NEWBERRY – Lenoir-Rhyne's Andrew Tudor (Powell, Tenn.) ran for all 25 of the Bears' overtime yardage including a six-yard dash to the right front pylon to defeat Newberry College, 27-24, in overtime of the South Atlantic Conference opener for both schools. Lenoir-Rhyne (3-1, 1-0 South Atlantic Conference) retains the Bishops Trophy for the second consecutive year.
Tudor rushed 40 times for 153 yards and Barry Tate (Burlington, N.C.) caught three touchdowns to push Lenoir-Rhyne to the victory. Newberry (1-2, 0-1 SAC) was held to only 281 yards of total offense, the lowest total since last year's game between the teams when L-R surrendered a mere 242 yards to the Indians.
In the loss, Newberry's Tymere Zimmerman (Bennettsville, S.C.) became the school's all-time reception leader with 152 catches. He breaks the record of Kendal Brown who set the mark in 2003. Zimmerman is 40 yards away from the receiving yards record, also owned by Brown. This is the only Newberry career or season record that the redshirt junior has not broken in his 2 1/2 years at Newberry.
Tudor's score came after Newberry went first on offense in the overtime period. On first-and-ten, Josh Stepp (Pelion, S.C.) found Mazzie Drummond (Greer, S.C.) near the left sideline for a 19-yard pickup, placing the Indians at the six. Two incompletions and a sack later, Newberry settled for a 28-yard field goal by Ryan Lukshis (Irmo, S.C.), made possible by Stephen Stellfox's (Chapin, S.C.) incredible recovery and placement of an errant snap.
Alex Haynes (Summerville, S.C.) scored on a two-yard run as the third quarter expired to create a 21-14 Newberry lead. The score was set up by Joe Don Reames' (Seneca, S.C.) 45-yard punt return following a 43-yard punt. Each team was unsuccessful on its next three fourth-quarter drives, but Lenoir-Rhyne moved 72 yards in a shade under three minutes to tie the game at 21. Quarterback Kurtis Koester (Canton, Ga.) hit Tate on a deep out pattern in the right rear corner of the end zone for the touchdown.
Tate's touchdowns in the first and third quarters sandwiched Newberry's 14-point second quarter. The Scarlet offense covered 33 yards on the first drive and 64 on the second to take the 14-7 lead at intermission. Tymere Zimmerman (Bennettsville, S.C.) caught a three-yard touchdown pass, and Stepp scored from two yards out on a quarterback keeper.
Newberry is 0-2 in overtime games in football. The other loss came in 1999 to Livingstone, a 37-34 decision.
The Indians gear up to face Carson-Newman (3-1, 0-1 SAC) in next weekend's 7 p.m. homecoming matchup. The game will air on tape delay in select Time Warner Cable and Comcast markets. Lenoir-Rhyne will travel to Wingate University for a 1:30 game against the 4-0 Bulldogs.
