Kearney, Neb. – For the first time, the Lindenwood University Lions will visit Ron & Carol Cope Stadium to take on the Nebraska-Kearney football team.

The Lions, from St. Charles, Mo., enter the "MIAA Game of the Week" with a 3-1 (2-1) mark while UNK is 0-4 (0-4). The contest can be seen on live television on select stations in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma; KFXL Fox Nebraska is also picking up the broadcast, thus allowing a rare chance for the state to watch the Lopers.

As usual, fans can hear the KRNY 102.3 FM broadcast by going HERE. For a price, you can watch the game via America One. with live stats available for free.

Like UNK, Lindenwood is in its second year in the MIAA. The Lions are a former NAIA powerhouse, reaching that association's national title game in 2009. Last fall, a talented and pass happy LWU squad went 8-4 (7-3), falling to Winona (Minn.) State in the annual Mineral Water Bowl in Missouri.

This fall, a much younger Lions squad has wins over Lincoln, Southwest Baptist and Missouri S & T and is among the MIAA leaders in passing offense (328.5 ypg), interceptions (eight) and sacks (11).

Defensively, corner Pierre Desir (6-2, 205 lbs.) is one of Division II's top seniors and likely will be drafted next spring by an NFL team. Coming off a nine interception season, he already has two picks in 2013 along with 16 tackles.

Allowing 26.5 points and 413 yards per game, the Lions defense allows the opposition to convert 43% of its third downs but then gets stingy in the red zone with a 64% (9 of 14) TD rate.
 
Besides Desire, three other Lions have two picks a piece with two of those six INT's returned for scores. In front of this talented secondary, junior OLB Dillon Hawkins has made 28 tackles, second most on the team, with sophomore OLB A.J. Chappelle at 26 tackles, including 2.5 sacks.
 
Last season in St. Charles, the Lions used a 28-point second quarter en route to a 49-28 win over Kearney.
 
The Lopers were hobbled as "emergency" QB Matt Berry wasn't 100% and couldn't play in the second half.  In his place, Sean Flanagan took over and became the first true freshman UNK signal caller in decades.

For Lindenwood, QB Ben Gomez was 27 of 45 for 480 yards and five TD's with receiver Andrew Helmick catching six passes for 200 yards and two scores.
 
Helmick spent time with the St. Louis Rams this summer; senior running back Denodus O'Bryant is currently in the CFL and finished that game with 102 all-purpose yards and a TD.
 
Sophomore Dillon Miller (6-0, 195 lbs.) is now the starter at QB with Gomez the backup. Throwing for 320 yards per week, Miller has seven TD's, six INT's and completes 58% of his passes.
 
Three different Lions have caught at least 20 balls in 6-0 sophomore WR Jaron Alexander (27 recep., 331 yds., one TD), 5-9 junior WR Alex Robinson (23 recep., 339 yds., four TD's) and 5-10 sophomore WR Jordan Gater (22 recep., 248 yds., one TD).
 
A ground game is led by 5-10 junior back Marvin Byrd (85.5 ypg, four TD's) and an o-line that has four new starters.
 
Next, senior James Neal has taken over kicker duties after making both of his field goals. He also is 7 of 7 on PAT tries.  Finally, sophomore Edward Burns (42.2) has a strong punting average and the Lions are also good at covering both kickoffs (17.8) and punts (2.6).
 
Last Saturday at NW Missouri State, redshirt freshman ILB Tyke Kozeal returned a pick 74 yards for a score, the Lopers first TD in the first quarter this year.

The pick came as the result of redshirt freshman ILB Trey Andersen swatting the ball at the line of scrimmage. This marked UNK's seventh INT return for a score since the start of 2011; sophomore safety Boone Anderson had a 26-yard return for six points in the opener vs. Washburn.

UNK, LWU and Central Missouri are the three MIAA schools with two INT returns for scores so far in 2013. Senior corner Kenny Hill, in the first quarter vs. Washburn, has the Lopers other pick to date.

Kozeal (41) and senior ILB Kellen Werner (43) lead Kearney in tackles; Werner needs just 40 more stops to pass D.J. Vokolek's career record of 282. Vokolek, also a linebacker in his playing days, currently is the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at FCS-member Missouri State.

Werner and Kozeal also have 3.0 TFL with senior end Elhadji Ndiaye leading the way in that category (3.5).

Offensively, the Lopers rank eighth in the MIAA in rushing (176.5 ypg) with nine different Lopers having toted the rock at least once this fall. That group mentality also works in the passing game, where 15 different players have already caught a pass, and on special teams as seven Lopers have brought back a kick.

In Maryville, sophomore WR Austin Smith caught a 37-yard pass from true freshman Luke McNitt. That marked UNK's longest pass play of the season and put Smith's catch total to 10. He is second on the team in receptions to sophomore Nate Burns (15).

Like many Lopers, McNitt has to wear several hats as he has played QB, receiver and lines up on special teams. Besides attempting nine passes, he has eight rushes and caught seven balls.

Next Saturday, Kearney heads to Conway, Ark., to take on FCS-member Central Arkansas. The Bears, who went D1 in 2010, are 2-2 and ranked 11th nationally. They had Colorado on the ropes in Boulder before falling, 38-24.

UNK's only other football visit to the Natural State came way back in 1953 when the Lopers faced Arkansas State in Jonesboro.