Football season is in full swing, and for the next four months, there will be countless games across all divisions and platforms fighting for the attention of fans all over the globe.
Most have their allegiances, so their weekends likely are locked up for the majority of the fall, but others just love the action and the sounds of the gridiron, so the promise of a compelling matchup might be enough to get them to tune in.
Enter Lenoir-Rhyne Football and Newberry Football, two titans of the South Atlantic Conference, each with something to prove early in the new season. They’ll face off Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern, live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.
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It might be early in the 2026 campaign, but this conference clash has huge implications, especially when there’s only one guaranteed way to get to the playoffs – win the conference title.
Newberry is the reigning SAC champion and coming off an appearance in the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
There’s no doubt the Wolves want to prove that wasn’t a fluke and that they belong in the upper echelon of Division II football, where the Ferris State Bulldogs established a permanent residence since 2021.
Lenoir-Rhyne has become a perennial contender for a spot in the Division II top 25 and potentially the playoffs, but reaching that next level will have to begin with finding a way to handle Newberry and the rest of the talented SAC.
The first stop on the Bears’ redemption tour actually will be a visit to face the Wolves at Setzler Field in Newberry, South Carolina.
Lenoir-Rhyne is looking to bounce back from a loss to West Alabama last week, jump back on to the Division II ballots and, most importantly, avenge last year’s 20-17 home loss to postseason-bound Newberry.
Entering the 2026 season, Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in the SAC Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll, separated by only a few points, but both settled behind Wingate.
All of that alone probably offers enough reasons to tune in to FloCollege or the FloSports app to see what happens, but if you’re not yet convinced, here’s a little bit about each team and how things are going so far this season:
A History That Spans More Than A Century
Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry have played each other 92 times, with the first showdown coming in 1923.
Newberry took that one, 27-0, but the series has been evenly matched over the years.
Even after last year’s loss, Lenoir-Rhyne owns a 49-36-7 advantage in the series, including victories in 2023 and 2024.
Saturday’s battle will be the last of five SAC games for the day, and all five will be broadcast live on FloCollege:
- Tusculum vs. Emory & Henry, 1 p.m. Eastern
- Wingate vs. Carson-Newman, 1 p.m. EDT
- Catawba vs. Mars Hill, 1 p.m. EDT
- Anderson (S.C.) vs. UVA Wise, 2 p.m. EDT
- Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Newberry, 7 p.m. EDT
How To Watch Lenoir Rhyne vs. Newberry Football On FloCollege
The Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Newberry football game is streaming live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.
Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
A Look At Newberry Football
Newberry and Wingate were the only two SAC teams that made the Division II Playoffs last year, with Newberry earning the automatic bid as the conference champion.
The Wolves rolled through the 32-team bracket on the way to the semifinals, where unstoppable Ferris State was waiting.
The Bulldogs won 49-17, sending Newberry home, before topping Harding to lock up a second consecutive national title and the squad’s fourth in five years.
To be fair to Newberry, which finished last season at 12-2, no one was going to beat an undefeated and determined Ferris State team.
The record-setting season for the Wolves, guided by D2Football.com National Coach of the Year Todd Knight, launched Newberry up the Division II polls.
So far, the momentum has carried into the new campaign, with Newberry cruising to a 38-3 season-opening home win against Reinhardt and settling into the No. 11 spot on the latest FloCollege D2 Football Rankings.
The Wolves had 410 yards of total offense and held the Eagles to just 175, despite the teams having 59 and 55 offensive plays, respectively.
Reinhardt’s lone score was a first-quarter field goal, while the Wolves built a 24-3 halftime advantage to put the game out of reach early.
Three Newberry quarterbacks combined to go 19 for 28 for 258 yards and two touchdowns – both by redshirt junior Mason Kidd.
What Went Right For Newberry?
The Wolves were successful through the air and on the ground after opening the scoring with a special teams touchdown on a muffed punt.
Newberry showed depth at the quarterback position, and if each comes with his own strengths and tricks, the triple threat could be deadly this season.
On the other end of their passes, were a dozen eager receivers, with no one catching more than three passes. Spreading it around proved to be an effective way to keep the defense guessing.
What Went Wrong For The Newberry Wolves?
Obviously, Newberry was solid on both sides of the ball against Reinhardt, but hopefully, the standout stat of the week was just a glitch in the stat matrix.
According to the box score, the Wolves fumbled the ball nine times, but only lost one. Without watching the entire replay of the game, that will continue to feel like a typo. If not, it’s pretty clear what Newberry will need to clean up when conference play starts this week against Lenoir-Rhyne.
At the same time, the Wolves have only had 60 minutes of live action to iron things out before their first SAC game, so maybe it was just some early-season nerves – if it’s true.
A Look At Lenoir-Rhyne
Lenoir-Rhyne continues to hover around the Division II top 25.
Last weekend’s loss to West Alabama saw the Bears fall out of the D2Football.com Top 25, but they did receive votes in the American Football Coaches Association DII Coaches Poll.
While they’re not yet on the radar of the voters at FloCollege, a win against Newberry could change that.
The Bears are coming off their eighth consecutive winning season. Their finally tally in 2025 was a 6-5 overall record and 5-4 performance in conference games. That landed them right in the middle of the 10-team SAC standings.
Leading into the new season, the conference’s coaches clearly saw something brewing for the Bears, whose 17 forced turnovers in 2025 ranked second in the SAC, as they were picked to finish third this year behind Wingate and Newberry.
