Sunday, September 7, 2014

Langston Rallies to Defeat Blue Tigers in a Missouri Classic Shootout

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  -- The Lincoln football team scored 42 points in the first half, but was held to just six in the second as the Blue Tigers fell to Langston, 49-48, in the Missouri Classic on Saturday (Sept. 6). Langston out-scored Lincoln 21-0 in the third quarter to rally from a 14-point halftime deficit, and then held on to win the neutral site contest, which was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Jacob Morris completed 18 of 25 passes (.720 completion percentage), including 11 of 12 in the first half, and finished with 301 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. The four scoring throws tie a single-game Lincoln record, owned by James Lang and Morris himself. Morris also contributed on the ground, finishing as Lincoln's second-leading rusher with 66 yards on 19 carries.

Morris Henderson also had a big day, scoring three touchdowns, including one on a 91-yard kickoff return. Henderson finished with 78 yards on the ground and two scores and added 142 more yards on kickoff returns.

Henderson's third touchdown nearly sent the game into overtime. Lincoln forced Langston to punt with less than three minutes to go, but the Lions' punter could not handle the snap. Reggie McMillan grabbed the ball and gave Lincoln excellent field position, and three plays later, Henderson found his way into the endzone. That pulled Lincoln to within one point of Langston, but Andrew Fishel's game-tying kick was blocked. The Blue Tigers elected to kick the ball deep instead of try for an onside kick, but Langston's quarterback converted a third-and-four with a nine-yard keeper that sealed the game for the Lions.

The contest started out well for Lincoln, as Morris led a 78-yard game-opening drive that ended with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Khiry Draine. After an exchange of possessions, Langston tied the game at seven on a 13-yard pass. On the ensuing kickoff, however, Henderson grabbed the ball at the Lincoln nine and raced all the way to the end zone, providing the Blue Tigers with an early 14-7 lead.

Langston scored another touchdown on the following drive, but Morris answered by finding Draine once again, this time for 23 yards, to put Lincoln back up by seven. After forcing the Lions to punt, Lincoln scored again on the first play of the second quarter, with Morris Christopher Willis for a 48-yard touchdown. Morris later connected with Draine on a third scoring pass, giving the Blue Tigers their biggest lead of the game, 35-14, with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Draine finished the game with four receptions for 101 yards and the three scores.

The Lions cut the lead back down to seven with a pair of touchdowns, one of which was a 53-yard pass that capped a two-play drive. The Blue Tigers got back on the board late in the quarter, with Henderson scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year from four yards out to give Lincoln a halftime lead of 42-28.

The third quarter belonged to Langston, though, as the Lions outgained the Blue Tigers 203-46 in yardage and 21-0 on the scoreboard. The Lions converted 13 first downs while limiting Lincoln to three, and successfully picked up two fourth-down conversions. Penalties were a killer for the Blue Tigers, who were flagged seven time for 71 yards in the third quarter alone.

The Lincoln defense answered the call in the fourth quarter, keeping Langston off the scoreboard to give the offense a chance at tying the game. The Blue Tigers did not get within scoring range until that final drive, however, and Lincoln, which won the first Missouri Classic in 2013 against Grambling State, was forced to cede its title in the second classic to Langston.

Kareem Joyner led the Lincoln defense with 11 tackles, 3.5 of which led to a combined loss of five yards. Davon Walls finished with a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including two sacks for 14 yards, and was second on the squad with nine tackles. Lawrence HogueLawrence Cayou and Kerry Roby each had one pass break-up apiece, with Cayou also blocking a field goal attempt, and Robert Daniels broke up two passes. Hogue finished with eight tackles, Cayou added seven and a sack, and Roby contributed six takedowns.

Julio Segura had a big day on kickoffs, averaging 50.4 yards on eight attempts. Segura also averaged 44.2 yards on four punts, including a long of 52 that pinned Langston inside its own 20. Fishel added six extra points. Bryson Winfrey made a team-high six receptions for 54 yards while Willis added 86 yards and the touchdown on four receptions.

The Blue Tigers will open both their home and league schedules next Saturday (Sept. 13), as Lincoln hosts Southwest Baptist in its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference contest.


COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELAITONS

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