Complete Game Notes
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 16 - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Pittsburg, Kan.
Stadium (Capacity): Carnie Smith Stadium (7,950)
Tickets: http://pittstate.edu/office/tickets/athletic-tickets.dot
Streaming: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Radio: ESPN 100.7 FM - Pittsburg, Kan.
Audiocast: https://espn1007.com/
Live Stats: https://pittstategorillas.com/sidearmstats/football
Series - PSU leads, 10-0
 
THE KICKOFF 
The Blue Tigers begin a two-game road trip this Saturday (Oct. 16) as the Lincoln football team heads to Pittsburg, Kan. to play Pittsburg State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT as Lincoln vies for its first win of 2021.
 
Lincoln enjoyed one of its best offensive days of the season last Saturday (Oct. 9), as LU scored five touchdowns in a Homecoming contest against Missouri Southern. Quarterback Zamar Brake threw three touchdown passes and rushed for a score, as Lincoln racked up 442 yards of offense against the Lions. Missouri Southern ended up with the win, however, 52-32.
 
Pittsburg State lost a heartbreaker in its last game, as Northwest Missouri rallied from a 16-0 deficit and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:15 left in the game for a 20-19 victory over the Gorillas. That snapped a three-game win streak for PSU, which plays its third home game this weekend.
 
QUICK HITS 
- Lincoln and Pittsburg State will meet for the 11th time in a series that dates back to 1981. The Gorillas lead the series, 10-0.
 
- The Blue Tigers and the Gorillas last faced each other in 2019, with Pittsburg State winning, 56-14, in Pittsburg, Kan.
 
- A victory for Lincoln would be its first road win against an MIAA opponent since beating Central Missouri, 20-7, in Warrensburg, Mo. in 1975.
 
- Lincoln is seeking its first road win, and its first league road win, since beating William Jewell, 23-14, as a GLVC program on Oct. 20, 2018.
 
- A victory on Saturday would also be LU's first victory since Oct. 19, 2019, when Lincoln beat Northeastern State, 27-9.
 
- LU is seeking its first win in the state of Kansas since 2008.
 
- The Blue Tigers are seeking their first win outside the state of Missouri since opening their 2018 campaign with a victory over Lane in Memphis, Tenn.
 
- The Blue Tigers enter the 2021 season with an all-time record of 261-469-25.
 
- Malik Hoskins was named the interim head coach of the Blue Tigers in May of 2019, and was promoted to the full-time position at the end of that year. He enters the week with an LU record of 1-15 and an overall record of 4-22.
 
- Lincoln is in second-consecutive year, and its 25th overall as a football-playing member of the MIAA. 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 90th 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 - Zamar Brake turned in a record-setting performance against Northeastern State, passing for 454 yards and four touchdowns, both of which are new single-game standards at Lincoln. Brake is averaging 246.0 yards per game and has thrown 11 touchdown passes with one interception on the year.
 
Hosea Franklin, a 2019 Don Hansen Division II All-American honorable mention, has gained over 100 yards in each of the past three games, and has scored five touchdowns on the year while gaining 417 yards. Winston Ausmer leads the receiving corps with 22 grabs for 333 yards and four scores, while Charles Johnson has eight catches, including three touchdown grabs.
 
DEFENSE - Elliott Albert has begun the season very well, leading Lincoln with 50 total tackles while tallying 3.5 tackles for loss, an INT, a fumble recovery and four broken-up passes. Chris Parker and Piere' Jones have an interception, while Cody Bagby has made 22 tackles, forced a fumble and totaled 3.5 tackles for loss. TeAndre Skinner, meanwhile, has blocked a kick and made 44 tackles, including a team-high four for loss.
 
Jaylon Mosley has 22 solo tackles and 37 total takedowns on the year, and Samuel Amituanai has three tackles for loss and has joined with Terrion Williams for a sack. As a team, LU has made 21 tackles for loss, including one by Aeneas Tibbs and two from Malaefono Ale.
 
Zyan Thomas-King has broken up three passes and made 25 tackles, and Charles Robertson has made 21 tackles, including 17 solo. Caleb Rozar has 10 tackles on the year, and Devyn Sigars has notched 15 takedowns.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS - Winston Ausmer is the main returner, averaging 8.5 yards on punt returns and 11.0 yards on kick returns. Tori Hicks averages 18.0 yards on kick returns, while Brandon Mackey, Jr. is next with 13.0 yards per return. Clayton Winkler is Lincoln's kicker, and averages 45.9 yards on kickoffs. On punts, Winkler is averaging 38.2 yards, with five kicks traveling at least 50 yards and three resulting in a fair catch.
 
PITTSBURG STATE AT A GLANCE
Quarterback Max Sexton is completing 61.9-percent of his passes with 109 completions for 1,442 yards. Sexton has thrown 11 touchdown passes against four interceptions, while backup Chad Dodson also has two touchdown passes. Elijah Harris has been on the receiving end of four of those scoring passes, and Jalen Martin leads the team with 38 receptions while scoring three touchdowns. Six other Pittsburg State players have recorded at least four receptions, with Christian Carter having 17 grabs on the season. Caleb Lewis has rushed for 325 yards while Tyler Adkins has gained 310 yards on the ground, with both Gorillas having scored three touchdowns.
 
