JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – The Lincoln football team overcame a three-and-a-half hour weather delay, a change of venue and a late Nebraska-Kearney comeback to defeat the Lopers, 34-27, for the Blue Tigers' first win of the season. The victory came on Homecoming Saturday (Oct. 13), with Jacob Morris tossing two touchdowns and rushing for a score while Maurkice Savage picked off three passes to secure the win.
It was an unusual game on an unusual day. The game featured a weather delay that was longer than the game itself. The contest began on the campus of Lincoln University and concluded on the campus of Jefferson City High School. But the game was already a memorable one before either of those events happened, as Lincoln entertained its Homecoming audience by breaking a 38-year school record early in the second quarter.
The Lopers, holding a 7-0 lead, downed a punt at the Lincoln three-yard line with just under 12 minutes to go in the half. The Blue Tigers took the field with a twist: O'Hara Fluellen, a defensive back who entered the game leading Lincoln with 40 tackles, lined up a wide receiver for the first time all season. Morris snapped the ball and lofted it down the right sideline to Fluellen, who made a leaping catch. After coming down in bounds, Fluellen broke away from a tackle and raced into the end zone for a 97-yard touchdown, the longest completed pass in Lincoln history. The completion broke the 1974 mark set by quarterback Calvin McDaniel and receiver Chandler Williams, who connected on a 96-yard pass.
The momentum shift did not last long, as Nebraska-Kearney, playing in its first season as a member of the MIAA, answered with a six-play drive that covered 67 yards for a go-ahead score. The drive was capped by a 23-yard run by quarterback Justin Drudik, who finished the game with 294 yards and a score through the air and 36 rushing yards.
Later in the second quarter, after forcing Nebraska-Kearney to turn the ball over on downs thanks to two incomplete passes forced by Cecil Frison hurries, the Blue Tigers set up their second scoring drive. Beginning on the LU 27-yard line, Morris opened the drive with a seven-yard completion to Maurice Woodard. On the next offensive snap, Morris gained 13 yards on a keeper, then later handed off to Morris Henderson for a 22-yard gain. Lincoln gained another 22-yards on a pass from Morris to Martee Tenner down to the UNK five-yard line. It was all Tenner from there, as the running back gained the last five yards on the ground, including breaking through the defensive line into the end zone on fourth down for the score.
Lincoln missed the extra point, and the score would remain 14-13 entering one of the longest halftimes ever in a football game. The halftime was supposed to feature a performance by the Lincoln Marching Musical Storm, a ceremony recognizing Homecoming Queen Tierra Phillips and Mr. LU Steven Robinson and an appearance by Lincoln's 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. Instead, during the LU band's performance, lightning was spotted, forcing the long delay. Due to the length of the delay and the lack of lights at Dwight T. Reed Stadium, the game was moved to Jefferson City High for the second half. The total delay lasted three hours and 35 minutes while the game itself took just two hours and 43 minutes to play.
After being off the field for nearly four hours, Lincoln and Nebraska-Kearney resumed their first-ever meeting down the street at 7:05 p.m. CT. Nebraska-Kearney took the kickoff and the LU defense gave up a few first downs, but eventually forced a punt. The Blue Tigers took over at their own four-yard line, but never looked back en route to their victory.
The drive began with Morris finding Woodard for six yards. He then handed the ball to Andre Borney, who dropped back and completed a 30-yard pass to Kevin Wade. Henderson then broke free for a 26-yard carry before Morris found Woodard for a 26-yard completion down to the UNK seven. Two plays later, Morris ran the ball in for a five-yard score that put Lincoln in the lead for the first time. It marked the fourth game this season that Morris has recorded both a rushing and passing score.
The Lopers mounted a long drive of their own, eventually advancing as far as the Lincoln 17. On a day when Lincoln was honoring several great Blue Tiger defensive backs in Hall of Fame inductees Lemar Parrish, Willie Burkes, Bruce Johnson and Jim Tolbert, Savage had a quite a performance of his own. The freshman cornerback picked Drudik off for the second time on Saturday at the LU five-yard line.
