Complete Game Notes
Game 2: Missouri Southern (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) at Lincoln (0-1, 0-1 MIAA)
Date/Time: Thursday, Sept. 12 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Stadium (Capacity): Dwight T. Reed Stadium (5,500)
Tickets: Adults - $10 | Children Under the Age of Six - Free  | Non-LU Students/LU Faculty & Staff - $5 | LU Students (With ID) - Free
Streaming - http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Radio - KJLU 88.9 FM - Jefferson City, Mo.
Audiocast - http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU
Live Stats - https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/football/
Series - Missouri Southern leads, 8-2

THE KICKOFF 
The Lincoln football team kicks off its home slate on Thursday evening (Sept. 12) when LU hosts Missouri Southern for a 6:00 p.m. CDT contest. It will be the first MIAA game in Dwight T. Reed Stadium since 2013, which also the last time that these two teams met.

Both programs scored exactly 27 points in their first games of 2019 last Thursday (Sept. 5). The Blue Tigers had a 21-14 lead for much of the first half at Washburn before going into halftime tied, but the Ichabods used a big third quarter to end the night with a 49-27 win over Lincoln. Missouri Southern hosted Nebraska Kearney and trailed 33-6 at halftime, but rallied to get back within six before falling, 39-27.

Thursday's game can be watched online on The MIAA Network, and can be heard on KJLU 88.9 FM in Jefferson City with James Stanley on the play-by-play call.

QUICK HITS 
- This will be the 11th meeting between the Blue Tigers and the Lions of Missouri Southern, with MSSU leading the series, 8-2. Lincoln won the first two meetings in 1969 and 1970, but the Lions have won all eight meetings since, including beating the Blue Tigers, 59-10, in 2013.

- This will be the first Thursday night game ever at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.

- Lincoln is seeking its first win in a home opener since 2017, when the Blue Tigers defeated Lincoln (PA), 49-19.

- The Blue Tigers are seeking a third-straight home win over an MIAA opponent. Lincoln won its final two league games in its last stint in the MIAA, beating Northeastern State, 42-33, and Southwest Baptist, 51-28. Both of those games were played at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in 2013.

- With the Blue Tigers hosting the Lions on a Thursday evening, 2019 marks the first time in Lincoln history that LU opens a season with back-to-back Thursday contests.

- Starting with Thursday's game at Washburn, Lincoln will play 11-straight conference games to begin the 2019 campaign. The only non-conference game will be the St. Louis Heritage Football Classic against Kentucky State in the Dome at America's Center on Nov. 23.

- The Blue Tigers enter this week's game with an all-time record of 260-455-25.

- Malik Hoskins was named the interim head coach of the Blue Tigers in May 2019 and enters the week with an LU record of 0-1 and an overall record of 3-8.

- After a five-year absence, Lincoln has returned to the MIAA for its 24th season as a football-playing member. The Blue Tigers, who were an associate member of the GLVC from 2014-18, previously played in the MIAA from 1970-89 and from 2011-13. The MIAA is the fifth different conference in which the Blue Tigers have been a member, joining the Midwest Athletic Association, the Great Lakes Football Conference, the Central States Football League and the GLVC.

- This is the 89th season of Lincoln football. The Blue Tigers first fielded a team in 1920 and played every year until 1943, when Lincoln took a year off due to World War II. LU then played each season from 1944-1989. The football program was disbanded at that point, but was brought back in 2000.

BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH
OFFENSE - Hosea Franklin had the best opening week of the season by an NCAA Division II rusher, as he gained 251 yards on 20 carries, breaking the LU single-game record in the process. Franklin is leading the country in rushing yards and in all-purpose yards, and his two rushing touchdowns are tied for eighth nationally.

CJ Closser and Dre'Shon Alston each caught TD passes from Chancellor Johnson in his first start as Lincoln's quarterback. Jarrin McKeithen matched Brennen DeMarco with two receptions in week one while Tori Hicks served as Lincoln's other main rushing threat.

DEFENSE - The Blue Tiger defense made a huge impact in the season opener, forcing Washburn into seven turnovers, the second-most by an NCAA Division II team thus far in 2019. Lincoln had three interceptions and forced and recovered four fumbles, with LU ranking among the top-three nationally in both categories.

Cody Alexander had a pair of interceptions in the opener while Hasan Muhammad-Rogers had two of Lincoln's fumble recoveries. Thomas Burton forced two fumbles, with all three player leading NCAA Division II in those respective statistics. Muhammad-Rogers also had a pick, Alexander had a fumble recovery and Piere' Jones broke up a pass.

Bri'on Sanders is the team's leading tackler with 12 on opening night, including nine solo. Chavon Gross added eight solo tackles while Muhammad-Rogers made 11 total takedowns vs. Washburn. Elliott Albert and TeAndre Skinner each had six tackles in week one while Michael Smith had LU's other fumble recovery.

SPECIAL TEAMS - A trio of newcomers make up Lincoln's special teams unit in 2019. Javier Moreno, the place kicker, has yet to attempt a field goal, but made three point after kicks against Washburn and averaged 55.3 yards on kickoffs. Reagan Harrell, the team's punter and holder, averaged 36.9 yards in the first week of the year, with one punt pinning the Ichabods inside their own 20. Josh Zakavec is the long snapper.

MISSOURI SOUTHERN AT A GLANCE
Jacob Park had a strong opening night, throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns against Nebraska Kearney. Park completed 19 passes with a long of 93 yards, but also threw two interceptions. Dwayne Lawson, who had six grabs for 179 yards and two scores, averaged 29.8 yards per reception to lead the Lions. Charles West also had a pair of scoring catches and finished with three receptions for 73 yards. In the ground game, West led MSSU with 11 carries for 31 yards.

