QUINCY, Ill. - The Lincoln football team played staunch defensively during the first quarter, but a big second period helped lead Quincy to a 46-5 win over the Blue Tigers on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 7) in the 2024 season opener for both teams.

The game was the first for Lincoln as a full member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Blue Tigers were a football-only member of the GLVC from 2014-18, with 2018 being the last time that LU and Quincy met in football.

The Hawks forced a safety on Lincoln's first possession and later scored on a 21-yard field goal, but those five points were the only ones of the first quarter for Quincy, which fielded only 41 yards combined on its other possessions of the period. A 28-yard run by quarterback Isaiah Tate and a 49 yard gain on the ground by Jareese Howard put Lincoln in the red zone in the beginning of the second period, but the Blue Tigers ended being tackled short of the end zone on a fourth-and-goal from the half yard line.

Quincy began to pull away in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns to take a 25-0 advantage into halftime. The Blue Tigers struck first in the third quarter, however, as Lincoln tackled Quincy's  running back in the end zone for a safety. That play was set up by a booming 54-yard punt by Clayton Winkler that pinned the Hawks at the six, followed by a tackle for a loss of five yards by Dontonio Moore. Lincoln's other points of the afternoon came in the fourth quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Mo Alwaely.

Tate threw for 61 yards and Howard led LU with 49 rushing yards while Darian Fletcher and LaMarco Yates each caught a pair of passes. Cory Macon led the Blue Tiger defense with nine tackles while Vez Carter provided seven including 3.5 tackles for loss. Lincoln made nine total tackles for loss, with Tyler Beauliere notching a sack and Chris Gonzalez and Jacob McGhee each adding one tackle for loss apiece. Jordan Hoskins also made seven tackles.

Winkler averaged 46.2 yards on punts with four kicks traveling further than 50 yards and two landing inside the 20. Tobias Williams gained 73 yards on kickoff returns and Darian Fletcher gained 51 yards on two kick returns. Alwaely averaged 59.0 yards on kickoffs.

The Blue Tigers return home to host McKendree next Saturday (Sept. 14) at 7:00 p.m. CDT.