Complete Game Notes
Game 1: Lincoln (0-0) at Quincy (0-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 7 - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Quincy, Ill.
Stadium (Capacity): QU Stadium (4,000)
Streaming: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers
Live Stats: https://www.sidearmstats.com/quincy/football
Series: QU leads, 4-1
 
THE KICKOFF 
It's a new era for Blue Tiger football, which kicks off its 2014 campaign on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 7) in Quincy, Ill. against Quincy. The LU football team begins its first season under new head coach Moses Harper as well as Lincoln's first year as a full member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT as Lincoln renews a relatively new rivalry with the Hawks that has featured multiple close contests. Lincoln won the first meeting, 42-13, in Jefferson City back in 2014. The Hawks won the next year, 42-37, and has taken each of the past two games by scores of 7-3 (2017) and 14-13 (2018).
 
Lincoln played as an independent in 2023 and went 0-11. Quincy, meanwhile, went 6-5 last year for its first winning season since 2014. The Hawks went 4-4 at home and 2-1 on the road, but were just 3-4 against GLVC opponents.
 
QUICK HITS 
- This will be the sixth meeting between Lincoln and Quincy, with the Hawks leading the series, 4-1. LU won its first games against Quincy, 42-13, in Jefferson City in 2014, but the Hawks have won each of the past four games in the series.
 
- This will be Lincoln's first conference game since Nov. 12, 2022, as the Blue Tigers played as an independent in 2023.
 
- Lincoln is seeking its first season-opening win since a 10-7 neutral site win over Lane to begin the 2018 season.
 
- A victory for Lincoln would be its first road win against a conference opponent since beating William Jewell, 23-14, in Liberty, Mo. on Oct. 20, 2018. That was also LU's most recent road victory.
 
- A victory on Saturday would be the first for Lincoln since defeating Northeastern State, 27-9, in Jefferson City on Oct. 19, 2019.
 
- On Saturday, Lincoln, which played in the GLVC as a football-only member from 2014-18, will play its first game against a GLVC opponent since Nov. 10, 2018, when LU dropped a 50-32 decision at home to McKendree.
 
- The Blue Tigers enter this weekend with an all-time record of 261-496-25.
 
- 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 0-0 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 - Xavier Stewart, Josiah James and Pat Atkins anchor an offensive line that boasts seven returning players on its two-deep. Jareese Howard, a backup a year ago, is the likley starting running back while transfer Isaiah Tate from Division I North Alabama will most likely take over as LU's starting quarterback. Jaylen Thomas, who played in three games last season, is the projected backup at quarterback.
 
LaMarco Yates, Lincoln's second-leading rusher in 2023 with 4.1 yards per carry, is moving to tight end while Jordyn Robinson-Ugwoh and Xavier Delk while open the season as LU's wideouts. Max Rodriguez will also start in two tight end sets for the Blue Tigers, and Armani Turner joins Anias Camarillo as the third and fourth receivers.
 
DEFENSE - Cory Macon, who made 60 tackles and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles, is Lincoln's top returning defender, followed by Jamahreon Smith, who had 37 tackles, 21 of which were solo. Donte Moore made 22 tackles and recorded 4.5 tackles for half as well as two quarterback hurries in 2023. Vez Carter and Zenin Hall, each of whom made 24 tackles a year ago, also return, as does Kaleb Niebuhr, who had 25 tackles and forced a fumble.
 
Ke'Ron Blankumsee tied for the team lead with four pass breakups and Ethan Garnett recovered a fumble while Woodens PierreLouis made 19 total tackles in 2023. Noah Osayande and J'Addison Brown round out Lincoln's top returners on the defensive side of the ball.
 
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 additionally averaged 55.9 yards on kickoffs with nine touchbacks. Clayton Winkler is also back to punt for the Blue Tigers after a 2023 campaign in which he averaged 36.7 yards per kick, had 19 punts land inside the 20 and a longest punt of 71 yards.
 
Darian Fletcher and Tobias Williams are slated as the kick returners while Ifeanyi Mbagwu will be the long snapper.
 
QUINCY AT A GLANCE
Drake Davis threw for 1,629 yards and 16 touchdowns against just two interceptions in nine games for the Hawks in 2023. Davis, a graduate student, is the only QB returning from a year ago while Dontrell Jackson, Jr. and Barah Abad are the back-ups. Teon Dollard is Quincy's top-returning rusher after carrying 77 times for 580 yards and five scores Aniik Mckenzie returns after 96 yards and scoring a touchdown in 2024. The receiving corps will have a lot of new faces, as Anthony Gilpin, Jr. is the top returner after catching 15 passes last year.
 
The defense will also have a bevy of new players after QU lost Peyton Plunkett, David Tabakovic and Jackson Connell, a trio of players who accounted for 146 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks last season. Brock Inman, who led the Hawks with 71 tackles a year ago, will join David Lewis, who recorded 55 tackles and broke up five passes, as Quincy's top returning defenders. Joe Webb, who had 44 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack as well as a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery, rounds out Quincy's notable returners.
 
Junior Alex Schattin will serve as Quincy's holder and punter this season while Davis, who averaged 27.6 yards on five punts last year, is also a possible punter. Michael Owens is back after a 2024 campaign in which he made seven of his 13 field goal attempts with a long of 45. He also handled kickoff duties, averaging 56.4 yards with 17 touchbacks. Gilpin scored a touchdown on a punt return and Mckenzie averaged 18.7 yards on kick 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 Killday is also in his first season as head coach but brings years of familiarity with the GLVC to Quincy. From 2016-23, Killday was the offensive coordinator at Truman State, helping the Bulldogs average 29.8 points and 356.5 yards per contest. Truman State won at least nine games in four consecutive seasons, won a GLVC title in 2016 and was the winner of the America's Crossroads Bowl Game in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
 
NIGHT AND DAY:  Lincoln's home opener will be played under the lights, with McKendree coming to Jefferson City on Sept. 14 from 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 the other four home games are all scheduled to begin at noon.
 
PLAYING WITH THE BEST:  Four of Lincoln's transfer players have competed against some of the best athletes in the country as athletes at NCAA Division I schools. Rakeim Ashford comes to LU from North Carolina State; Tryston George last played at South Alabama; Jordan Hoskins played at East Tennessee State; and Isaiah Tate joins Lincoln from North Alabama.
 
REST FROM THE ROAD:  Unlike in 2023, when the Blue Tigers played four out-of-state games in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, Lincoln will get a break from long road trips in 2024. Six of the 11 games are in the friendly confines of Dwight T. Reed Stadium. Four of the remaining games will be played at sites fewer than three hours away from Jefferson City, with the longest trip being a four hour, 51 minute journey to Tahlequah, Okla. to play Northeastern State on Oct. 12.
 
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.
 
BATTLE OF THE LINCOLNS:  Lincoln University of Missouri will celebrate Homecoming by hosting Lincoln University of California on Oct. 5, 2024. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools bearing the 16th president's name. The Blue Tigers have previously played a home-and-home with Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and 2017 for the only other Battles of Lincolns in the history of the Blue Tiger football program.
 
DOUBLE THREAT:  Blue Tiger fans will have the chance to see a lot of Chase Morris in 2024-25 as the freshman from Ashland, Mo. will play on both the LU football and baseball teams. Morris, a receiver, gained over 1,000 yards and caught 16 touchdown passes during his senior season on the Southern Boone football team. In baseball, the shortstop batted .373 with 38 hits and posted a .974 fielding percentage.
 
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:  Lincoln opens its 2024 home slate by hosting William Jewell next Saturday (Sept. 14) in a 7:00 p.m. CDT contest.