Ten Lincoln Blue Tigers Earn All-GLVC Accolades

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  --  Five members of the Lincoln football team were selected to the All-GLVC second team while five others were named all-league honorable mention, the Great Lakes Valley Conference announced on Thursday (Nov. 15).

Wide receiver Blake Tibbs and defensive lineman Isaiah Gray were each voted to the All-GLVC second team for the second-straight season, and were joined by running back Kimbo Ferguson, linebacker Edwin Durassaint and defensive back Hasan Muhammad-Rogers. Punter Wolky Belancourt, offensive lineman Jamal Brown, defensive back Chavon Gross and linebackers Amani Nelson and Victor Williams were all honorable mention selections.

In addition, the GLVC announced that Durassaint was one of the recipients of the 2018 James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.

Tibbs led Lincoln with 44 receptions for 763 yards and finished the season third in the GLVC in receiving yards and fourth in receptions per game (4.0). One of the best big-play threats in the GLVC, Tibbs, who had three performances with over 100 receiving yards in 2018, had a 70-yard touchdown reception against Truman State that ranked as the longest in the conference this year. Tibbs had the eighth-most all-purpose yards (952) by a GLVC player in 2018 and ended the regular season 57th in NCAA Division II in receiving yards per game (74.3) and 69th in total receiving yards.

Gray had an outstanding season applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks, leading Lincoln with 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Gray, who finished the year with 55 total tackles, tied for 10th in the league in tackles for loss and 13th in sacks. In addition to hurrying the quarterback four times, Gray also blocked a kick, forced and recovered a fumble and broke up a pass.

Ferguson finished ninth in the GLVC in rushing after leading the Blue Tigers with 619 yards on 152 attempts. Ferguson had five touchdowns on the season, including three in LU's season-finale against McKendree, and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

Durassaint was the leader of a defense that finished 48th in Division II in passing yards allowed (189.7), 75th in total defense (364.5) and 43rd in first downs allowed (182). Durassaint had the 102 tackles in 2018, the fifth-most of any GLVC player and the 69th-most in Division II. Durassaint, who had a 78-yard fumble return for a touchdown against NCAA Division I opponent Missouri State, also scored on a 49-yard interception return vs. McKendree, one of two of his picks on the season. Durassaint ended the year with 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a pass break-up and a team-high 12 quarterback hurries.

Muhammad-Rogers made plays on offense and on special teams all season for LU, but was honored by the GLVC for his play as a defensive back after finishing fourth among the Blue Tigers with 57 tackles. Muhammad-Rogers, who was tied for 31st in the league in tackling, broke up three passes on the year and was often matched against opponents' top receivers. His play helped LU finish fourth in the conference in passing yards allowed.

Belancourt had the longest punt by a GLVC player this season with a 70-yard kick against Tarleton State. Three of Belancourt's kicks went over 50 yards, and 16 resulted in fair catches while 12 pinned opponents inside the 20. Belancourt averaged 36.4 yards per kick to finish eighth in the GLVC in punting.

Brown was Lincoln's highest-rated offensive lineman during his senior season, and his blocking helped the Blue Tigers post control the clock for 32:16 per game, the best time of possession average in the GLVC and the 25th-best in the nation. Brown led an offensive line that produced the fourth-best passing efficiency rating (124.5) in the conference as well as the league's second-best red zone attack (.818). On the year, Brown helped LU gain 1,255 yards on the ground and 1,687 through the air.

Gross finished seventh among the Blue Tigers with 40 tackles and had 4.5 tackles for loss. More impressively, Gross broke up a team-high 10 passes, finishing eighth in the GLVC in that statistic. Gross also had a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble on the season.

Nelson was one of LU's top tacklers all season, finishing second on the team with 81 takedowns, which tied him for eighth in the GLVC. Nelson also had 4.0 tackles for loss and notched a pair of quarterback hurries to go with two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.

Williams was another outstanding defensive player in 2018, finishing with 73 tackles, the 11th-most by a GLVC player. Williams, who was third among the Blue Tigers in tackling, also ranked 16th in the conference in passes defended with five break-ups on the season. Williams additionally was credited with seven quarterback hurries and blocked a kick while forcing a pair of fumbles and notching a fumble recovery.

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