Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, Newberry Earn NCAA Football Championship Bids
Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman and Newberry each earned selections to the 2013 NCAA Division II Football Championship on Sunday evening, marking the first time in SAC history that the conference placed three teams in the tournament.
INDIANAPOLIS – Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman and Newberry each earned selections to the 2013 NCAA Division II Football Championship on Sunday evening, marking the first time in SAC history that the conference placed three teams in the tournament.
Lenoir-Rhyne is the top seed in Super Region II, while Carson-Newman is seeded fourth and Newberry is fifth. Carson-Newman will host Newberry in the first round next Saturday, with the winner advancing to play at L-R on Nov. 30.
Lenoir-Rhyne enters the championship 10-1 overall and riding a 10-game winning streak.. The Bears went 7-0 in the SAC, marking the program's third-straight conference title.
L-R leads the SAC in rushing offense, while its defense was also the conference's best against the run. The Bears allowed only 13.8 points per game during the regular season, and outscored their opponents by an average of 21.4 points per game.
Carson-Newman is 9-2 overall and finished tied for second in the SAC standings at 5-2 in conference games. The Eagles led the league during the regular season in total offense and scoring offense, averaging 39.2 points per game.
Newberry also went 5-2 in SAC play and enters the postseason 9-2 overall. The Wolves had the conference's second-stingiest defense during the regular season, allowing just 22.5 points per game.
Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman are both making their second-straight appearances in the NCAA Championship, while Newberry is making its first since 2006. Carson-Newman reached the quarterfinals of last year's tournament, while L-R was eliminated by the Eagles in the second round.
The national champion will be determined on Saturday, Dec. 21 in Florence, Ala.