Dallis Flowers has intercepted three passes and broken up three others, and Brandon Mlekus leads PSU with five pass breakups while notching 37 tackles. The top tackler is PJ Sarwinski, who has 47, including 3.5 for loss and 28 solo takedowns. Luke Jennings is next with 38 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Alex Gaskill has picked off two passes, Zeke Wall has a sack and Gasevan McGrue has broken up four passes. Wall and Dubem Okonkwo have each forced fumbles, but Pittsburg State has yet to recover a fumble in 2021.
 
PSU kickers are 8-for-11 on field goals, including a long of 53 yards by Cross Holmes. Gentry Cole averages 56.4 yards on kickoffs with 10 touchbacks, and in the punting game, Dominik Stadlman averages 40.4 yards with a long of 52 yards. Flowers leads Pittsburg State with 190 yards on kickoff returns.
 
THE COACHES
Malik Hoskins is in his second season as the head coach of the Lincoln football team. Hoskins was elevated to the position of interim head coach prior to the 2019 season after spending two seasons serving as Lincoln's offensive coordinator. In his first year as the head coach, he led the team's return to the MIAA, culminating with a 27-9 win over Northeastern State on Homecoming. After the 2019 season, Hoskins was named the full-time head coach of the Blue Tigers. Hoskins also was the interim coach at Lane in 2015.
 
Brian Wright has Pittsburg State off to a 4-2 start in his first full season as the head coach of the Gorillas. Wright previously served as the offensive coordinator at Toledo, an NCAA Division I program, where he ran one of the most successful offenses in the country for four seasons. Wright also worked at Florida Atlantic. 
 
BROKEN RECORDS:  Lincoln enjoyed its best passing performance ever against Northeastern State, as quarterback Zamar Brake threw for 454 yards and four scores. The yardage breaks team and individual single-game records, which stood at 445 and 424, respectively, entering the season. The four touchdown passes also tied the single-game record. Additionally, Lincoln ran 92 plays on offense, tying the team single-game record.
 
PACING THE NCAA:  Zamar Brake finished with 505 yards of total offense against Northeastern State, which are the fifth-most by any player in a single game in NCAA Division II this season. His 454 passing yards, meanwhile, are the 10th-most in a contest in DII. For the season, Brake currently is 12th nationally in yards per completion (15.2), 24th in passing efficiency (156.2) and 33rd in total offense (266.6).
 
NCAA LEADERS:  Through the first five weeks of the season, Lincoln ranks highly in NCAA DII in several statistics. With just two interceptions thrown on the year, Lincoln is tied for 11th in the nation. The Blue Tigers are 33rd in passing yards per completion (14.3) and 51st in passing yards per game (246.0). Lincoln is also 27th in Division II in fewest turnovers lost (six) and 55th in fewest penalty yards (318).
 
FOR THE WIN-STON:  Winston Ausmer has been on a tear through the first five games of the year, catching 22 passes for 333 yards and four scores. Ausmer, who is currently ninth in the MIAA in touchdown grabs, ranks 11th in the league in passes caught per game (4.4), and 92nd in Division II in receiving yards per contest (66.7).
 
WHAT A RUSH: Hosea Franklin set the Lincoln standard in rushing in 2019, finishing with 1,359 yards, a new program record. Franklin earned first team All-MIAA and all-region honors for the year, as well an All-American honorable mention award.
 
BACK ON THE RUN:  After being slowed by the defenses in Lincoln's first two contests of 2021, Hosea Franklin has totaled over 100 rushing yards in each of the last three games. He's averaging 83.4 yards per game and has scored five touchdowns.
 
FRANKLY:  Hosea Franklin is moving up the ranks in both the NCAA Division II and MIAA statistics. Franklin is 38th nationally with five rushing touchdowns. In the league standings, he ranks fourth in touchdowns and third in rushing yards per game (83.4), as well as sixth in all-purpose yards (102.0).
 
OUT OF STATE:  The Blue Tigers will spend a lot of time on the road in 2021. LU is scheduled to play five games on the road this year, and none in the state of Missouri. Lincoln will play three games in Kansas (at Fort Hays State on Sept. 18, at Pittsburg State on Oct. 16 and at Emporia State on Nov. 6), one contest in Oklahoma (at Central Oklahoma on Oct. 2) and one game in Nebraska (at Nebraska Kearney on Oct. 23).
 
TICKETS:  For the first time ever, fans can purchase their tickets to Lincoln's home football games online. Head to http://lubluetigers.com/tickets to purchase both season and individual game tickets for the 2021 season.
 
JOIN THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM:  The Blue Tiger Athletics Club is a great way to engage with other LU fans while supporting Lincoln student-athletes. Every dollar raised by the club goes towards scholarships for students, improving campus facilities and purchasing and maintaining equipment. To join the BTAC, or to learn more about the club, please visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/BTAC.
 
LU PLAYS ON KJLU:  Veteran play-by-play announcer James Stanley returns to the airwaves to provide Lincoln fans the action on the field in 2021. Stanley will call all five of LU's home games, and fans can listen to him live on 88.9 FM KJLU. Those not in the Jefferson City area can also listen to the games on KJLU's website, http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU.
 
...AND ONLINE:  All 10 of Lincoln's games will also stream online at www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers.
 
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:  Lincoln remains on the road next Saturday (Oct. 23) as the Blue Tigers play Nebraska Kearney in Kearney, Neb. at 2:00 p.m. CDT.