Lincoln Kick Off 2018 at Lane

2018 Lincoln Football Media Guide

Complete Game Notes
Game 1: Lincoln (0-0) vs. Lane (0-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 1 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Stadium (Capacity): Arthur Halle Stadium
Tickets: Available at Site
Special Event: Bluff City Kickoff Classic
Series - Lincoln leads, 9-6

THE KICKOFF  
The Lincoln football team kicks off its 2018 season in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday (Sept. 1) when the Blue Tigers take on Lane in the Bluff City Kickoff Classic. This neutral site contest, which will be played at Arthur Halle Stadium, is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. CDT as the two teams meet for the first time since 2016.

The Blue Tigers won their home opener in 2017 in convincing fashion, beating Lincoln (PA) 49-19, but that was LU's sole win of the season. Lincoln, in its second season under head coach Steven Smith, returns 14 starters, including defensive linemanIsaiah Gray and wide receiver Blake Tibbs, who were both All-GLVC selections.

Lane opened and closed 2017 with victories, but dropped all of its games in between and is also seeking a resurgence in 2018. Lincoln and Lane first met in 1931 and have played each other 15 times, with the Blue Tigers leading the series, 9-6.

QUICK HITS  
- Lincoln and Lane renew a rivalry that dates back to 1931 on Saturday, with the two teams meeting for the 16th time. The Blue Tigers lead the all-time series, 9-6, and won the last meeting, 12-9, in Jefferson City back in 2016.

- If the Blue Tigers win on Saturday, it will be the first for Lincoln away from home since opening the 2015 season with a 35-32 win at Langston in Oklahoma. That was also LU's last season-opening victory.

- The Blue Tigers are seeking their first victory in a neutral site contest since 2013, when LU beat Grambling State in the Missouri Classic in Kansas City.

- This will be the fifth-straight year that Lincoln will open the season by playing against a Historically Black College or University. The Blue Tigers opened the past four years with games against Langston, and have secured at least one win over a fellow HBCU in each of the past five years.

- Saturday marks the first time Lincoln will open a season with a neutral site contest since 2014, when LU played Langston in Kansas City. The Blue Tigers were edged in that game, 49-48, and have not played in a neutral site game since then.

- A win would be the second in a row for Lincoln over Lane. The last time LU secured consecutive wins over an opponent was in 2008, when the Blue Tigers defeated Haskell for the second-straight season.

- The Blue Tigers enter Saturday with an all-time record of 253-452-24.

- Steven Smith is in his second season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers and has a career record of 1-9.

- 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 - Lincoln returns a pair of sophomore quarterbacks, Henry Ogala and Drake Davidson, both of whom saw extensive playing time in 2017. Ogala completed 55.1-percent of his passes and threw for a touchdown while starting Lincoln's opener against Langston. Davidson, meanwhile, appeared in seven contests and completed 71 of his 139 pass attempts for 459 yards. Blake Tibbs led LU with 38 receptions for 372 yards and three scores, earning All-GLVC honors in the process, and is back for his senior season. A'Jani Johnson (281 receiving yards) and Justin Korakakos (182 yards) also return after finishing second and third, respectively, among the Blue Tigers in receiving. Terry Hunter, who gained 264 yards on the ground in 2017, is Lincoln's top-returning running back while Kimbo Ferguson also returns after tallying one of LU's rushing touchdowns last season. 

DEFENSE - Isaiah Gray was named to the All-GLVC second team a year ago after finishing with 46 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and eight QB hurries, and is among the top returners from an LU defense that was ranked second in the conference at the end of the season. Edwin Durassaint is Lincoln's top-returning defender after compiling 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a blocked kick and a forced fumble. Victor Williams (31 tackles) and JaJuan Chambers (4.5 tackles for loss) also anchor a deep returning group of defenders, as LU brings back 10 players who saw significan playing time on that side of the ball in 2017. Amani Nelson, who made 21 tackles, joins Antonio Watts and Joseph Madrigal (29 total tackles combined) as other notable returnees.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Wolky Belancourt is expected to handle the punting duties once again after a 2017 campaign in which he landed 18 kicks inside the 20 and forced 24 fair catches without having a single punt blocked. Fernando Ramirez is likely the kicker while Blake Tibbs, who recorded 768 total yards on kick and punt returns, averaging 11.9 yards in the latter category is also back. Brenton Wrigley returns as LU's long snapper.