Lenoir-Rhyne hits the road for the first time this year and will be looking for redemption, along with a conference win and a second consecutive victory over a top-15 team.
The Bears won big against No. 14 Virginia Union (AFCA) to kick off the season (45-3) but fell short against West Alabama last weekend, 34-23.
Hence the redemption tour kicking off this week. The goal is to bounce back after the tough loss and do it against longtime rival and conference foe Newberry.
What Went Right For The Lenoir-Rhyne Bears?
Senior kicker Daniel Deneen Jr. blasted a 74-yard punt that was 9 yards short of the school record and is the longest in Division II football so far in 2026.
Graduate running back Eddie Clark showcased his speed and elusiveness with an 87-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, which is tied for the longest touchdown run by a Lenoir-Rhyne player since 2023.
Summary: Lenoir-Rhyne had a balanced offensive effort against West Alabama and rolled up 449 yards (291 rushing, 158 passing), compared to 296 total yards for the Tigers.
The Bears also showed how slippery the team’s running backs can be, but if opponents try to shut that down moving forward, redshirt freshman quarterback Wells Bettenhausen could become a threat through the air.
Unfortunately, while West Alabama had trouble getting a hold of the Lenoir-Rhyne rushers, the Bears and Bettenhausen had a hard time holding onto the ball.
The final result ended up being more about the Lenoir-Rhyne mistakes, rather than West Alabama being the better team. The Bears just need to clean things up, but even a novice fan could make that assessment.
In the season-opening win against Virginia Union, a top-15 team at the time, Lenoir-Rhyne had 263 passing yards and 242 yards on the ground, while the defense held VU to 157 and 26 yards, respectively, in the lopsided win.
The biggest difference in the two games? There Bears didn’t have any fumbles or throw any interceptions in the opener.
What Went Wrong For Lenoir-Rhyne Against West Alabama Last Week?
The Tigers pulled away with a 17-point fourth quarter that featured two of Lenoir Rhyne’s five turnovers – three interceptions and two fumbles.
The two mistakes in the final period, a fumble and an interception, were returned for touchdowns. The scoop and score was the first against Lenoir-Rhyne since 2018.
Oh, and the Bears never reached the red zone. Their 23 points came on a safety, touchdown runs of 87, 57 and 76 yards and three extra points by Deneen.
Division II Football Week 2 Schedule On FloCollege
Here’s every Division II football game happening on FloFootball this week:
All Times Eastern
Saturday, Sept. 12
- 11:45 a.m. – Indianapolis vs. Davenport
- Noon – Wayne State (Mich.) vs. Hillsdale
- Noon – Fairmont State vs. Findlay
- Noon – Monroe University New Rochelle vs. Pace
- Noon – Saginaw Valley State vs. Northwood
- 1 p.m. – Pittsburg State vs. West Alabama
- 1 p.m. – Wingate vs. Carson-Newman
- 1 p.m. – Catawba vs. Mars Hill
- 1 p.m. – Tusculum vs. Emory & Henry
- 2 p.m. – Anderson (S.C.) vs. UVA Wise
- 4 p.m. – Bentley vs. Saint Anselm
- 6 p.m. – William Jewell vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
- 7 p.m. – Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Newberry
- 7 p.m. – Western New Mexico vs. UT Permian Basin
- 7 p.m. – Grand Valley State vs. Ashland
- 9 p.m. – Ferris State vs. Central Washington
FloCollege D2 Football Rankings: After Week 1
- Ferris State (2-0)
- Harding (1-0)
- CSU Pueblo (2-0)
- Kutztown (1-0)
- Minnesota State (2-0)
- Northwest Missouri State (1-0)
- Western Colorado (2-0)
- Grand Valley State (2-0)
- Findlay (1-0)
- Western Oregon (2-0)
- Newberry (1-0)
- Northeastern State (2-0)
- Michigan Tech (2-0)
- Central Washington (0-1)
- Indianapolis (1-1)
- Benedict (2-0)
- Northwood (1-0)
- Slippery Rock (1-0)
- Valdosta State (2-0)
- East Stroudsburg (2-0)
- Minnesota Duluth (1-1)
- Augustana (SD) (1-1)
- Wayne State (Neb.) (2-0)
- Henderson State (1-0)
- Virginia Union (1-1)
Also receiving votes: Johnson C. Smith (1-1), Minnesota State Moorhead (2-0), Carson-Newman (2-0), California (Pa.) (1-0), Indiana (Pa.) (1-0), Kentucky State (1-1), Edinboro (1-0), Wingate (1-1), Upper Iowa (1-1), Chadron State (1-1).
How The FloCollege Division II Football Rankings Are Determined
The FloCollege Division II football rankings are driven by a mix of objective data and input from voters.
Ranking factors include:
- Voter Points
- Wins
- Margin of Victory
- Away Wins
Who Won The 2025 NCAA Division II Football Championship?
The 2026 Division II Football Championship title game was played Dec. 20, 2025, at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
Ferris State, under head coach Tony Annese, won the title for the fourth time in five years (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).
The latest triumph was a 42-21 victory over Harding, the 2023 Division II national champion.
No.10 Virginia Union Panthers vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears| D2 Football Full Game Highlights
The No.10 Virginia Union Panthers visited Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, North Carolina, on Aug. 28 to help kick off the 2026 season.
Relive all the biggest plays and must-see moments from the Panther-Bear matchup.
Spoiler: Lenoir-Rhyne won 45-3
Archived Footage On FloCollege
Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege
FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.
Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.
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