JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- Despite a record-breaking performance by Khiry Draine, the Lincoln football team fell to McKendree, 56-36, in its 2014 home finale on Saturday (Nov. 8).
Draine caught eight passes for 172 yards and two scores, causing Draine to break one Lincoln single-season record while tying another. Draine now has 841 receiving yards on the year, surpassing the LU program record of 791, which was set back in 2011. Draine also has nine touchdown receptions on the season, becoming the third Blue Tiger to ever have that many in a year and the first since Mike West accomplished the feat in 1977.
More than half of Owen Jordan's passing yardage went to Draine, as Jordan finished 22-for-33 for 259 yards and three scores. Christopher Willis had the other touchdown reception, finishing with six catches for 31 yards. Quan Guion and Morris Henderson both had three receptions while Rashyied Melvin and Delvon Rouser each had one. Henderson also scored a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and one on a kick return, and ended his day with 25 carries for 90 yards.
McKendree (4-6, 4-3 GLVC) scored points on each of its first eight drives and only punted once during the contest. The Bearcats out-gained the Blue Tigers, 561-359, thanks to a balanced attack in which McKendree rushed for 296 yards and passed for 265. Lincoln (2-8, 1-6 GLVC), meanwhile, was held to just 100 yards on the ground.
The Bearcats held a 14-0 lead before Lincoln got on the board on Henderson's one-yard touchdown run. That play capped off a 65-yard drive in which LU converted twice on fourth downs, once thanks to a penalty and the other courtesy of a 17-yard reception by Draine. McKendree took control of the game after that point, scoring 20 unanswered on three consecutive touchdowns, though Treston Pulley blocked the Bearcats' point-after try after the last score.
The Blue Tigers got back on the board late in the second quarter, this time after driving 75 yards in just over five minutes. Guion made two big catches on the drive, including one for 10 yards and another for 24, and Henderson picked up a key third down with a six-yard reception. Draine finished the drive with a five-yard scoring catch to pull the Blue Tigers to within 20. McKendree finished the half strong, though, moving down to the LU 17 in the final 1:02 before kicking a 34-yard field goal to enter the intermission up 37-14.
McKendree scored a touchdown and a field goal on its first two drives of the second half, but Henderson put LU back on the scoreboard with an 87-yard kickoff return for a score. It was the second kickoff return for a score by Henderson on the season and the first since a 91-yard return against Langston in the season opener. Henderson became one of just five players in NCAA Division II to return score twice on kickoff returns in 2014. The extra point attempt bounced off one of the uprights, keeping Lincoln down, 47-20. The Blue Tigers tried a surprise onside kick afterwards, and did end up recovering, but were unable to score on the ensuing drive.
Another field goal by McKendree made the score 50-20 early in the fourth quarter, but a 60-yard reception by Draine allowed the Blue Tigers to get on the board again. Draine accounted for 89 yards on that drive, making a 10-yard catch on 4th-and-7 before making a 19-yard touchdown reception. Lincoln opted to go for two, and Rouser caught Jordan's pass to cut the Bearcat lead to 50-28.
It didn't take the Bearcats long to get back on the board, however, as a 70-yard kickoff return led to an eight-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive. For the second time in the game, though, the Blue Tigers blocked the extra point, with Addison Tucker getting his hand on the ball. The Blue Tigers kept the momentum going on their next drive, as a 22-yard catch by Draine followed by three carries for 25 yards by Henderson eventually led to Willis' one-yard touchdown catch. Lincoln again chose to go for two and were nearly stuffed, but Henderson managed to pick up a loose ball and race into the end zone for the conversion. Neither team was able to score after that, leading to the 56-36 final.
Pulley had a big game, leading the Lincoln defense with 12 tackles while blocking the extra point and a punt. Eric Howard and Tucker each had 10 tackles, with Howard also registering a sack, and Kerry Roby and Paul Dodson each had eight tackles. Robert Daniels broke up two passes while Davon Walls made two tackles for loss. Jeremy Rives added five tackles and broke up a pass.
With Saturday being Lincoln's final home game of the season, the Blue Tigers' seniors were honored during a halftime ceremony. Draine, Henderson, Willis, Guion, Jacob Morris, Roby, Reginald McMillan, Rashyied Melvin, Ray Reese, Floyd Earl, Julio Segura, Brandon Tovar, J.J. Johnson, Walls and Howard were all recognized for their contributions during their time at Lincoln. This was also Heroes Weekend, with area military, police officers, fire fighters, EMTs and paramedics all honored for their service to the country and community. A moment of silence was also held for Darryl Blackmon, a former all-league football player who, the week before, was tragically killed in a car accident.
The Blue Tigers will close the 2014 season on the road next Saturday (Nov. 15), as Lincoln will make the short trip to Rolla, Mo. to play Missouri S&T in a 1:00 p.m. CST contest.
Box Score
Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
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