GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Ryan Tallent recorded 119 yards on six receptions, including a pair of touchdowns, as Tusculum defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 31-16, Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field. Tusculum evens its record at 3-3 as the Pioneers win their third straight game and improve to 2-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. The Bears fall to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the league as Tusculum is victorious in its homecoming game.

The Tusculum offense amassed 409 yards, their third straight game of posting 400 or more total yards. Corey Russell went 19-for-40 for 330 yards and four touchdowns, but was picked off three times on the afternoon. Jarrell NeSmith made five catches for 68 yards, while Brandon Dixon added three receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

L-R kicker Andrew Coln accounted for a bulk of the scoring for the Bears as he connected on all three of his field goal attempts and an extra point.

Both teams committed four turnovers each on the afternoon as Tusculum's Jeremy Thompson recorded 11 tackles and forced a fumble. Dewayne Jones led L-R's defensive efforts with 14 tackles, including a sack. The Tusculum defense limited the Bears to 219 yards on the day, including 98 passing yards.

The Bears took advantage of an interception deep in TC territory as Bud Ray picked off Russell and returned the football to the TC 22. But the offensive drive stalled, before Coln drilled a 34-yard field goal at the 1:59 mark to go up 3-0.

Tusculum answered on its next possession as Russell completed an 18-yard pass to Tallent to set up a 41-yard strike to Dixon for the Pioneers' initial touchdown. Justin Higgins' kick made it 7-3 Tusculum with 38 seconds left in the quarter.

Later in the second period, Russell bobbled a snap and was recovered by L-R's Adrian Ford at the TC 18. But the Tusculum defense remained solid, not giving up a yard as Coln connected on a 36-yard field to cut the deficit to 7-6 with 8:15 left before halftime.

On the ensuing kickoff, Jamichael Caldwell returned the ball 72 yards to the L-R 22. Three plays later, Russell found Tallent from 20 yards out for the score and a 14-6 lead at the 7:09 mark of the quarter.

Lenoir-Rhyne answered with a scoring drive of its own as the Bears moved into Tusculum territory to the 32-yard line. But that's as close as they would get as Coln made a 50-yard field to trim the lead to 14-9.

Tusculum's next possession stalled and the Pioneers were forced to punt. Preseason All-American John Gregory, released a booming punt that traveled 76 yards which was fumbled, but recovered by L-R returner Marcus McFadden at the L-R 3. The punt was a career long and the third longest in school history.

On the first play from scrimmage, Anderson was picked off by Antrez McDaniel at the L-R 14 and ran out of bounds at the four-yard line. Russell found Caldwell on a four-yard pass for a touchdown with 2:43 remaining. Tusculum intercepted Anderson again 10 seconds later as Jovon Miller snared the pass for the pick at the TC 43. The Pioneers would drive to the L-R 8 before the drive stalled. Higgins connected on a 25-yard field goal with 38.9 seconds left before halftime and a 24-9 lead.

TC went three and out on its opening possession of the third quarter and was forced to punt. The Pioneers got a break when L-R's Barry Tate fumbled the punt and was recovered by Tusculum's Pharis Baldwin at the L-R 24. But Tusculum couldn't take advantage of the miscue as Gareth Rowland's 38-yard field goal sailed wide right.

The Bears took advantage of the miss as they marched 79 yards on seven plays, including a 15-yard touchdown run by Anderson. Coln's kick made it 24-16.

The score would remain that way until the 12:38 mark in the fourth quarter when Russell completed a 66-yard pas