FORT VALLEY, Ga. – It is a festive time on the Fort Valley State campus this week. The Wildcats will try to make it just as festive on the Saturday football field and shut the Homecoming door on receiving national votes Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne University.
 
In its final home contest of the year, FVSU plays host to highly-touted Lenoir-Rhyne at Wildcat Stadium in a 2 p.m. afternoon kick-off.
 
Start Early Enjoying Coming Home at Saturday's Parade
As part of the annual Homecoming festivities, come early to Fort Valley and enjoy the morning's parade starting at 9 a.m. The parade route starts at FVSU's Evans Building, 100 East Main Street in Fort Valley. The parade will turn left down South Camelia Blvd., and then left again down State University Drive to Ira Hicks Blvd.
 
Teams on Opposite Streaks
On Saturday, it will be a clash of two teams on exact opposite runs. Fort Valley State searches to return to the win column, while Lenoir-Rhyne seeks to continue in the same win column.
 
The Wildcats have suffered a tough run of their last four outings with three close outcomes. The challenging stretch started with a fourth-quarter loss at Benedict (28-20), before coming out on the home short end the last three Saturdays against Virginia Lynchburg (31-14), Clark Atlanta (21-19) and defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Tuskegee (17-6).
 
Lenoir-Rhyne steamrolled its way to a sixth-straight victory a week ago over Limestone by a 63-17 margin. The Bears, which are getting the most votes of the receiving votes teams in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, are only four points from an undefeated season with a season-opening 36-32 road loss at No. 4 West Alabama.
 
First Meeting Since 2012 NCAA Playoffs
Saturday marks the second meeting between the two opponents in the last seven years. In fact, it will be the first matchup since the two foes met in the 2012 NCAA Division II Region II First Round Playoffs.
 
2012 NCAA D2 Region 2 First Round (@Hickory, N.C.)
LRC 21, FVSU 6
 
The Bears scored first in the game on a 57-yard run with 8:14 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0. The game remained at the same 7-0 tally through the rest of the first half.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne made it a two-score game only 3:26 into the third frame on a one-yard plunge for a 14-0 score. FVSU drove into the LRC redzone, but threw an interception in the home endzone and saw it returned the length of the field 100 yards as the margin went to 21-0 at 3:00 left in the third.
 
FVSU put its lone points on the scoreboard with 9:57 remaining on an 11-yard pass, but it was unable to get any closer in the 21-6 final.
 
Wildcats Score First in Fast Start, Can't Maintain Last Week
In the 2017 SIAC Championship Game rematch, FVSU drove to the Tuskegee two yardline on the opening possession. The Wildcats, though, failed to convert as it committed the first on a fumble of what would be a combined six turnovers between the teams along with a bad snap on a home field goal attempt in the first two quarters. FVSU finally converted for a 33-yard Abisai Gutierrez field goal following a David Brown sack and fumble recovery set up the try. The FVSU 3-0 lead over Tuskegee with 3:14 left in the first quarter was the home team's first time this season it scored first in a game.
 
The lead last only 7:18 as Tuskegee drove 70 yards on 13 plays capped by a four-yard short pass and the visitors never trailed again the final 40:59 of the game.
 
Trailing 17-3, the Wildcats made one last surge to the Golden Tigers 10-yardline in the fourth quarter, but they could only muster a Gutierrez 28-yard field goal. The Gutierrez boot made it 17-6 with 2:09 left, before the opponent ran out the clock to end the game for the second week in a row.

Wildcat Defense Opportune Again
Despite giving up the most yards since week two against No. 7 Valdosta State, the FVSU defense forced three Tuskegee turnovers with a pair of fumbles and nifty Cameron Young interception along the home sideline. The unit also recorded 10 tackles for loss and two sacks. The pair of sacks kept the Wildcats run of at least two sacks in every game this season intact.
 
Anderson and Young Providing Safety
The FVSU safeties, Zach Anderson and Cameron Young, provided just that very thing of safety against Tuskegee. Free safety Anderson posted a career-best 18 total tackles, 11 solo, to go with two tackles for loss of five yards. His strong safety teammate, Young, contributed 14 stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and the interception.
 
The defensive pair leads their team with a combined 94 tackles as the top two tacklers. The two Wildcats also have totaled 7 tackles for loss and three of the five interceptions of the defense. Young paces the squad with 52 tackles, while he has posted 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and a fumble recovery. Anderson has a solid 42 stops, 4.5 stops for loss, a team-high two interceptions and two pass breakups.
 
Group Joins Smothers in Wildcats Offense
Sophomore slotback Lorenzo Smothers gets all the defensive attention, but it was a group of other Wildcats joining him on the attack last week. Moving into the starting tailback role, Jeremy McCants ground his way for 50 yards on only 10 carries for a solid 5.0-yard per carry average. The second-year rusher moved over 100 yards for the season with 111 net yards on 29 attempts.
Smothers did lead the FVSU receivers with nine grabs, but he could amount only 50 yards. Jeffery Mack pulled in two passes for a team-high 53 yards, including an exciting 44-yarder. Mack also returned a kick-off 41-yards and Smothers ran one back 35 yards to his credit. Jhi'Marre Brown raced through the Tuskegee secondary for 35 yards for his lone reception.

Bears Putting Points on the Board
Lenoir-Rhyne has a big reason it has prevailed in six of its first seven games – a 43.6-point per game average. The Bears have totaled at least 31 points in each game and more than 51 points three times over each of the last seven weeks.

After staying in the mid 30-point range the previous three games, LRC exploded for a season high 63 points, including 35-straight, against winless Limestone College (63-17).

LR Efficient Ground Game
In one of the top ground games in the nation, Lenoir-Rhyne showed its rushing efficiency with an impressive 496 yards on 57 attempts a week ago. The Bears had five rushers account for at least 46 yards apiece with Bradley Jones leading the way with 109 yards on 10 carries and a pair of scores. Caine Crews added two touchdowns of his own on 10 carries for 66 yards.

On the year, the Bears average 280.0 yards per contest. The offensive carries have been split between seven running back with Ameen Stevens leading the way with 78 tries for 419 yards and six scores. Jaquay Mitchell has four scores from his 40 rushes for 338 yards. The rest of the Bear runners include Darnell Jackson (49-247), Xzavion Huff (41-224, 4 tds), Jones (27-195, 2 tds), Crews (26-149, 1 td) and Dareke Young (15-156, 1 td).

Wildcats Look to Move Ball
Even though foes are only scoring 22.7 points per game, the Lenoir-Rhyne defense is giving up yards. The Bears have been hurt on average of 280.1 yards through the air and 405.7 yards of total offense per night.

Limestone was only able to put 17 points on the scoreboard a week ago, but the Saints still amassed 445 yards of total offense. Limestone threw for 356 yards at an average of 13.7 yard per completion.

Lenoir-Rhyne linebackers Sherrod Williams and Clayton Horn are two of the top four defenders. Williams leads the unit with 60 stops, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, while Horn sits at 43 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Defensive end Jaquan Artis has recorded 8.5 tackles for loss to go with 45 tackles and safety Kyle Dugger paces the secondary with 43 tackles and six breakups.

Back on the Road
After playing four home games in a row, FVSU heads up to Atlanta for its final true road game next Saturday, Oct. 27, at Morehouse. The contest is slated to kick-off at 2 p.m.