LANE AT A GLANCE  
The Dragons averaged 21.5 points per game while giving up 22.3 in 2017, and excelled in the rushing game, gaining 187.9 yards per contest. Defensively, Lane forced seven fumbles and picked off six passes while blocking four kicks and posting a safety. As a team, the Dragons made 31 sacks and 98 tackles for loss. Quarterback Marcus Reynolds returns after playing in eight games in 2017, throwing for 674 yards while adding another 446 on the ground. Reynolds had seven passing touchdowns last year and was Lane's top quarterback on the season. Lane also brings back its top receiving threat in Omari Hampton, who gained 216 yards on 21 catches, three of which went for touchdowns. Ahmad Isaac is back after making 18 grabs for 192 yards, placing him second on the Dragons' receiving chart. 

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.

Derrick Burroughs begins his eighth season as the head coach at Lane, and his fourth as the program's athletic director, in 2018. A former first round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills following a stellar career as a defensive back at Memphis, Burroughs has also coached at Jackson State, helping the Division I program place third in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in total defense in 2014.  As the head coach at Lane, Burroughs has compiled 25 wins, including directing the Dragons to their first winning campaign in years in 2013.

BLOCK PARTY:  With eight blocked kicks in 2017, the Blue Tigers finished fifth in NCAA Division II and led the GLVC. That total was four more than the total that Lincoln posted in 2016, when LU was fourth in the GLVC standings. Lincoln also ended the year second in the country in blocked punts, while Cody Alexander, Joseph Madrigal and Victor Williams, who each recovered kicks in the end zone, were 12th in DII in punt return touchdowns.  

FIRST DEFENSE:  The Lincoln defense was staunch last season, allowing only 170 first downs, the second-fewest by any GLVC program behind Missouri S&T's 163. The Blue Tigers ended the year ranked 15th in the country in that statistic.

ALL-CONFERENCE:  The 2018 Blue Tigers feature a pair of All-GLVC performers in Isaiah Gray and Blake Tibbs. Gray, a defensive lineman, had 5.0 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries last year and made 46 total takedowns en route to an all-league second team award. Tibbs, meanwhile, was LU's top receiver with 38 catches and three touchdowns and earned honorable mention status.

PENALTY-FREE:  Lincoln did an excellent job of avoiding penalties, committing only 54 in 2017. LU finished 14th in the nation in fewest penalties, 21st in fewest penalty yards (530) and 22nd in penalties per game (5.4).

NO FREE PASS:  Only three of LU's opponents in 2017 threw for at least 200 yards in a game as the Blue Tigers were second in the GLVC in passing yards allowed. Lincoln gave up just 183.9 yards per contest, the 41st-fewest in NCAA Division II.

BALL CONTROL:  Lincoln's offense was good at controlling the clock last year, with the Blue Tigers leading in time of possession in six of their 10 games. LU finished 21st in DII, and second in the GLVC with 32:08 minutes of possession per game.

CALL HIM MR. TIBBS:  Blake Tibbs was one of the top returners in the country in 2017, ranking second in the GLVC and 25th in Division II with 11.9 yards per return. Tibbs additionally finished 20th in the country, and second in the conference, in combined kick return yardage with 768 on the season.

DII DEFENSE:  Lincoln's strength in 2017 was on the defensive side of the ball, as LU finished the year ranked highly in both the GLVC and Division II in several stats. The Blue Tigers were second in the conference, and 41st in the country, in passing defense (183.9) as well as 42nd in the nation and second in the league in total defense (330.8). Lincoln also rated 70th in DII in rushing defense (146.9), and was among the country's leaders in blocked kicks, finishing fifth in the nation with eight overall and second nationally with five blocked punts on the season.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:  Lincoln will play a Thursday night game for the first time since 2013 when the Blue Tigers play at Missouri State on Sept. 6. Lincoln opened 2013 at Lindenwood on a Thursday, and then beat DI program Grambling State the following week, 47-34. That was the last time LU played a Division I school.

NICE TO MEET YOU: Lincoln will play two teams for the first time ever in 2018, beginning a series against UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 15 and vs. Tarleton State on Nov. 3. Wisconsin-Oshkosh is a Division III program that plays in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, with LU's only other game vs. an opponent from that league being a 3-0 victory over UW-La Crosse in 1975. Tarleton State, meanwhile, plays in the Lone Star Conference.

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:  Lincoln is back in action on Thursday (Sept. 6) as LU travels to Springfield, Mo. to play Missouri State, an NCAA Division I program, at 6:00 p.m. CDT.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS