Bears Hold off FVSU Wildcats Homecoming Upset Bid

FORT VALLEY, Georgia – After what turned out to be a wet first half, the Wildcats shinned in the early third quarter and they had thoughts of a Homecoming upset dancing in their heads. Lenoir-Rhyne turned the tide 17-straight points and held off Fort Valley State in a 30-22 football victory.

Trailing 13-7 at half, the Wildcats (1-7) saw the passing combo of Demontay Jones to Lorenzo Smothers surge them ahead. Jones hit Smothers on a 63-yard scoring strike on the opening possession and added a second 63-yarder on the second drive, which took the ball to the visitors' one-yardline. Jeremy McCants plunged in from a yard on the next play for a sudden 19-13 home advantage.

Lenoir-Rhyne (7-1) did not allow FVSU to enjoy the lead for any more than 14 seconds. The Bears' Xzavion Huff returned the ensuing kick-off 90 yards cutting across the field for the kick-return touchdown and lead, 20-19. The visitors added a 33-yard field goal 2:33 later and a mid-fourth quarter touchdown, before they ran out the final 4:43 of the clock to end the game.

Smothers finished his day with 210 all-purpose yards with three catches for 140 yards, one kick return for 66 yards and a seven-yard punt return.

In his first quarterback start, Jones completed 10 of 22 passes for 199 yards with one score and an interception. The junior also rushed for 27 yards on nine attempts. McCants added 35 yards on 14 carries with the one-yard touchdown. Jeffery Mack pulled in a 55-yard catch for his lone grab.

After only toaling 67 first-half yards, the Wildcats offense finished the day with 281 yards on 56 plays.

The potent Lenoir-Rhyne rushing attack slipped over the 300-yard mark of 305 on 64 rushes. The Wildcats defense did hold the Bears to a season-low point total of 30 points. Strong safety Cameron Young led the home defense with a season-best 20 tackles, 12 of the solo variety with a forced fumble.

Kei'Jne Thomas added nine tackles and a tackle for loss, while four other FVSU defenders finished with eight tackles apiece – Voris Bryant (8 QB hurries), Aaron Dore (2 breakups), Juwan Gardner (1 sack) and Andrew Robinson (2 tackles for loss and a sack).

The Bears amassed 428 yards of total offense, but 267 of those yards came in the opening two frames. Darnell Jackson paced the Lenoir-Rhyne running back committee with 109 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown, while Huff contributed 66 yards on 11 tries, including a second-quarter 54-yard score burst.

ATTENDANCE: 8,139

BOX SCORE

With a 23-19 deficit after three quarters, the Wildcats thought they had an opportune situation to retake the lead. A Jones pass to left tackle Darrious Hicks for 16 yards down the Bears two-yardline was called back due to a called illegal forward pass.

Following an Eli Mashburn punt downed at the 3-yard line, FVSU saw another chance not pan out as the tide almost turned again two plays later. On a bad Lenoir-Rhyne quarterback snap exchange forced by FVSU's Glendrell Byrd, the home defense appeared to have fallen on the fumbled ball, but the pigskin was kept with the Bears after an officials meeting. Lenoir-Rhyne made the turn of events hurt as it 13 more plays covering 97 yards capped by a Jackson 9-yard rush into the endzone for a 30-19 score with 7:32 left in the game.

Jones hit Mack for 55 yards on the Wildcats' third ensuing play down to the Bears' five yard line. After three plays without totaling a yard, FVSU settled for a Abisai Gutierrez 21-yard field goal to make it 30-22 with 4:52 on the scoreboard.

Behind seven rushes in a row, Lenoir-Rhyne ran the final 4:43 off the clock for the victory.

FVSU returns to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action next Saturday, Oct. 27, in Atlanta at Morehouse College. Kick-off set for 2 p.m.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS