Complete Game Notes
Game 10: Missouri Western (5-5, 5-5 MIAA) at Lincoln (0-9, 0-9 MIAA)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 13 - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Stadium (Capacity): Dwight T. Reed Stadium (5,500)
Tickets: Available online at http://lubluetigers.com/tickets | Adults - $10 | Children Under the Age of Six - Free  | Non-LU Students/LU Faculty & Staff - $5 | LU Students (With ID) - Free
Streaming: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Radio: KJLU 88.9 FM - Jefferson City, Mo.
Audiocast: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/football/
Series: MWSU leads, 4-0

THE KICKOFF 
It's Senior Day for the Lincoln football team, which closes its 2021 season on Saturday (Nov. 13) morning by hosting Missouri Western for an 11:00 a.m. CST contest. A special ceremony will be held prior to the game to honor Lincoln's seniors: Elliott Albert, Kalon Grover, Desmond Hunter, Piere' Jones, Jordan McCoy and Cyril Spells.

The Blue Tigers will try to close the 2021 season with a win, as Lincoln had a second half rally fall short against Emporia State last Saturday (Nov. 6). Desmond Hunter threw touchdown passes of 81 and 60 yards, and Hosea Franklin rushed for a score, but LU ended up falling, 56-21. Lincoln has been a strong offensive team at Dwight T. Reed Stadium, though, as LU has averaged 38.3 points in its last three home games.

Missouri Western will try to close its campaign with a winning record, as MWSU is 5-5 after a 59-28 home win over Central Missouri last Saturday.

QUICK HITS 
- Lincoln and Missouri Western will meet on Saturday for the fifth time in series history. The Griffons have won each of the past meetings, including beating Lincoln, 71-8, in Jefferson City in 2019.

- This is just the second time that Lincoln faces Missouri Western at home. The Blue Tigers hosted the Griffons in 2019, but the previous three meetings all took place in St. Joseph, Mo.

- A win for Lincoln would be its first in a season finale since 2013, when the Blue Tigers beat Southwest Baptist at home, 51-28.

- A victory on Saturday would be the first for Lincoln in 2021, and the first for LU since defeating Northeastern State, 27-9, on Oct. 19, 2019.

- A win would also be the first for Lincoln against a team based in Missouri since defeating William Jewell on the road in 2018.

- 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Dwight T. Reed Stadium. The Blue Tigers first played in the venue on Sept. 25, 1971, when Lincoln beat Bemidji State, 35-13.

- The Blue Tigers enter this weekend with an all-time record of 261-473-25.

- 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 1-19 and an overall record of 4-26.

- 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 196.8 yards per game and has thrown 13 touchdown passes with four interceptions on the year.

Hosea Franklin, a 2019 Don Hansen Division II All-American honorable mention, has scored seven touchdowns on the year while gaining 690 yards. Tori Hicks is also having a big season, rushing for 374 yards and three scores. Winston Ausmer leads the receiving corps with 33 grabs for 531 yards and six scores, while Charles Johnson has 13 catches, including three touchdown grabs. Chrisshun Robinson has 17 receptions, and Aderias Ealy has caught 14 passes.

DEFENSE - Elliott Albert is having a fantastic year, as he leads Lincoln with 71 total tackles, has made 3.5 tackles for loss, and has two interceptions, a fumble recovery and six broken-up passes. Chris Parker and Piere' Jones each have an interception, while Cody Bagby has made 43 tackles, forced a fumble and totaled a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss. TeAndre Skinner, meanwhile, has a sack, has blocked a kick and has made 61 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss.

Jaylon Mosley has 40 solo tackles and 71 total takedowns on the year, and Samuel Amituanai has three tackles for loss and has joined with Terrion Williams for a sack. Zyan Thomas-King has broken up four passes and made 36 tackles, and Charles Robertson has made 26 tackles, including 19 solo. LaMarr Spencer has 29 total tackles and Amituanai is next with 27. As a team, LU has made 35 tackles for loss and has broken up 18 passes.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Winston Ausmer is the main returner, averaging 16.7 yards on punt returns and 12.5 yards on kick returns. Tori Hicks averages 17.0 yards on kick returns, while Brandon Mackey, Jr. is next with 13.0 yards per return. Clayton Winkler is Lincoln's kicker, and averages 44.8 yards on kickoffs. On punts, Winkler is averaging 35.7 yards, with seven kicks traveling at least 50 yards and five resulting in a fair catch.

