Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team wraps up the 2013 season this Saturday with its first visit to Hays, Kans., in eight years.

The Lopers (3-7, 3-5) and FHSU Tigers (5-5, 3-5) will meet for the 60th time, a series that finds UNK ahead 33-25-1. The contest kicks off at 2:00 p.m. from Lewis Field Stadium.

As usual, live stats and an America One video feed are available. The game can also be heard on KRNY 102.3 FM.

Hays' has won three of the four in the series but UNK has played well at Lewis of late, winning four of the last five contests.

That includes in 2005, a 54-20 victory, and in 2001 when the Lopers used three defensive scores, and a botched snap on a 4th quarter Tigers punt attempt, to rally from a 21-0 deficit to win 44-35.

Last year, the Tigers racked up 426 yards of offense, including 239 on the ground, to post a 30-23 victory at Cope Stadium.

Hays came back from a 20-3 hole by blanking the Lopers, 20-0, in the second half. The FHSU defense limited UNK to 124 yards after the break and to 86 passing yards for the game.

Backup QB Anthony Sheppard got the start and finished with 244 yards passing, and 78 yards rushing, to lead the Tigers.

Aiming for its first winning season since 2009, dual threat QB Treveon Albert, a 6-0, 195 lbs. sophomore, leads a 2013 Tiger offense that averages 33 points and 401 yards per game.

Mainly a running back and receiver last fall, Albert has tossed 19 TD's while rushing for six more. He averages 49 yards on the ground, 198 in the air and has a 58% completion percentage.
 
A pair of 5-10 backs join Albert in the backfield in senior Andre Smith (164 carries for 803 yards and five TD's) and sophomore Edward Smith (66 carries for 319 yards and eight TD's).
     
Three Tigers have caught at least 20 balls, led by 6-0 senior Keaton Callins. He has 50 receptions for 664 yards and nine of FHSU's 22 TD grabs. Callins also is a dangerous punt returner, bringing back eight for 103 yards and one TD.                                

Up front, the line includes freshman right guard Mason Dickey (6-4, 285 lbs.) and sophomore left tackle Luke Edney (6-4, 270 lbs.).
 
The Tigers allow 35 points and 438 yards every Saturday but have the third most interceptions (16) in the MIAA. They have returned those picks for 203 yards and two TD's. Nine different Tigers have at least one pick with five having more two or more.
 
Sophomore ILB Justin McPhail (82) leads in tackles. He has two of the team's 13 sacks while also breaking up three passes. Next, junior free safety Michael Jordan has 63 tackles and four picks for 40 yards with junior ILB Michael Terry at 67 tackles and two fumble recoveries for 94 yards.
 
In the kicking game, senior Cameron Owens is averaging 41.6 yards per punt with 15 of his efforts landing inside the 20-yard line. Finally, sophomore kicker Drew O'Brien is 5 of 12 on field goals and 43 of 45 on PAT's.
 
UNK comes in ranked fourth in the league in rushing offense (213.4). The Lopers ran for 254 yards last Saturday in the loss to South Dakota Mines, the fifth time in 2013 they've rushed for at least 250 yards.
 
Four players have reached the end zone at least twice, including sophomore QB Tyler McKeone (two) and sophomore back Romero Cotton (four).
 
Defensively, ILB's Tyke Kozeal (Sargent) and Kellen Werner (Grand Island H.S.) are both poised to break a 23-year old school record.
 
In 1990, Kearney High grad Darren Gunn recorded 110 tackles, setting a mark for the Lopers D2 era. Werner (107) and Kozeal (105) should both break Gunn's record by halftime.
 
Team wise, UNK is tied for second in the MIAA in sacks (25). Ends Matt Bowman (3.0) and Elhadji Ndiaye (6.0) lead in this area with 11 other Lopers recording at least a ½ sack this fall.
 
Hays has allowed only eight all season, tied with Missouri Southern for fewest in the conference.

After winter workouts and spring ball, the Lopers open the 2014 season at NW Missouri State. That game will either be held on a Thursday (Sept. 4th) or Saturday (Sept. 6th).