HobbsDailyReport.com
TIGERVILLE, S.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne University goes after first-year head coach Drew Cronic’s first victory on Saturday, facing North Greenville (S.C.) in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
LRU’S SCHEDULE: https://lrbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=football
The Bears (0-1) fell 36-32 at West Alabama to open the season. West Alabama was ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II when the game was played and moved up to No. 11.
CRONIC
North Greenville is 1-0.
Sophomore quarterback Gray Willingham makes his second career start for LRU after throwing for 300 yards in the season-opening game, the eighth-best single game yardage total in Bears history and their first 300-yard passing game since 2004.
LRU rallied to take a lead at West Alabama when Willingham threw for 53-yard scores just 10 seconds apart.
T.J. Smith had six catches for 118 yards that included a bomb for a go-ahead TD with one minute, 56 seconds to play.
Sherrod Williams led the Bears defensively with 10 tackles, two for lost yardage, and Kyle Dugger added six tackles and broke up two passes.
North Greenville won its opener 13-3 over Tusculum, holding the Pioneers to 246 yards.
North Greenville quarterback Will Hunter threw for 179 yards and a TD in an offense that finished with 34 rushing yards on 26 carries.
The Bears beat North Greenville 22-10 last season under head coach Mike Kellar, whose contract was not renewed.
Cronic left an offensive coordinator position at Furman to become head coach at LRU.
The Bear will make their home debut under Cronic next Saturday at 6 p.m., facing Mars Hill in a South Atlantic Conference (SAC) game.
LIVE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/NorthGreenvilleSportsNetwork
LIVE STATS: http://livestats.streamlinehosting.net/nguathletics/football/xlive.htm
LISTEN LIVE: http://www.wsicweb.com/lr/