GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Erskine College football team (2-1, 0-1 SAC) began South Atlantic Conference play in the 2022 season against No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne University (2-1, 1-0 SAC), falling by a score of 42-20 at J.W. Babb Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kevon Catoe led the Fleet offensively with a pair of rushing touchdowns.
 
THE BASICS
Final | Lenoir-Rhyne 42, Erskine 20
Records | Erskine 2-1 (0-1 SAC) , Lenoir-Rhyne (2-1, 1-0 SAC)
Location | Greenwood, S.C. (J.W. Babb Stadium)
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Kevon Catoe carried the ball 9 times, scoring both of Erskine's rushing touchdowns. Lenoir-Rhyne totaled 251 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
• Korey Besse threw for 109 yards and Erskine's only passing touchdown of the game, a 30-yard strike to Jahrique Isaiah. The Bears passed for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• Isaiah was the Fleet's leading receiver with 71 yards on 5 catches. Trevarus Walker added 8 receptions for 69 yards.
• Abraham Temoney III totaled a team-high 8 tackles, while Jaelan Harfield and Zacoyeis Elmore had the two Fleet interceptions.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter:
Erskine's defense got a pair of stops on its first two possessions of the afternoon, including a fourth-down stand from Joshua Kamoto. But, Lenoir-Rhyne took advantage of good field position on its third drive with a 9-play touchdown that opened the scoring.

Second Quarter:
The nationally-ranked Bears began to take control of the game in the second quarter, finding the endzone on their next three drives, giving them a commanding 28-0 lead. The Erskine defense put some momentum on their bench late in the opening half on interceptions from Jaelan Harfield and Zacoyeis Elmore in the final minute, but the Fleet couldn't take advantage and get on the board.

Third Quarter:
Lenoir-Rhyne began the second half with a defensive stop and a touchdown as they opened up a 35-0 lead early on in the third quarter. But, Erskine began to battle back as Korey Besse connected with Jahrique Isaiah for a touchdown to get the Fleet on the board. On the next Lenoir-Rhyne possession, Erskine blocked a field goal attempt from the Bears and Elmore returned deep into Bears' territory. A few plays later, Kevon Catoe scored from 9 yards out to cut the Lenoir-Rhyne lead to 35-13. However, the Bears answered right back with a long touchdown on their next drive, taking back momentum and earning a 42-13 lead.

Fourth Quarter:
A few minutes into the final quarter, the Fleet went deep into their offensive playbook as a WR pass from Zion Walker was hauled in by Az-Zahir Smith inside the Lenoir-Rhyne 5-yard line. On the very next play, Catoe took the snap and scored his second touchdown of the game, making it a 42-20 game. The Bears did not score on their next offensive possession, but they did take off more than 7 minutes off the clock, all but ending any chances of a Fleet comeback as Erskine was defeated by a score of 42-20.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine has its first road game in SAC play next Saturday with another tall test as they take on No. 9 Newberry College (3-0, 1-0 SAC) at 6:00 p.m. The Wolves have beaten Erskine each of the past two seasons, including a 48-10 win last season.
 
Follow the Flying Fleet all season long to get schedule updates, scores, highlights, photo galleries, game notes and more at www.erskinesports.com.
 
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