Complete Game Notes | Home Game Information
Game 2: McKendree (0-1, 0-0 GLVC) at Lincoln (0-1, 0-1 GLVC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 14 - 7:00 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 Six - Free | Non-LU Students/LU Faculty & Staff - $5 | LU Students (With ID) - Free
Streaming: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers
Radio: KJLU 88.9 FM - Jefferson City, Mo.
Audiocast: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/football/
Series: McKendree leads, 5-0
 
THE KICKOFF 
The Lincoln football team opens its 2016 home slate on Saturday (Sept. 14) as the Blue Tigers host McKendree in a 7:00 p.m. CDT contest. It's one of just two night games for Lincoln in 2024 as well as the only game set to be played under the lights at Dwight T. Reed Stadium this year. It is also the first home game of the new GLVC era for Lincoln.
 
The Blue Tigers enter the week 0-1 both overall and in conference play after falling to Quincy, 46-5, on the road last Saturday (Sept. 7). During the first quarter Lincoln played well, entering the second period with a chance to take the lead, but the Hawks ended up scoring three touchdowns to take control of the game.
 
McKendree is also trying to bounce back from a season-opening loss after falling on the road to West Florida, 38-6, on Sept. 5. The Bearcats were kept off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter and were held to 258 yards of total offense.
 
QUICK HITS 
- This will be the sixth meeting between Lincoln and McKendree, with the Bearcats leading the series, 5-0. The teams met every season between 2014 and 2018 when the Blue Tigers were football-only members of the GLVC.
 
- The Blue Tigers are playing at home for the first time in 2023 on Saturday, and are attempting to win their first home game of a season for the first time since Sept. 9, 2017, when LU won the Battle of the Lincolns, beating Lincoln University (PA), 49-19.
 
- On Saturday, Lincoln will play its first home game against a GLVC opponent since Nov. 10, 2018, when LU dropped a 50-32 decision at home to McKendree.
 
- LU is seeking its first win a night game since beating Southwest Baptist, 28-13, at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on Sept. 22, 2018.
 
- A victory for Lincoln would be its first over a GLVC opponent since beating William Jewell, 23-14, in Liberty, Mo. on Oct. 20, 2018.
 
- A victory on Saturday would be the first for Lincoln since defeating Northeastern State, 27-9, in Jefferson City on Oct. 19, 2019.
 
- The Blue Tigers enter this weekend with an all-time record of 261-497-25.
 
- Moses Harper was named the head coach of the Lincoln football team in 2024. He is in his first season leading the Blue Tigers and has both an overall and program record of 0-1 entering this week.
 
- Lincoln, which was a full member of the MIAA for 26 years (overall), is joining the GLVC in 2024. 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 (MWAA), the Great Lakes Football Conference (GLFC), the Central States Football League (CSFL), the GLVC and the MIAA.
 
- This is the 93rd 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 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
 
BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH
OFFENSE - Isaiah Tate completed seven passes for 61 yards and gained 33 yards on the ground in the first game of the season for the Blue Tigers. Jareese Howard had 48 net rushing yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry against Quincy while DeMareus Hosey added 13 yards on the ground. Leading the receivers was Darian Fletcher with two grabs for 45 yards. LaMarco Yates and Howard additionally had two receptions apiece while Armani Turner gained six yards on one catch. The offensive line is anchored by veterans Xavier Stewart, Josiah James, Tez Curry and Pat Atkins.
 
DEFENSE - Cory Macon, who made 60 tackles and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles, led Lincoln with nine tackle against Quincy. Vez Carter, Jordan Hoskins and Macon each had six solo tackles and Carter led the Blue Tigers with 3.5 tackles for loss. As a team, the Blue Tigers made nine total tackles for loss, including one apiece by Chris Gonzalez, Dontonio Moore, Rakeim Ashford, Jacob McGhee and Tyler Beauliere, the latter of whom had a sack.
 
Hoskins and Carter each finished with seven total tackles against the Hawks while Ashford matched Jeremiah Gill, Gonzalez and J'Addison Brown with four tackles apiece. Donte Moore, Jamahreon Smith, Zenin Hall, Desean Logan-Russell, Ke'Ron Blankumsee and Yasir Talib-Harrison each made two tackles in the opener.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS - Mo Alwaely made 10 field goals with a long of 49 yards a year ago and is back to serve as Lincoln's primary place kicker once again in 2024. Alwaely made his only field goal try against Quincy, a 42-yard effort, and also averaged 59.0 yards on three kickoffs.
 
Clayton Winkler serves as Lincoln's punter and had a big day in the opener, averaging 46.2 yards on eight punts against Quincy. Winkler had four kicks that traveled at least 50 yards, including a 55-yard kick that is currently tied for the longest by a GLVC player in 2024. Winkler had two punts land inside the 20.
 
Tobias Williams gained 73 yards on kick returns and Fletcher had 51 kick return yards with a long of 36 yards.
 