Richard Jordan was a force on defense in the first week of the season, recording 18 tackles, including seven solo. Jatece Wright added 12 tackles while Malachi Broadnax and Cameron Vaughn each made 2.5 tackles for loss. The MSSU defense did not record a turnover in the opening week, but did notch six quarterback hurries, including two from Alex Alvarado. Chris Leaks (nine tackles) and Jamie Tago (seven tackles, one hurry) also made impacts on defense during Missouri Southern's opener.

Paul Wolff averaged an impressive 61.2 yards on five kickoffs with two sailing into the end zone for touchbacks. He also had a good night punting the ball with an average of 41.2 yards per kick and a long of 44 yards. One of those punts resulted in UNK being pinned inside its 20-yard line. In the return game, Josh Mercer made the most of his only kickoff return of the contest, gaining 41 yards. Charles West, meanwhile, handled MSSU's lone punt return of the night.

THE COACHES
Malik Hoskins was elevated to the position of interim head coach after spending the past two seasons serving as Lincoln's offensive coordinator. This is Hoskins' second stint as an interim head coach, as he held that title at Lane in 2015. Before coming to Lincoln, Hoskins coached at Bacone, where he worked with six offensive players who earned some form of all-conference recognition. In 2018, Hoskins was selected to attend the NCAA/NFL Coaches Academy due to his commitment to player development.

Jeff Sims is in his first year as the head coach of the Lions and enters this week with an 0-1 record. Sims previously spent four seasons at Garden City Community College, leading the program to the 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. In his final year at Garden City, he led the program to a 10-1 record and a runner-up finish in the nation. Sims is 77-32 as a coach in the junior college ranks. 

BROKEN RECORD:  Hosea Franklin started 2019 on a record-breaking note by rushing for 251 yards against Washburn on Sept. 5. That total broke a nearly 50-year-old record, surpassing the 245 yards gained by Leo "The Lincoln Locomotive" Lewis in the early 1940s. Franklin averaged 12.6 yards per carry, the third-most by any NCAA DII player during the first week of the season.

LET'S BE FRANK: No running back in the nation had a better week one than Hosea Franklin, who gained 251 yards on just 20 carries. Franklin's total is currently leading NCAA Division II in both total rushing yards and rushing yards per game while also ranking 50th in the nation in total offense.

LEADING THE NATION:  Several Blue Tigers had outstanding performances during the week one game at Washburn and, as a result, are leading the country. Hosea Franklin's 277 all-purpose yards are the most by an NCAA Division II player while Cody Alexander leads the nation in interceptions (two) and Thomas Burton is the country's leader in forced fumbles (two). With two fumble recoveries, Hasan Muhammad-Rogers is leading Division II in that category.

TAKE ME AWAY:  Opportunistic would be the best way to describe the Lincoln defense's performance against Washburn, as the Blue Tigers picked off three passes and both forced and recovered four fumbles. The seven takeaways were the second-most in NCAA Division II in week one, with only Morehouse tallying more with eight. Lincoln also ranks second in DII in fumbles recovered and third in the nation in interceptions.

TACKLING MACHINES:  In addition to creating turnovers, Lincoln also tackled well, with a pair of Blue Tigers ranking among the best in Division II. Bri'on Sanders is second in the MIAA and 13th in the nation with nine solo tackles, while Chavon Gross is respectively third and 21st with eight.

THE RUNDOWN:  Bolstered by an outstanding night by Hosea Franklin, Lincoln currently boasts the 15th-best rushing offense in NCAA Division II. Lincoln gained 259 yards against Washburn, which is the fifth-most in the MIAA. Franklin had a pair of rushing TDs, the third-most in the league.

ALL-CONFERENCE:  Lincoln returns a pair of players who earned All-GLVC recognition for their stellar play in 2018. Hasan Muhammed-Rogers, a playmaker who also helped the Blue Tigers on both offense and special teams, was an All-GLVC second team selection at defensive back, as he had 57 tackles while breaking up three passes. Chavon Gross, meanwhile, was named to the all-league team as an honorable mention at defensive back after breaking up 10 passes, notching 4.5 tackles for loss and 40 total takedowns.

HOMETOWN HEROES:  A few local players made big plays against Washburn during the first week of the 2019 campaign. Cody Alexander, a Blair Oaks grad, made two interceptions while CJ Closser, another Blair Oaks alum, had Lincoln's first touchdown reception of the season. JaJuan Chambers and Brennen DeMarco, both of whom hail from Columbia, Mo., also contributed significantly in the season opener.

UNDER THE LIGHTS:  This will be just the second time that Lincoln will open its home slate with a night game. The last time was in 2017, when the Blue Tigers won, 49-19, over Lincoln (PA) under the lights at Reed Stadium.

ON THE AIR:  Blue Tiger football is back on KJLU, as all six of Lincoln's home games will be broadcast this year. LU fans will also be listen to four of the Blue Tigers' five road games online, as Lincoln play-by-play announcer James Stanley will provide an audiocast for the games at Washburn, Pittsburg State, Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri. The game on Sept. 5 was on Facebook Live, while information will come later this year as how to LU fans can listen to the other three contests.

IT'S A CLASSIC:  Tickets are now on sale for the St. Louis Heritage Football Classic, a game at the Dome at America's Center between Lincoln and Kentucky State. Visit www.lubluetigers.com/shfc2019 to reserve your seats for the Nov. 23 match-up of HBCUs.

GEAR UP FOR THE GAME:  LU fans can get everything they need for the game at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store for LU athletics. Everything from jerseys to office supplies can be found on the site, with a portion of all sales going to benefit Lincoln athletics.

UP NEXT:  The Blue Tigers return to the road next week, heading to Edmond, Okla. on Saturday (Sept. 21) to play Central Oklahoma at 7:00 p.m. CDT.