium last season.
• Kenny Mantuo led Davidson with 89 yards on the ground and caught two passes for 32 yards. Quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff completed 15 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, and Lanny Funsten had three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Reese Williams finished with 62 yards on five receptions.
• Lenoir-Rhyne, which came into the game averaging 416 rushing yards a contest, had 266 on the ground. Quarterback Major Herron rushed for 64 yards and a score on 12 carries, and Le'Quan McCorkle rushed for 45 yards and three touchdowns on 12 attempts.
• The Wildcats had three interceptions and a fumble on special teams in the first half, which helped the Bears score 34 straight points in the contest. Davidson finished the contest with five miscues that led to 27 LRU points.

Changes in the Offense
• Three new coaches on offense joined the 'Cats' staff in the spring, and the Wildcats are running the Air Raid offense this year.
• Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Mumme comes to Davidson from McMurry University, where he was the OC for his father, Hal Mumme. Hal developed the Air Raid at Kentucky with Tim Couch as his quarterback, and Matt played behind Tim for the Wildcats.
• McMurry finished the 2010 campaign with a 6-4 record, earning the school's first winning season since 2000, placed second in the nation (D-III) with 3,665 passing yards and led all of college football in touchdown passes with 45.
• Wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator E.J. Henderson comes to Davidson from Princeton.
• Offensive line coach Robert Fickling comes to Davidson from West Texas A&M University.

Preseason Honors
• Linebacker John Behm, receiver Lanny Funsten, defensive back Peter Kidwell and defensive lineman Morgan Popham were named first-team Preseason All-Pioneer Football League by Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine.
• All four players earned second-team All-PFL honors from the league for their performances in 2010.
• Behm and Funsten have also been named to the College Football Performance Awards FCS Watch List for their respective positions.
• The Wildcats' longsnapper, Behm earned FCS Preseason All-America honors from the College Sporting News at that position.

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