Drew Cronic — pictured with LRU President Fred K. Whitt, left, and Bears Athletic Director Kim Pate, right, on the day he was hired — debuts as head football coach of the Bears on Thursday night at West Alabama./LRU PHOTO
HobbsDailyReport.com
LIVINGSTONE, Ala. – Drew Cronic’s first game as head football coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University is just around the corner.
The Bears open their season on Thursday night at 7 p.m., playing at 12th-ranked West Alabama in a repeat of last year’s first game of the season (West Alabama 46, LRU 7 in Hickory).
Cronic left an offensive coordinator’s position at Furman to guide LRU. His Paladins teams averaged 34 points per game last season.
LRU’S SCHEDULE: https://lrbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=football
LRU’S ROSTER: https://lrbears.com/roster.aspx?path=football
LRU went 3-7 overall last season and 2-5 in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) for a seventh-place finish under head coach Mike Kellar, who was fired after two seasons as head coach.
DUGGER
The Bears lost their last three games – to UNC Pembroke, Carson-Newman and Catawba – to finish with their first back-to-back losing records since 2008-09.
This season, LRU is young roster-wise, and SAC head coaches predicted the Bears will finish in sixth place in the league.
LRU has two key seniors back as lineman Jalen Soto and receiver T.J. Smith. Soto were named preseason first-team All-SAC by league head coaches.
Also back are preseason all-conference picks Kyle Dugger and Sherrod Williams. Dugger had a team-high 87 tackles last season while Williams was next in tackles (72).
Clayton Horn, a linebacker who had 44 tackles last season, was also a preseason All-SAC team selection.
West Virginia, 10-3 last year and an NCAA Division II playoff team, is tabbed as the preseason favorite to repeat as Gulf South Conference (GSC) champion and the roster includes seven players named preseason All-GSC.
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CRONIC IS BEARS’ NEW HEAD COACH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujhHuY6Du8
LIVE VIDEO ON THURSDAY: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uwa/
LIVE STATS ON THURSDAY: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=227484
LISTEN LIVE ON THURSDAY: http://www.wsicweb.com/lr/