ETTRICK, V.A. – Virginia State University football dropped in the 2021 season home opener, 48-7, to No. 6 Lenoir - Rhyne Saturday night inside Rogers Stadium.

Game Information
Score: #6 Lenoir - Rhyne 48, Virginia State 7
Records: Lenoir - Rhyne (1-0), Virginia State (0-1)
Location: Rogers Stadium (Ettrick, Va.)
Series: Lenoir - Rhyne leads 2-1

How it Happened

• The Bears got on the board on their opening possession, as LRU was able to take advantage of a 15-yard facemask penalty on Virginia State. Bears quarterback Grayson Willingham completed four of six passes for 50 yards prior to the 20-yard Chase Allbaugh field goal to put Lenoir-Rhyne on top 3-0.
• Despite LRU having great field position following a Trojan fumble, the VSU defense was able to force the Bears to punt with 8:35 left in the first quarter.
• Willingham was able to find Ryan Carter in the far corner of the end zone to cap a four play, 81-yard drive set up by a 67-yard Dewayne McGee sprint. The score pushed the Bears lead out to 10-0.
• Two chuck plays from the legs of McGee and a connection between Willingham and Kelen Parsons set up a four-yard plunge by McGee to start the second quarter.
• Down but not out, the Trojans would cut into the LRU lead after redshirt freshman running back Kimo Clarke burst up middle of the defense 47 yards to the end zone to make the score 17-7 after Nick Woolfolk split the uprights.
• Following an interception by safety Jimmie Palmer, the Bears offense would use the momentum as they marched into Trojan territory before Willingham found a wide-open Deondre Lester on a slant route to make the score 24-7 with under 10 minutes left in the half.
• McGee gashed the Trojan defense for his second rush of 50 yards or more as made his way to the end zone from 54 yards out to extend the LRU lead to 31-7 with 4:56 to go in the half.
• Jevon LaPierre got the Trojan fans on their feet with his 82-yard punt return down to the Bears eight-yard line. Virginia State would fail to capitalize on the positive field position due to a pair of sacks by defensive tackle Amari Houston to end the half.
• The Trojan defense came out of the half fired up as they shut out the LRU offense behind a sack by Javon Frazier and an interception by Ty'Quez Scott in the end zone.
• Following the interception, VSU would give the ball right back to the Bears by way of a fumble to set up the LRU offense 15-yards away from the end zone.  
• The LRU offense only needed two plays to find the end zone as McGee reached the end zone for the second time of the evening to make to score 38-7 to start the fourth quarter.
• The Bears offense would then slow the tempo down as they took up 5:22 prior to a chip shot field goal from Allbaugh to stretch the lead to 41-7.
• The LRU offense would then slowly walk the ball down the field 80 yards in 13 plays to set up a six-yard scamper from freshman running back Jadus Davis to make the final score 48-7.

Inside the Box Score

• Redshirt freshman Kimo Clarke led the rushing attack with 54-yards on only four carries and capped his Trojan debut with a touchdown on the day.
•  Graduate student Demetrius Strickland also rushed seven times for 23-yards.
• Jordan Davis went six for eight in his relief role in the second half along with four runs for 18 yards.
• Andre Jackson added three catches for 26-yards 
• Will Adams ended the game with 12 stops including 10 solo tackles while Javon Frazier had seven tackles and a sack in the contest.
• Jesus Valenzuela had seven punts that covered 309-yards averaging 44 yards per punt.

 
Up Next
The Trojans will travel eight hours to the Midwest to take on Ohio Dominican University for the first ever matchup between the two. The contest will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Ohio Dominican website.
 
*Live Stream Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ohiodominican/