MISSOURI WESTERN AT A GLANCE
Anthony Vespo takes most of the snaps under center for the Griffons and has thrown for 1,442 yards and eight scores with just four interceptions. Reagan Jones has 867 yards on 55 completions, as well as three touchdowns and three picks. Cooper Burton, meanwhile, is 3-for-3 on pass attempts with two touchdowns.

Shen Butler-Lawrence, Jr. leads Missouri Western with nine rushing scores, and Jones has six while Brandon Hall has five touchdowns as well as a team-high 553 yards on the ground. In the receiving game, Burton leads the team with 693 yards on 40 receptions, and Traveon James has caught 39 passes for 611 yards, with both players having four touchdown grabs on the year. Five other Griffons have caught a touchdown pass, including Tysen Gray, who is third on the team with 18 receptions.

Evan Chohon leads MWSU defensively with 98 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss, followed by Kobe Cummings (72 tackles) and Devan Burrell (42 tackles). Dakari Streeter has a team-high four sacks, CJ Ravenell has 5.5 tackles for loss, and Terrance March has blocked a kick. Cummings has intercepted six passes and broken up five more, and Sam Webb has blocked two kicks.

Roland Tyson averages 60.6 yards on kickoffs with 13 resulting in a touchback, and Jack Rasmussen averages 38.3 yards on punts with 23 resulting in a fair catch. Thomas Kopcho, meanwhile, is 7-for-8 on field goals with a long of 44 yards. Burton has a kick return touchdown and is averaging 46.7 yards while Trey Vaval leads MWSU with 10.2 yards on punt 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.

Matt Williamson has directed the Griffons to 25 wins and a Live United Bowl victory in his four years as the head coach. An alum of MWSU, Williamson spent 10 years as an assistant at the NCAA Division I level.

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 became the first Lincoln freshman quarterback in decades to throw for at least 1,000 years in a season halfway through the 2021 campaign, and his numbers are stacking up well in the NCAA Division II ratings. For the season, Brake currently is 13th nationally in yards per completion (14.6), 62nd in the country in passing efficiency (133.6) and 70th nationally in total offense (208.9).

NCAA LEADERS:  Entering the final week of the season, Lincoln is ranked highly in NCAA DII in several statistics. With just five interceptions thrown on the year, Lincoln is tied for 16th in the nation. The Blue Tigers are 21st in passing yards per completion (14.5), 14th in punt return yardage (15.2) and 68th in possession time (30:19).

FOR THE WIN-STON:  Winston Ausmer has been one of the MIAA's best receivers in 2021, catching 33 passes for 531 yards and six scores. Ausmer, who is currently ninth in the MIAA in touchdown grabs, ranks 18th in the league in passes caught per game (3.7), as well as 13th in the conference in receiving yards per contest (59.0).

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.

BRAVO CHARLIE:  When Charles Johnson gets the football, he is a hard man to tackle. Johnson, who has three touchdown receptions on the year, is averaging 28.3 yards per catch, the second-most of any player in the MIAA. Johnson's 368 receiving yards are the second-most on the team, and he enters the week averaging 52.6 yards per contest.

DOES IT ALL:  Tori Hicks has made plays as a runner, a receiver and as a kick returner, and he even serves as one of Lincoln's back-up quarterbacks. Hicks, who rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns against Central Missouri, is averaging 109.0 all-purpose yards per contest, rating him fifth in the MIAA in that category.

TAKE IT BACK:  Winston Ausmer had a huge day in the return game on Saturday, finishing with 102 yards on punt returns, the most in a single game by a player in the MIAA this season. One of those returns went for 80 yards, which also stands as the single-game high in the MIAA this year. Ausmer, whose 80-yard return is tied for ninth in NCAA Division II, is leading the league in punt return average (16.7).

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:  Following Saturday's football game, head on over to Jason Gym for the final two games of the Central Region Challenge at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CST.