Saturday, September 9, 2017

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Lincoln (Pa.) Lions at Lincoln (Mo.) Blue Tigers

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- THE BASICS

Game #2: Lincoln (PA) (0-1) at Lincoln (MO) (0-1)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 9 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Stadium (Capacity): Dwight T. Reed Stadium (5,500)
Live Stream - http://glvcsn.com/
Audiocast - http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU
Live Stats - http://sidearmstats.com/lincolnu/football/xlive.htm
Series - Lincoln (PA) leads, 1-0

THE OPENING KICK

Saturday's game will be the second annual "Battle of the Lincolns".  The Lions won last year's contest at home 33-23.

The Lions will play in their first road game under the lights since visiting Division I Sacred Heart University on September 21, 2013.  Lincoln (Pa.) is seeking their first ever evening win on the road, coming into the game with a 0-7 nighttime road record since the program was revived in 2008.


Saturday's game will also be the first home night game for the Blue Tigers of Lincoln (Mo.) in 40 years.

Both teams are seeking their first win as the Lions opened their season with a 56-28 loss at Cheyney University in their annual "Battle of the First" contest against their area HBCU rival.  The Blue Tigers suffered a 30-14 to Langston University last week.

LAST MEETING

The Blue Tigers jumped out to a 17-0 lead in last year's game at Lions Stadium before Andre Price (Rialto, Calif./Jurupa Hills (Chabot)) caught the first of his two touchdown passes from quarterback Justin White (Ozone Park, N.Y./Grand Street) to close the gap to 17-7 at halftime.  Tyler Wilson (Baltimore,MD/West Hills College)'s touchdown reception early in the third quarter pulled the Lions within four 17-13 before the blue Tigers struck on their next possession, needing just one play – a 66-yard run by Will Randolph to go back on top 23-13.  The Lions roared back with 20 unanswered points, climaxing with a 76-yard touchdown reception by Elijah Smith (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka (Monroe College)) with five minutes to go in the game.  White finished the game with 223 yards passing and four touchdowns.

LIONS FIRST GAME SUMMARY

Senior Rameses Owens (Warrensville Hgts., Ohio/Shaker Heights Robert Morris)) rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Vincent Espinoza (Madera, Calif./Madera (West Hills)) scrambled for a third and passed for another, all in the second half but the Lincoln University football team was unable to overcome a sloppy first half as Cheyney University took the annual "Battle of the First" game between the two teams 56-28 on Saturday.
Lincoln trailed 56-0 entering the third quarter.  The Lions scored twice in the third and two more times in the fourth to make the final score somewhat respectable at 56-28.  Owens started the scoring with a 6 yard touchdown run in the third with Espinoza scoring form 16 yards out some four minutes later to make the score 56-12.
In the fourth quarter the Lions capitalized on two Cheyney fumbles, scoring both times.  Owens ran one in from eight yards out and Andre Price (Rialto, Calif./Jurupa Hills (Chabot))added a 41-yard touchdown reception late in the game.

LIONS TO WATCH

Offense – Quarterback Vincent Espinoza (Madera, Calif./Madera (West Hills)) came off the bench to complete 11 of 19 passes in Lincoln's season opener. Espinoza totaled 129 yards passing and had one touchdown toss.  He also ran for 47 yards and had one touchdown rushing.  Running Back Rameses Owens (Warrensville Hgts., Ohio/Shaker Heights Robert Morris)) netted 77 yards rushing in his Lions debut while scoring two touchdowns. Andre Price (Rialto, Calif./Jurupa Hills (Chabot)) had seven receptions while recording the second 100-yard receiving game of his career (105 yards) and one touchdown.
Defense – Junior linebacker Deion Miller (Sayreville, N.J./Jersey Coast Academy), a Second Team All-CIAA honoree last season led the team with nine tackles.  The Lions forced five fumbles, recovering three.  The last two recoveries led to Lions touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Rhamir Thomas (Washington, Pa./Washington (Youngstown St.)) and Cole Williams (Laurel, Md./DeMatha Catholic) had six tackles apiece while Williams recorded the Lions lone interception on the afternoon.
Special Teams – Carlos Croslin (Baltimore, Md./Frederick Douglass (Globe Tech) ) returned five kickoffs for a total of 138 yards, including a 65 yard run in the first half.  Cody Waddell (Elkton, Md./Northeast), Lincoln's primary punter averaged 36 yards per punt while Espinoza kicked twice, averaging 46 yards.  Waddell also averaged 33.4 yard on kickoffs.

BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH

Offense - The first offensive touchdown of 2017 was a pass by Henry Ogala to Miles Drummond in the second half of last week's loss at Langston. Anthony Townsend was Lincoln's top receiver, however, as he caught four passes for 65 yards. Ogala, who was filling in for an injured Eugene Sainterling, threw for 188 yards and the score in his first career appearance as a Blue Tiger. Kimbo Ferguson was the Blue Tigers' main rusher, as he averaged 3.1 yards on nine carries.
Defense - Addison Tucker tied for the team lead in tackles with 11 at Langston.   Willard Cotton also had a solid game in Lincoln's season-opener, totaling 11 tackles, four quarterback hurries, two tackles for loss, a sack and a broken up pass.
Special Teams - The Blue Tigers first touchdown of the 2017 season came courtesy of the special teams, as Isaiah Gray blocked a Langston punt and Victor Williams recovered it in the end zone. Wolky Belancourt made both of his extra points attempts and averaged 36.2 yards on punts and 58.0 yards on kickoffs. Gray had a 23-yard punt return while Blake Tibbs led Lincoln with 62 yards on kickoff returns

THE COACHES

Reginald Byarse, Jr. was named the interim head coach of the Lions on May 1, 2017. Byarse, 29, has the distinction of being the youngest head coach of an NCAA Division II football program this season.  No stranger to the Lincoln football program, Byarse spent the last season as the Lions' Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach where he coordinated and managed all aspects of special teams position/positions assignment. Lincoln's punt return unit was one of only six Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) schools to average over ten yards per return in the 2016 season.   Byarse also was heavily involved in opponent evaluation and development of defensive game plans and assists with the administrative functions of the program. He spent the previous six seasons working at the high school level in various capacities. He graduated from Cincinnati in 2011.  

Steven Smith was named head coach of the Blue Tigers last December after a very successful four-year run as the offensive coordinator of Albany State. Smith, who has also coached at Tennessee State, Delta State and Virginia State, helped Albany State go undefeated in league play in three of his four seasons. Smith's teams have made for NCAA Division II playoff appearances and he has coached 21 all-conference honorees and eight All-Americans. Beyond his college career, Smith additionally has coached with six NFL teams, most recently serving as an assistant under Romeo Crennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.


UP NEXT FOR THE LIONS

Lincoln returns to the road next Saturday (Sept. 16), traveling to Philippi, West Virginia to take on Alderson-Broaddus University in their final non-conference game of the season.


LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

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