Complete Game Notes
Game 4: Lincoln (0-3) at Northwest Missouri (1-2)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 23 - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Maryville, Mo.
Stadium (Capacity): Bearcat Stadium (6,500)
Tickets: https://bearcatsports.com/sports/2014/5/7/GEN_0507143611.aspx
Streaming: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Radio: KXCV 90.5 FM - Maryville, Mo.
Audiocast: https://www.kxcv.org/
Live Stats: https://bearcatsports.com/sidearmstats/football/
Series: NWMSU leads, 17-7-1

THE KICKOFF 
The Lincoln football team is set for its first daytime game of 2023, as LU travels to Maryville, Mo. to play Northwest Missouri on Saturday (Sept. 23). While each of Lincoln's first three contests of the year were played in the evening, Saturday's game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. CDT kickoff.

The Blue Tigers are coming off their closest game of the young season, a 24-10 loss to Washburn at home last Saturday (Sept. 16). After the Ichabods scored 17 points in the first quarter, the defense for Lincoln settled down and allowed just seven points the rest of the way, shutting WU out in both the second and fourth periods.

Northwest Missouri had a streak of 242-straight weeks being mentioned in the AFCA Top-25 end with a 17-6 loss at Fort Hays State last weekend. That dropped the Bearcats to 1-2 on the season. NWMSU has lost two-straight and is seeking to avoid its first three-game skid since 2001.

QUICK HITS 
- This will be the 26th meeting between LU and NWMSU, with Northwest Missouri leading the series, 17-7-1. The teams last met in 2022, with the Bearcats beating Lincoln in Jefferson City, 58-20.

- The Blue Tigers won each of the first three meetings, but have not defeated the Bearcats since an 18-17 win at home in 1988. LU's last win in Maryville, Mo. was a 7-3 decision in 1973. Northwest Missouri has won each of the last four games in the series, and the teams have played only three times since 1990.

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

- 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.

- LU is seeking its first road win since defeating William Jewell, 23-14, as a GLVC program on Oct. 20, 2018.

- This is the first afternoon game of 2023 for Lincoln, which opened the season with a night game at Emporia State before hosting back-to-back evening contests at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.

- The Blue Tigers enter this weekend with an all-time record of 261-488-25.

- 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 0-14.

- 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 four touchdowns this season, including an 85-yard scoring run in the opener at Emporia State. Vaughn, who has thrown for 564 yards with three touchdowns, is LU's leading rusher with 134 yards on the ground, followed by LaMarco Yates with 131. Omar Allen has recorded 88 rushing yards over the past two games. Aderias Ealy is enjoying a stellar start to the season with a pair of touchdown receptions and 14 total catches for 274 yards, an average of 19.6 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 Nathan Valencia.

DEFENSE - Bryant Coley led the Blue Tigers in tackling in each of their first two games and has 24 total takedowns in 2023, 13 of which have been solo. Ian Hackney leads Lincoln with 28 tackles and is one of three Blue Tigers with a sack along with a David Kinard and Isiah McKenzie. Donte Moore leads LU with 2.0 tackles for loss and has 12 total takedowns on the year. Elijah Juarez (24 tackles), Michael Harrison (14) and TJ Jasper (20) each have broken up two passes while Cory Macon has totaled 21 tackles and has forced a fumble. Wes Hollie has made 13 tackles and Adrian Hopper has recorded 11. Lincoln has made 11 total tackles for loss.

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 61.6 yards with a touchback. Clayton Winkler is averaging 35.8 yards per punt with seven kicks landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line and six resulting in 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. The other primary kick returners are Aderias Ealy and Dawan Lomax.

NORTHWEST MISSOURI AT A GLANCE
The Bearcats enter the weekend averaging 16.7 points and allowing 24.7 points per contest. Northwest Missouri has averaged 164 rushing yards in its first three games, but is allowing an average of 303 passing yards and has given up eight passing touchdowns. NWMSU has produced more offense than its opponents (388.3-365.7) and has won the time of possession battle, averaging 32:54 game minutes with the football.

Jay Harris has gained 355 rushing yards and leads the Bearcats with three touchdowns while Tank Young leads the program with an average of 7.5 yards per carry. Mike Hohensee and Henry Martin have also scored rushing touchdowns, and Hohensee has completed 68.8-percent of his passes for 337 yards with one touchdown as well as one interception. Trevon Alexander has NWMSU's only touchdown reception, and Kashan Griffin has a team-high 160 receiving yards.

Isaac Vollstedt, who leads the Bearcats with 20 tackles, and Jianni Angulo, who has 10 tackles, each have picked off passes this season, while Cahleel Smith (11 tackles) has broken up a team-high five passes. Bryce Krone has made 16 tackles and is tied with Jake Fisher for the team-lead with 3.5 tackles for loss. Northwest Missouri has both made and allowed four sacks.

NWMSU is 3-for-4 on field goals with a long of 29-yards, and Cole Lammel averages 58.5 yards on kickoffs. Both Lammel and Hohensee split the punting duties.

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.

Rich Wright is 53-15 as the head coach of the Bearcats, and he has led NWMSU to the NCAA Division II playoffs in every complete season of his tenure. Wright first joined NWMSU as the defensive line coach in 2004, and has built Northwest Missouri into a juggernaut that has won four NCAA championships and 10 MIAA titles and has made the playoffs in 17-straight seasons.

GOING THE DISTANCE:  On the first offensive play of 2023, Lincoln quarterback Xzavier Vaughn  kept the ball and ran straight to the house for an 85-yard touchdown score. Entering the fourth week of the season, that play is tied for the third-longest run by a Division II player, trailing a 95-yard rush by Ron Craten of Mississippi College and a 90-yard run by Gage Porter from Southern Nazarene. Vaughn is currently tied with Trevion Butler from Eastern New Mexcio, LU's opponent on Oct. 26, for the third-longest run of the season.

VAUGHN-TED OFFENSE:  Thanks in part to that run, as well as big passing day against Missouri Western, Xzavier Vaughn is averaging 231.3 yards of total offense per game. That average is the 63rd-best in Division II and, if LU was in the MIAA this season, it would also be the ninth-highest average in the conference. Vaughn is completing 16 passes per game, which is the 62nd-most in DII, and he has thrown for 564 yards, a total that ranks 75th in the nation.

RISING EALY:  Aderias Ealy has been electrifying, averaging 91.3 receiving yards per game on 14 total catches. Ealy's 274 total receiving yards rate 28th in NCAA Division II, while his average per game is the 29th-best in the country. Ealy, who had his first 100-yard game of the season against Washburn, also ranks 62nd in receiving scores (two) and 80th in all-purpose yards (107.0).

NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES:  Despite a 0-3 start to the year, Lincoln ranks among the top half of NCAA Division II in several categories. LU"s highest mark is in punt return defense, where the Blue Tigers rate sixth in the nation, as they have allowed just -0.5 yards. Clayton Winkler is 79th in the country in punting (36.9) while Elijah Juarez is 79th in solo tackles (4.7). LU has been penalized only 56 yards, the 47th-fewest in the country.

TACKLING DIVISION II:  Out of 181 qualifying ranked players, five Blue Tigers are among the best in NCAA Division II in tackling. Ian Hackney ranks 22nd in the nation with 9.3 tackles per game. Elijah Juarez and Bryant Coley are tied with each player averaging 8.0 tackles per contest, ranking them 63rd nationally. Cory Macon (7.0) is 116th and TJ Jasper (6.7) is 140th in the country.

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:  Lincoln remains on the road to play Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan. next Saturday (Sept. 30) at 7:00 p.m. CDT.