Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 7th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney football team had another 600 yard effort, and the defense forced three turnovers, in a 55-14 “Homecoming” win over Western State Saturday at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

The Lopers (4-0, 2-0 RMAC) beat the Mountaineers (0-4, 0-2 RMAC) for an eighth straight time and are now 23-3 in last 26 regular season contest.

Coming in averaging 53 points and 658 yards per game, UNK almost matched those lofty numbers as they finished with 605 yards (313 passing and 292 rushing). Note a 75-yard TD run came off the board in the third quarter due to a holding penalty.

The game started with a bang as sophomore receiver Matt Berry (McCook) took the opening kickoff and raced 86 yards for an apparent score. However, UNK was called for holding at the Western 13-yard line.

No matter, senior quarterback Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.) threw a 23-yard TD pass to Berry on the next play for a quick 7-0 lead.

Western, averaging 8.7 points per game, managed to tie the game about five minutes later when they went 41 yards in six plays.

Sophomore QB Jamie Jensen capped the drive with an 18-yard scoring pass to senior tight end Curtis Prock.  Before leaving with injury, Prock had four receptions for 92 yards.

The tie didn't last long as UNK took the ensuing kickoff and went right down the field, covering 74 yards in 2:07. Spitzlberger called his number on the drive's final two plays, the last being an eight-yard scoring run.

Two plays later, junior safety Trey Wilberger (Scottsbluff) picked off Jensen and brought the ball back to the Mountaineer three-yard line. That led to a three-yard scoring pass to senior receiver Eli Hammond (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

Western tried to climb back into the came as the drove the ball to the Loper 28-yard line. However, a personal foul penalty pushed them back and they had to settle for a field goal try, which was missed from 45 yards out.

In the second quarter, UNK unleashed true freshman running back Ricky Trinidad (Trinity, Fla.). With senior Rustin Dring on the shelf for a game or two, Trinidad has shed his redshirt. He promptly ripped off scoring runs of 34 and 44 yards to make it a 34-7 game.

Trinidad, whose high school head coach was former Loper linebacker Brian Wachtel, had a 75-yard TD run called back in the third due to that holding penalty. A Mitchell High graduate, he carried the ball 17 times for 175 yards and also made a catch for seven yards.

After Jensen threw a 60-yard TD pass to cut it to a 20 point game, UNK tacked on two more TD's in the final four minutes of the first half.

A five play, 53-yards drive ended when junior Tommy Flanagan (Lakewood, Colo.) caught a 36-yard pass from Spitzlberger. Next, Anselmo-Merna grad Stephan Rush scampered in from five yards out to make it 48-14 at the break.

The only points in the second half came when Spitzlberger threw a one yard scoring pass to Flanagan. The 92 yard drive featured a 61-yard reception by Hammond.

The nation's leader in total offense, Spitzlberger was 14 of 18 for 265 yards, four TD's and one INT while rushing four times for 10 yards and that one score.

Besides Trinidad, Rush totaled 78 yards on 11 carries. Finally, nine different Lopers caught at least one ball, led by Hammond (four catches for 87 yards).

The Kearney defense, with two INT's and forced fumble, held Western to 58 rushing yards on 38 carries (1.5 avg.). Those turnovers led to 14 first half points. UNK also had seven three & outs, pushing its season total to 22.

In the Western passing game, Jensen finished 17 of 37 for 245 yards, two TD's and two INT's. Besides Prock, junior back Germaine Daniels had 30 carries for 81 yards.

Individually for the Loper defenders, sophomore ILB Kellen Werner (Grand Island) had seven tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 25 yards. He also had one of the team's six pass breakups.

Next, junior safety Sam Kuck (Central City) and senior end Alex Paicurich (Westminster, Colo.) each made five stops with Kuck having a forced fumble as well.

Finally, senior corner Arthur Hobbs (San Diego, Calif.) ended the first half with a 60-yard INT return. He now has 274 INT return yards on the season; the D2 record is 362 yards (Pierre Thomas, Missouri Western State, 2003). 

UNK begins a tough October stretch with a game at Adams State next Saturday. The Grizzlies lost 20-11 to nationally-ranked Colorado State-Pueblo last week and missed a last second field goal at Chadron State today to fall 14-13.