Complete Game Notes | Game Day Information
Game 8: Missouri Southern (3-4) at Lincoln (0-7)
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 21 - 2:00 p.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 Five - Free | Non-LU Students - $5 | LU Faculty, Staff & 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: MSSU leads, 11-2

THE KICKOFF 
The Lincoln football team begins a two-game homestand on Saturday (Oct. 21) when the Blue Tigers host Missouri Southern at 2:00 p.m. CDT. It will be the first of two games in six days for LU, as Lincoln hosts Eastern New Mexico in a night game on Thursday (Oct. 26).

Both teams enter this weekend's game trying to end losing streaks. Lincoln scored its most points yet last Saturday (Oct. 14), but fell on the road to Central Oklahoma, 59-17. The Blue Tigers will be playing for their first win of 2023 on Saturday. Missouri Southern, meanwhile, began the season 3-1, but has since lost three-straight games, most recently falling to Pittsburg State last Saturday.

This game is Lincoln's annual Think Pink contest. Fans are encouraged to join Lincoln coaches and players in wearing pink to the game to help bring awareness to breast cancer.

QUICK HITS 
- Lincoln and Missouri Southern meet for the 14th time on Saturday in a series that dates back to 1969. LU won each of the first two meetings, but Missouri Southern won the following 11 contests, including a 37-14 victory in Joplin, Mo. last season.

- A win for the Blue Tigers would be their first over the Lions since a 13-7 victory in 1970.

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

- LU is seeking its first win against a team from the state of Missouri since defeating William Jewell, 23-14, as a GLVC program on Oct. 20, 2018.

- After spending the past two weeks on the road, Lincoln will be home for most of October. The Blue Tigers play three of their four games this month at Dwight T. Reed Stadium, starting with the Oct. 7 Homecoming game and concluding with a Thursday night showdown against Eastern New Mexcio on Oct. 26. Last Saturday's contest at Central Oklahoma was LU's lone road game of the month.

- The Blue Tigers enter this weekend with an all-time record of 261-492-25.

- Jermaine Gales was named the head coach of the Lincoln football team in 2021. In his second season leading the Blue Tigers, Gales enters the week with both an overall record and a record at LU of 0-18.

- For the first time since 2010, Lincoln will play a season as an independent. Lincoln, which played in the MIAA for 26 years (overall), is joining the GLVC in 2024-25. The Blue Tigers, who were an associate member of the GLVC from 2014-18, have played in five different conferences in their 92-year history: the Midwest Athletic Association, the Great Lakes Football Conference, the Central States Football League, the GLVC and the MIAA.

- This is the 92nd 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. Lincoln did not play a full schedule in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH
OFFENSE - Xzavier Vaughn has been responsible for eight touchdowns this season, including an 85-yard scoring run in the opener at Emporia State. Vaughn, who has thrown for 984 yards with six touchdowns, is LU's leading rusher with 193 yards on the ground, followed by Omar Allen (193 yards) and LaMarco Yates (157). Yates is averaging 31.4 yards per game, the team-high. Aderias Ealy is enjoying a stellar start to the season with a trio of touchdown receptions and 30 total catches for 420 yards, an average of 14.0 yards per grab. Ealy and Winston Ausmer, who is next on the receiving list with 13 receptions, each have gained over 50 yards on single catches. Ausmer also has a receiving score and 145 total yards on the year. LU's other leading receivers include Israel Tate, Damon Bell and Charles Johnson.

DEFENSE - Ian Hackney, one of four players on the LU defense with a sack, leads the Blue Tigers with 52.0 tackles while Elijah Juarez has 41.0 with two tackles for loss. David Kinard, Jesse Brown and Isiah McKenzie are the other Blue Tigers with a full sack credit while Adrian Hopper, who has made 37 tackles, joins Donte Moore, Kaden Mondy and Woodens PierreLouis with 0.5 sacks apiece. Moore and Jordan Batts each have 2.5 tackles for loss, and Bryant Coley is second on the squad in tackling with 45.0 on the year. TJ Jasper has broken up four passes and Michael Harrison, who has 31 tackles, has also broken up four. Coley has picked off a pass and Cory Macon has a fumble recovery.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Mo Alwaely successfully made the longest field goal by a Blue Tiger since 2018 when he connected on a 43-yard attempt in Lincoln's season-opening game at Emporia State. Alwaely's kickoffs have been very sharp, as he is averaging 56.8 yards with four touchbacks. Clayton Winkler is averaging 37.1 yards per punt with 13 kicks landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line and eight resulting in calling for a fair catch. Winston Ausmer leads the Blue Tigers with a 36.5 average on kickoff returns, highlighted by a 50-yard return against Missouri Western, while the other primary kick returner is Aderias Ealy.

MISSOURI SOUTHERN AT A GLANCE
Despite entering the weekend with a losing record, MSSU is out-scoring opponents by an average of 26-24 per game and averages 229.6 passing yards while allowing 174.4. The Lions are allowing 166.3 rushing yards per contest, but overall average 345.0 yards of total offense while their opponents are averaging 340.7.