The Blue Tigers were unable to capitalize on the turnover, though, as three plays later LU was forced to punt. UNK got through the line quickly, and Sam Kuck knocked the ball back out of the end zone for a safety, making the score 20-16 entering the fourth quarter.
The Lincoln defense held tough, forcing another turnover on downs, and the Blue Tiger offense took advantage. Morris began the drive with a 14-yard keeper and a seven-yard carry by Donald Malone moved the ball into Loper territory. A third-down, 19-yard rush by Deon Brock kept the drive alive, as did a 12-yard completion by Morris to Jammell Trammell three plays later. Morris then ran the ball down to the UNK six, and two plays later Henderson finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run that increased the Blue Tiger lead to 27-16.
A 24-yard field goal by UNK's Drew Farlee cut the lead to eight, but, yet again, the Lincoln offense responded with a scoring drive. Morris completed passes of 12 yards to Henderson, 30 yards to Trammell and 21 yards to Woodard, with the last reception going for a touchdown that gave Lincoln a 34-27 advantage on the scoreboard.
Nebraska-Kearney wasn't going away, however, and began a furious comeback bid with 2:52 to play. The game began with Drudik completing a 47-yard pass to Adam Lehner, who led the Lopers with 132 receiving yards. Drudik completed a 13-yard pass down to the Lincoln nine and, on third down, threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Trinidad. UNK chose to go for two and converted on a halfback pass, cutting the Lincoln lead to 34-27.
The Lopers attempted the onside kick, the first faced by LU's special teams this season, but Trammell recovered to give Lincoln back possession. The Blue Tigers were unable to run out the clock, however, and punter Jon Manning kicked the ball into the UNK end zone to set up the Lopers' final drive at their own 20-yard line.
Thus began one last long scoring threat by the Lopers. Drudik completed passes of 20, eight, 13 and 24 yards to move the Lopers down to the Lincoln 10-yard line. That was as far as the drive would go, however, as Savage made his third interception of the day at the Lincoln one, returning it 38 yards to guarantee Lincoln its first win of 2012.
The Lopers fell to 0-6 overall and 0-6 in the MIAA with the loss while Lincoln improved to 1-6 on the year and 1-6 in conference play with the victory. The win, Lincoln's first since a 35-3 victory over Avila on Sept. 3, 2011, was the first conference win for the Blue Tigers since LU rejoined the MIAA in 2011. It was Lincoln's first league win over an MIAA opponent since 1989, when the Blue Tigers defeated Missouri-Rolla (an MIAA member from 1935-2005), 21-14. It was also LU's first victory over a current MIAA program since 1988, when Lincoln won an 18-17 decision against Northwest Missouri.
Morris finished just shy of 300 yards passing, ending his day with 19 completions for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Fluellen's record-breaking 97-yard score gave him the LU receiving yard lead, while Woodard had a team-high nine catches for 84 yards and a score. Henderson led the LU rushing attack with 66 net yards while Morris finished with 48.
Fluellen and Kareem Joyner tied for the team lead with nine tackles. Savage capped off his career day with seven solo tackles, tying Fluellen for the team high, and two pass break-ups to go with the three picks. Timmy Dunn also had seven tackles while James Jackson was next with six. Frison had three quarterback hurries while James Primm had a sack. Jackson and Fluellen also broke up passes.
Lincoln finished with 328 yards passing compared to 294 for Nebraska-Kearney, but UNK outgained LU, 504-480, in total yardage. That was boosted by a 210-152 advantage in rushing yards, with Ricky Trinidad leading the Lopers with 159 yards on 32 carries. Lincoln owned the edge in time of possession, 35:04 to 24:56, and denied the Lopers on all three of their fourth-down conversions.
With the chance now to build a winning streak, Lincoln will take to the road next Saturday (Oct. 20) to take on Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan. That game, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT, is the MIAA Network's Game of the Week, and will be televised in select markets.
Box Score
By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY (MISSOURI) ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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