The start of a new football season brings a mixture of excitement and anticipation every year. No matter what happened the season before, fans, players and coaches can start with a clean slate.

The Lenoir-Rhyne football program was especially pumped for its home opener to begin the 2022 season. Not only are the Bears riding the momentum of three straight NCAA Division II Playoff appearances, fans had a chance to experience the unveiling of an upgraded Moretz Stadium for the first time.

Sporting new bleachers, an improved press box, corner suites and two impressive videoboards, the $18 million project took just nine months to complete. 

When the players got onto the field for the Sept. 3 opener against Virginia State, head coach Mike Jacobs could feel the added level of intensity throughout the whole stadium. 

This isn't his first rodeo. He played at Ohio State under coaches John Cooper and Jim Tressell as an offensive lineman and long snapper from 1997-01. He coached at Notre Dame College (Ohio), California University of Pennsylvania, Purdue, Wilmington College and Eastern Michigan before coming to LR in 2019.

But to Jacobs, the atmosphere was every bit as exciting as any he's been around.

"For us to fund this almost exclusively through private donations says a lot about how important and special LR is to the alumni and the community," Jacobs said. "They showed up in droves to support our kids on Saturday night."

Fortunately for the Bears, the special night wasn't wasted, as they scored a 38-19 victory over the Trojans. It was the second consecutive season-opening win against VSU and followed a 46-7 rout in Petersburg to open last season. 

The Bears had a 17-13 lead late in the third quarter, before touchdowns by Kelin Parsons and Dwayne McGee put the game out of reach. LR stretched its all-time record for home openers to 55-34-4 dating back to 1924, and the squad is 52-18 in its last 70 games at Moretz Stadium.

If there was any doubt the emotional high leading up to the game might affect the outcome, the Bears set those fears to rest. If anything, they embraced the moment.

"It's time to get out of the business if you don't get excited about playing games, especially big ones" Jacobs said. "There's always that buildup and that anticipation. I wouldn't call it anxiety as I've gotten older and been around longer. It's more just an anticipation and a little bit of waiting and wanting to see our kids go out and do well, knowing how hard they worked throughout the course of the summer and training camp."

A two-time letter winner for the Buckeyes, Jacobs played in more than 30 games and appeared in two Sugar Bowls. 

After graduation, he served as a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan, followed by a stint as the offensive line coach at Wilmington. He then went to Purdue to become a graduate assistant and offensive line coach with the Boilermakers, before assistant coaching stops at CU of Pennsylvania and Notre Dame College. In 2016, he became NDC's head coach, and Lenoir-Rhyne then became his next stop.

Jacobs' desire to become a coach was fueled by his father, Mike, who coached at several Division I schools, including Ohio State and a 15-year stint under Don Kneeland at West Virginia. His grandfather also was a successful coach, spending 50 years in the high school ranks.

"I grew up around the game," Jacobs explained. "It's always been a huge draw for me. My dad's somebody I really looked up to growing up and wanted to be a lot like him. The interactions I used to see him have with his players and having the guys over at our house, I knew that's what I wanted to do early on in my career."

The 2022 season marks the 103rd in program history. Jacobs is the 23rd head coach for a team that boasts 48 winning seasons, 23 regular season championships and one national title (1960).

That history and winning tradition made Jacobs' decision to take the head coaching job in December 2019 an easy one.

"This is a program that in the last decade has been highly successful," he said. "After I had a chance to meet with the administration, just the top support (on down), the vision and the ability to execute the vision, were really remarkable."

Little did Jacobs know his first season would be put off by the coronavirus pandemic. 

In the shortened 2020-2021 season, the Bears went 3-1 overall and 3-0 in South Atlantic Conference play. Last season, they finished 8-3 and 6-2 in the conference, before bowing out to Bowie State in the first round of the NCAA Playoff. They ended the season ranked No. 25 in the AFCA poll.

Jacobs believes the SAC is one of the toughest conferences in the country.

"Top to bottom, the SAC is one of the strongest D2 conferences out there," Jacobs said. "I was impressed with the caliber of players and coaches in the conference. It's a much different place than where I came from."

This season, the Bears return McGee, an All-American running back who rushed for an LR season-record 1,669 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2021. 

They do have an experienced offensive line, but they are missing some key starters on defense. 

It's also the first year since 2018 that quarterback Grayson Willingham won't be taking snaps under center. Austin Cagle and Sean White have competed for the position since camp. 

In the opener against VSU, Cagle threw two touchdowns but was just 8-for-17 for 97 yards and three interceptions, before giving way to White in the second half. White was 10-of-11 for 117 yards and a touchdown.

"I think there's still a little bit of indecision on our part," Jacobs said of the quarterback spot.

Despite the veteran presence on the offensive line, McGee managed just 71 yards and a touchdown, with a 3.6 yards per carry average against the Trojans. The defense held VSU to 213 total yards, including eight three-and-outs and 81 yards on the ground.

"I thought our defense, although replacing more guys, played really well," Jacobs said. "Our tackling really showed up, especially in our defensive backfield."

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The Bears went into the season ranked 19th in the AFCA Preseason poll and 22nd in the D2Football.com poll. Seven of their 11 games will be at home, but two of them are against defending national champion Ferris State and reigning SAC champion Newberry.

"If you win every home game, you have a chance to be good," Jacobs said. "We want to compete for a conference championship. If you compete or win your conference, you have a chance at the national playoffs. Once you're in, you're in. All bets are off."