HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Another week, another loss and the season continues to get longer for Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Sophomore quarterback Derrick Evans accounted for 257 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns on Saturday, leading Carson-Newman to a 42-28 win in South Atlantic Conference (SAC) football at Moretz Stadium.
EVANS
Evans was 12 of 15 for 149 yards passing and had 108 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries.
Carson-Newman outgained the Bears 418-207 in total yards, averaging 6.1 yards per play.
The Eagles (7-3, 5-2) snapped a five-game losing streak to LRU (3-6, 2-4) and posted their first win in Hickory since 2009.
The Bears have one game left — at Catawba next — Saturday and will finish with a losing record for the second straight season. LRU will be below 500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2008 and 2009 under Fred Goldsmith.
The first three quarters of Saturday’s game were back and forth, as the lead changed hands five times.
The difference was the fourth quarter, when the Eagles scored on their first two possessions and outgained the Bears 123-39.
In the second half, the Eagles scored on their first four possessions and four of five while the Bears had three punts, a touchdown and turned the ball over on downs on five second-half possessions.
Carson-Newman outgained the Bears 226-107 in the second half.
LRU led at halftime 20-14 and 28-21 after Nelson Brown capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive with a 3-yard run with two minutes, 1 second left in the third quarter.
The Eagles tied it 28-all with 13:45 left to play when Evans capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run.
Carson-Newman took the lead for good with 9:12 to play when Evans scored the 1 and the successful PAT by James Dick gave the Eagles a 35-28 edge.
The Eagles’ 418 yards on offense marked the 10th time in 20 games the Bears have allowed at least 386 yards.
Brown led the Bears with 126 rushing yards and two scores on 22 carries – including an 86-yard TD run.
Jared Dillingham added 94 yards and one score on 18 carries as the Eagles finished with 269 yards rushing, the most in a game against LRU this season.