Lincoln Blue Tigers Back at Home To Host Southwest Baptist on Saturday Night

Complete Game Notes

Game 4: Southwest Baptist (0-2, 0-0 GLVC) at Lincoln (1-2, 0-0 GLVC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 22 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Stadium (Capacity): Dwight T. Reed Stadium (5,500)
Tickets: Adults - $10 | Children Under the Age of Six - Free  | Non-LU Students/LU Faculty & Staff - $5 | LU Students (With ID) - Free
Streaming VIDEO - http://glvcsn.com/
Radio - KJLU 88.9 FM - Jefferson City, Mo.
Audiocast - http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KJLU
Live Stats - https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/football/
Special Events - Bleed Blue Game
Series - Southwest Baptist leads, 9-1

THE KICKOFF  
For the second-straight week, the Blue Tigers are at home as the Lincoln football team opens GLVC play by hosting Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Sept. 22) for a 6:00 p.m. CDT contest. It's LU's Bleed Blue Game, and fans are encouraged to deck out in navy to "blue out" the Bearcats.

It will be the first GLVC game of the 2018 season for both programs, with Lincoln entering with a 1-2 record. The Blue Tigers beat Lane at a neutral site to open the season, then less than a week later fell to NCAA Division I opponent Missouri State. Last Saturday (Sept. 15), LU dropped a defensive tussle with Wisconsin-Oshkosh at home, 17-7.

Southwest Baptist is 0-2 on the year after opening with a 49-7 loss at Houston Baptist and falling the following week to Missisippi College, 34-9. Both games were on the road, and SBU enters with an extra week of rest as the Bearcats had a BYE week on Sept. 15.

QUICK HITS  
- Lincoln and Southwest Baptist meet for the 11th time on Saturday, with the Bearcats leading the all-time series, 9-1. SBU has won the past four meetings, with Lincoln's win coming in 2013.

- A win for Lincoln would be its first in GLVC play since beating Quincy, 42-13, in Jefferson City on Sept. 20, 2014.

- A victory against SBU would also mark the first time the Blue Tigers have won their league opener since 2000, when Lincoln was a member of the Central States Football League. That year, LU beat SW Assemblies of God, 41-14.

- This will be just the third night game at Dwight T. Reed Stadium since Lincoln renovated the field prior to the 2017 season. The Blue Tigers are 1-1 in those games with a win over Lincoln (PA) and a loss to Indianapolis.

- A victory would be the first for Lincoln over a team from the state of Missouri since the season finale of 2013, when the Blue Tigers defeated Southwest Baptist, 51-28.

- If the Blue Tigers beat SBU, it would give Lincoln a 2-2 start to the season and mark the best beginning to a year for LU since 1980. Lincoln also began that season 2-2.

- The rivalry between the Blue Tigers and the Bearcats dates back to 1987. Both programs later joined the MIAA and later became associate members of the GLVC, and have played every year since 2012.

- The Blue Tigers enter Saturday with an all-time record of 254-454-24.

- Steven Smith is in his second season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers and has a career record of 2-11.

- Lincoln is in its fifth season as a member of the GLVC. LU was in the MIAA for 23 years, including three-straight from 2011-13, for football before making the switch in 2014. The GLVC is the fifth different conference in which the Blue Tigers have been a member, joining the Midwest Athletic Association, the Great Lakes Football Conference, the Central States Football League and the MIAA.

- This is the 88th 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.

BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH
OFFENSE - Henry Ogala has been very efficient in his three starts at quarterback, completing 41 passes for 481 yards and three touchdowns. Blake Tibbs caught 12 of those passes and leads LU with 162 yards while Antonio Issac, Hosea Franklinand Justin Korakakos each have a touchdown. On the ground, Hosea Franklin leads Lincoln with 207 net yards while Terry Hunter rushed for 41 yards in the win over Lane. 

DEFENSE - The Lincoln defense was outstanding in LU's opening win, forcing three turnovers while holding Lane to just 123 yards of total offense. The Blue Tigers made three sacks and five tackles for loss, and broke up five passes with a pair of picks. Amani Nelson currently leads the Blue Tigers with 21 tackles, followed by Edwin Durassaint with 17 and Isaiah Graywith 16. Gray leads the team with 3.0 tackles for loss, and Durassaint had a fumble return for a touchdown against Missouri State. Both Victor Williams and Chavon Gross have made 12 tackles, and Williams also has a sack while Gross has made 2.0 tackles for loss. Joseph Madrigal has one of Lincoln's interceptions, as he picked off a late fourth quarter pass by Lane to help the Blue Tigers seal the season-opening win. Hasan Muhammad-Rogers has 13 tackles and Garen McKinney, who started against MSU, has made 10 takedowns. As a team, Lincoln has broken up six passes.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Fernando Ramirez made his Blue Tiger debut a memorable one, scoring LU's first points of the game on a 44-yard field goal to give Lincoln a first quarter lead over Lane that it would never relinquish. Ramirez, who also made a field goal against Missouri State, has converted on all five of his point-after tries, and that 44-yard FG is currently the GLVC season-high. Wolky Belancourt is Lincoln's holder as well as its punter, and he is averaging 34.1 yards with a long of 49 this season. Brenton Wrigley is Lincoln's long-snapper, and Donovan Wright is LU's leading kick returner after gaining 106 yards at Missouri State. A'Jani Johnson, who is averaging 8.0 yards on punts, is Lincoln's other primary returner.

