Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team had one of the best rushing days in school history and the defense forced seven turnovers as the Lopers whipped the Lindenwood (Mo.) University Lions, 56-6, Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.
 
On a cold and blustery day, the Lopers improve to 1-4 (1-4) while the Lions, from St. Charles, Mo., fall to 3-2 (2-2).
 
With the winds blowing near 40 miles per hour, the UNK game plan was to pound the rock behind a veteran offensive line. Using preseason All-American left tackle Cole Manhart (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) as an h-back, and inserting redshirt freshman Zach Beard (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) at right guard, the Loper plan more than worked as they attempted only four passes all afternoon.
 
Starting its sixth different QB – true freshman Luke McNitt (Kearney H.S.) – since the beginning of the 2012 season, UNK finished with 365 rushing yards and five scores on 68 carries.
 
The rushing total is the sixth best in school history with the carries being the third most, trailing only two efforts against Northern State in 1966 (88) and 1970 (74).
 
Sophomore back Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) toted the ball the most, going for 215 yards and one TD (two yards) on 36 carries. The 2013 197 lbs. national wrestling runner up, Cotton's yardage ranks 15th in school history and is the second highest total by a Loper in an MIAA game.
 
Not to be out done, McNitt went for 111 yards and three scores (1, 1, and 8 yards) on 24 carries. He also was 2 for 3 in the air for 61 yards and a TD.
 
On the sixth play from scrimmage, McNitt threw a 53-yard scoring pass to sophomore receiver Nate Burns (Lakewood, Colo.) on 3rd and 3. His other completion was to senior tight end Kalvin Zoucha (Albion) in the second half.
 
About five minutes after Burns scored, Lindenwood lined up for a punt from its own 35-yard line. A high snap wasn't corralled by punter Edwards Burns. While he eventually recovered the ball inside the five yard line, a pack of Lopers tackled him, prompting the ball to come loose.

Junior OLB Riley Bonifas (Blue Hill) scooped and scored for a 14-0 lead and UNK's first fumble return for a TD in four years.
 
Lindenwood, with a pass first offense, struggled moving the ball against the Loper defense as three of its first four drives went for negative yards. Sacked four times on the day for a loss of 29 yards, they finished with -18 yards on 20 carries.
 
This marks the 10th time in UNK history an opponent was held under 0 yards rushing.
 
UNK went ahead 28-0 after scoring drives of 37 and 54 yards, respectively. The first drive was kept alive by a 13-yard run by redshirt freshman ILB Tyke Kozeal (Sargent) on a fake punt while the second featured runs of 11 and 16 yards by Cotton.
 
True freshman corner Damien Wilson (Dade City, Fla.) then recorded his second interception of the game, leading to a two-yard run by Cotton at the 1:24 mark of the 2nd quarter. The two play drive saw Cotton race 27 yards on first down.
 
Before two more scoring runs in the 4th quarter, sophomore RB Dalton Sealey (Hastings) threw a TD pass to redshirt freshman QB/WR Sam Brauer (Seward) midway through the 3rd quarter.
 
Lindenwood used two QB's and they finished a combined 19 of 38 for 213 yards, one TD and four INT's. The Lions also lost three fumbles with the seven turnovers directly leading to 35 Loper points.
 
Besides Wilson, senior corner Yatta Kiles (Los Angeles, Calif.) and sophomore ILB Josh Papa (David City) had picks with junior end Matt Bowman (Kearney Catholic) recording two sacks. Next, senior co-captain Jason Wilcox (Norfolk) and redshirt freshman Trey Andersen (Kearney H.S.) recovered fumbles.
 
The Lopers play FCS-member Central Arkansas next week. The 11th-ranked Bears fell to 2-3 on the year with a 59-28 loss to 14th-ranked McNeese State (La.) today at home.