Luke Sampson has completed 113 passes for 1,569 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. Nathan Glades leads the MSSU ground attack with 272 yards while Anthodius Ashley has 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ja'Veon Marlow has a team-high three TDs on the ground. Jaedon Stoshak has caught 26 passes for 428 yards and four touchdown, and Deontay Campbell and Akeem Gilmore each have 21 receptions. Campbell has additionally scored three touchdowns.

Colton Winder has an impressive 71 tackles on the year and has 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and two broken up passes. Halid Djibril leads MSSU with 4.0 tackles for loss, and Zach Bergmann has 51 tackles to go with an interception. Peyton McKee and Evrin Hawkins also each have a pick, and the Lions, as a team, have six fumble recoveries and seven forced fumbles.

Drake Reese is 7-for-10 on field goals with a long of 49 and is averaging 53.9 yards on kickoffs. Mitchell Cory is averaging 39.9 yards punting with nine pinning teams inside the 20. David Bethune averages 20.9 yards on kick returns while Stoshak averages 5.4 yards on punt returns.

THE COACHES
Jermaine Gales is now in his second season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers after beginning Lincoln's rebuild in 2022. Gales is no stranger to developing programs, as he was part of a staff at Bluefield State that went 4-3 in its first football season in 40 years in 2021. Gales has more than 20 years of experience as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels, and has helped programs like Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Mars Hill and North Carolina Central achieve winning seasons.

Atiba Bradley is in his third season as the head coach of the Lions, bringing an 11-19 record into this weekend's game. Bradley has coached Missouri Southern to 23 All-MIAA selections and one All-American honoree while improving MSSU's win total each season. Bradley, an alum of Missouri Southern, has also coached as Quincy, McKendree and South Dakota.

NO FOUL, NO FOUL:  Lincoln has not been called for many penalties this season, with LU being on the receiving end of 46 penalties for 332 yards. LU has been penalized an average of 47.4 yards per contest, the 30th-fewest in Division II, and in terms of total penalty yardage, Lincoln is 32nd in DII. The Blue Tigers' average 6.6 flags per game, a total that ranks as the 70th-fewest in the country.

THE FOURTH IS WITH US:  The Blue Tigers have been sharp on fourth down conversion attempts on both sides of the ball. Lincoln is converting its offensive fourth down tries at a .714 clip, the 10th-best in NCAA Division II midway through the 2023 season. On defense, LU has allowed teams to convert at a .500 clip, the 91st-best in Division II.

TACKLING DIVISION II:  Out of 197 qualifying ranked players, three Blue Tigers are among the best in NCAA Division II in tackling. Ian Hackney ranks 23rd in the nation with 8.7 tackles per game. Elijah Juarez, who averages 6.7 tackles per game, is 134th in Division II while Bryant Coley is close behind with 6.4 takedowns per game, ranking him 146th in the nation.

CLAY-MORE:  Clayton Winkler has had a great season as Lincoln's punter, averaging 37.1 yards per kick, the 68th-best in NCAA Division II. LU is playing as an independent this season, but if it were still in the MIAA, Winkler's average would make him the conference's fourth-best punter. He has a season-long punt of 71 yards and 13 of his kicks have pinned opponents inside the 20.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NUMBERS:  Aderias Ealy is currently 89th in Division II in receiving yards (416) and 87th in receptions per game (4.3) while Cory Macon and Israel Tate are tied for 60th in fumble recoveries. Macon is also 92nd in the nation in fumbles forced while Elijah Juarez rates 95th in solo tackles (4.2).

DEFENDING THE HAWKS:  Lincoln's defense was stout against Northeastern State, causing NSU to turn the ball over on downs twice and forcing five punts. Adrian Hopper forced a fumble to end the RiverHawks' second drive, with Cory Macon recovering, and Bryant Coley recorded Lincoln's first interception of 2023.

TICKETS:  Like in the past two years, 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 2023 season. The season ticket package also includes parking passes for all six of Lincoln's home games.

THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE DWIGHT:  For the first time since 2018, when Lincoln played football in the GLVC, the Blue Tigers will play a non-MIAA opponent when LU hosts Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 26. That Thursday night showdown under the lights at Dwight T. Reed Stadium will pit Lincoln against a non-MIAA or GLVC team, LU's first such game since a Nov. 3, 2018 game at Tarleton State.

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 become a member of 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 2023. Stanley will call all six 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:  While the Blue Tigers are competing as an independent team in 2023, all 11 of Lincoln's games will still stream online at www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers. The six home games will include a simulcast of the KJLU broadcast, while the five road games will be called by the home team's radio broadcasting crew. All-season viewing packages are now available.

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 host Eastern New Mexico at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on Thursday (Oct. 26) at 7:00 p.m. CDT.