McKENDREE AT A GLANCE
Ty Michael completed 18 passes for 196 yards with a pick in McKendree's opener at West Florida while Eddie Clark led the rushing attack with 42 yards on 17 carries. Caleb Fisher caught a team-high five passes for 57 yards with Yogi Flager, Jr. next with three receptions for 51 yards. Clark had McKendree's touchdown as the Bearcats went 1-for-2 on trips to the red zone.
 
Nick Bova led the Bearcat defense with nine tackles and a sack while Ja'Markus Gary had eight tackles. Drew Ellis and Andrew Sherry each recorded six tackles and one tackle for loss, with Sherry additionally intercepting a pass. Logan Turbyfill additionally made six tackles and Jacob Stoneburner finished with 1.5 tackles for loss, with the 0.5 TFL coming on a combined sack with Dameion Hatten.
 
Tyus Jackson had McKendree's other interception in the season-opener and Tanner Hollerich was credited with a hurry. Keshawn Lyons and Elijah Felton each broke up passes, Jassani Freeman forced a fumble and Jake Pisoni and Zion Rodriguez each made four tackles.
 
Jacob Miller is McKendree's kickoff specialist, averaging 61.0 yards on two kicks, though one went out of bounds. Kaleb Barry handles field goals and is also the team's punter, averaging 38.3 yards against West Florida with a long of 46 yards. Clark averaged 20.5 yards on a pair of kick returns while Avery Quigley returned one kick for 15 yards. Flager, Jr. is responsible for punt returns.
 
THE COACHES
Moses Harper was named the head coach of the Blue Tigers in January and is in his first season leading the LU football program. Harper is no stranger to Missouri as he graduated from Central Methodist and has worked at both William Jewell and Missouri Western. Most recently he was the passing game coordinator and receivers coach at Nebraska Kearney, a former rival of the Blue Tigers in the MIAA.
 
Jason Rejfek was named the interim head coach of the Bearcats in August after Mike Babcock resigned to accept a role on the coaching staff at UCLA. Rejfek, an alum of McKendree, joined the staff in 2018 as the receivers coach before later becoming the defensive backs coach and then defensive coordinator. Rejfek previously spent three years on the coaching staff at Lindenwood-Belleville and, as a player, led McKendree to a pair of playoff appearances.
 
MOVING THEM BACKWARDS:  Lincoln made nine tackles for loss in the season-opener against Quincy and rank 15th in NCAA Division II in that stat. Vez Carter was responsible for 3.5 tackles for loss, the single-game high in the league in 2024 and the second-most by any Division II player this season. Five other Blue Tigers had at least one TFL, including Tyler Beauliere, who registered the first sack of the season for the Lincoln defense.
 
MACON IT HAPPEN:  Lincoln's defense was led by Cory Macon in the season-opener, as the senior led the Blue Tigers with nine total tackles, six of which were solo efforts. The six solo tackles are tied with Jordan Hoskins and Vez Carter for the most on the team and the most by GLVC players while Macon's nine overall tackles rank third in the league and 46th in Division II.
 
BALL CONTROL:  Lincoln is one of 22 Division II programs out of 159 qualifying teams that has not turned the ball over in 2024. The Blue Tigers have allowed just one sack, ranking them third in the GLVC and 39th in DII. The Blue Tigers have also been disciplined, with just 53 penalty yards, the third-fewest in the GLVC and the 41st-fewest in the country.
 
NON-CON:  For the first time since 2018, Lincoln will have the opportunity to play non-conference games while being members of a league. In 2023, the Blue Tigers was an independent but played a nearly full schedule against MIAA opponents, with the sole exception being a Thursday night game against Eastern New Mexico. This season, while being a full member of the GLVC. Lincoln will play Lincoln (CA) on Oct. 5, old MIAA rival Northeastern State on the road on Oct. 12, and fellow HBCU Lane at home on Nov. 9.
 
NIGHT AND DAY:  Lincoln's home opener will be played under the lights, with McKendree coming to Jefferson City on Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. CDT contest, but LU's remaining games will be played in the afternoon. The Homecoming game on Oct. 5 is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. while each of the other four home games are all scheduled to begin at noon. This week's game is just one of two night games LU will play in 2024, with the other being a 6:00 p.m. game at Northeastern State on Oct. 12.
 
KICKING IT:  Clayton Winkler had a big day in LU's season opener, punting for 370 yards while averaging 46.3 yards per attempt, both of which lead the GLVC through the first week of the season. Winkler had four punts travel over 50 yards, including one that went 55 yards, tied for the longest in the league. Mo Alwaely also had a good day, averaging 59.0 yards on kickoffs while making a 42-yard field goal on his only attempt.
 
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 2024 season. The season ticket package also includes parking passes for all six of Lincoln's home games.
 
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 2024. 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:  All 11 of Lincoln's games in 2024 will stream online on the GLVC Sports Network at https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers. 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 William Jewell at Dwight T. Reed Stadium next Saturday (Sept. 21) at 12:00 p.m. CDT.