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST AT A GLANCE
The Bearcats are off to a slow start offensively, scoring just 16 points in their first two games while allowing 83, with starting quarterback Dylan Mountain completing 47.4-percent of his passes for 158 yards. Bryse Salik has also seen time under center, throwing for 119 yards and a touchdown, and the pair have combined for five picks. In the rushing game, Eric Knight leads the team with 99 yards and a touchdown while averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Matt Lechuga and Connor Ratcliff are the team's leading receivers with 40 yards on five receptions each, while Knight has also caught five passes for 37 yards. Ratcliff has the touchdown reception.

On the defensive side of the ball, Tyler Curts averages 13 tackles per game and Connor Hicks has made 16 takedowns while Quincy Jones, Jr. is next with 14. Tevin Hall has two of SBU's eight tackles for a loss, and Jamehl Wilson forced a fumble while Tresta Kueneman has been credited with a hurry. The Bearcats have yet to intercept a pass or sack the quarterback in 2018.

In the special teams, Jackson Bagley is averaging 37.2 yards on punts with three landing inside the 20 and three resulting in a fair catch with a long of 54 yards. Lechuga is averaging 20.4 yards on kickoff returns and also handles punt returns. Alec Gathright, meanwhile, is averaging 58.0 yards on kickoffs.

THE COACHES 
Steven Smith was named the 22nd head coach of the Blue Tigers last December after a 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. Smith additionally has coached with six NFL teams, most recently serving as an assistant under Romeo Crennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.

Ryan Clardy is now in his fourth season as the head coach of the Bearcats and his 12th year on the SBU staff. In 2016, Clardy led Southwest Baptist to its first-ever playoff appearance as well as its first conference title, as the Bearcats went 10-2 overall, including 7-1 in the GLVC. Clardy has 19 wins as the SBU head coach, has coached an All-American in receiver Nathan Mourik, and has coached 14 All-GLVC players.

SHUTDOWN DEFENSE:  Lincoln shut out Lane in the second half of its season-opening victory and held the Dragons to just 123 yards of total offense. The Blue Tiger defense was just as staunch last week against Wisconsin-Oshkosh, allowing only 273 total yards. In those two games, LU allowed points in only three of the eight quarters.

D-D-D-DEFENSE:  The Blue Tigers have allowed 200.3 passing yards per game, though most of those came against Division I opponent Missouri State, which threw for 330. LU's other opponents were both held under 200 passing yards, and, if you take away the Missouri State game, Lincoln is allowing 135.5 yards through the air.

SLOW DOWN:  The defense has also been stout vs. the run, ranking 57th in Division with 128.7 yards allowed per contest. Missouri State gained 177 yards on the ground vs. the Blue Tigers, but LU's other two opponents have combined for just 209 rushing yards, with both programs being held to under 120. In both games, Lincoln led in total offensive yardage.  

BALL CONTROL:  Lincoln's offense was good at controlling the clock last year, as LU led in time of possession in six of its 10 games, finishing 21st in DII with 32:08 minutes of possession per game. That trend has continued in 2018, as Lincoln leads the GLVC and is ranked 10th in NCAA Division II in time of possession at 34:57.

PICK 'EM:  In 10 games in 2017, Lincoln was held without an interception. The Blue Tigers broke that trend early in 2018 with two picks against Lane, both of which helped seal the victory. Joseph Madrigal made the first interception of the year at LU's own one-yard line to stop a potential scoring drive while Edwin Durassaint sealed the victory with his pick on the final play of regulation.

JUMP ON THE BALL:  Lincoln's defense has been opportunisitc through the first three games; along with the two interceptions in the opener, the Blue Tigers have recovered four fumbles, including one that was taken into the end zone for a 78-yard score by Edwin Durassaint against Missouri State. Lincoln currently leads the GLVC, and is ranked 17th in Division II, in fumble recoveries.

PASSING GRADE:  Henry Ogala has been particularly efficient in his first three starts of the year, compiling an efficiency rating of 132.3. In addition to being the fourth-best efficiency rating in the GLVC, Ogala, who also has completed 62.1-percent of his passes, rates 41st nationally in that stat and 61st in DII in passing efficiency. Lincoln is high in both stats in the NCAA team rankings as well, rating 37th nationally in completion percentage and 69th in team passing efficiency.

RUNNING MAN:  Hosea Franklin had a breakthrough performance against Wisconsin-Oshkosh, as he gained a career-high 116 yards on the ground on 19 carries. That 6.1 yard-per-carry average built on a solid game against Missouri State, as Franklin rushed for 79 yards on 16 tries. Franklin, who also has a receiving touchdown, is LU's leader with 207 rushing yards on the season.

ANY TEAM, ANYWHERE: Lincoln has one of the most diverse schedules in the country, as, through three weeks, the Blue Tigers have already played teams from NCAA Division I (Missouri State), Division II (Lane) and Division III (Wisconsin-Oshkosh). Those three games also counted differently in terms of location, as LU has played a neutral site contest, a road game and a home game.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Blue Tigers will spend a lot of time on the road in 2018, as Lincoln will play only four games at Dwight T. Reed Stadium. That's the fewest in a season for LU since 2008, when the Blue Tigers played four home contests in a nine-game season. LU plays 11 contests in 2018, including six true road games as well as a neutral site contest in Memphis on Sept. 1.

ON THE AIR:  Blue Tiger football is back on KJLU, as six of Lincoln's 11 games will be broadcast this season. All four of Lincoln's home contests, as well as the road games at Truman State on Oct. 13 and Missouri S&T on Oct. 27, will air on 88.9 FM in Jefferson City.

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:  The Blue Tigers return to the road, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. next Saturday (Sept. 29) to take on Indianapolis at 5:00 p.m. CDT.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS