Kearney, Neb. – For only the fourth time since 1955, the Nebraska-Kearney football team will play a game with a first-year head coach.

Wilber native Josh Lamberson became the 17th head coach in program history (109 years) back in November and his UNK debut comes Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. against his alma mater, NW Missouri State.

The game, at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field, is expected to challenge the school attendance record of 8,823, set a decade ago vs. Nebraska-Omaha. Check the Loper schedule page for live audio, video and stat links.

The previous three Loper head men made their debuts in 1955 (Al Zikmund, vs. McPherson College, Kan.), in 1972 (Claire Boroff, at Central Missouri) and in 2000 (Darrell Morris, vs. Wayne State.). Each of these coaches finished with 100 wins in their UNK tenure.

To pick up win number one, Lamberson and the Lopers will have to pull off a major upset over the 5th-ranked Bearcats, coming off a 10-2 campaign, another MIAA title and another NCAA playoff appearance.

Northwest, who most recently visited Kearney in 2012 and 1990, does have to replace 11 starters, including current St. Louis Ram Matt Longacre at defensive end.

However, the Bearcats still have a fifth-year senior at quarterback, Lincoln North Star graduate Brady Bolles, and two senior preseason All-Americans on defense in linemen Brandon Yost (Millard West H.S.) and safety Bryce Enyard.

Bolles was 197 of 338 for 2,367 yards and 18 TD's in 2014 while also rushing for eight TD's and 365 yards. In last year's 31-7 win over UNK, he was 19 of 30 for 257 yards, one TD and one INT.

Junior running back Phil Jackson II (6-0, 223 lbs.) had 12 carries in that victory but three resulted in scores. He and sophomore Cameron Wilcox (5-10, 205 lbs.) combined for 1,005 yards and 13 TD's last season.

Six-three junior George Sehl (27 recep., 306 yds., three TD's) is the most experienced receiver with a startling line featuring senior left tackle Shane Smith (6-4, 297 lbs.) and senior left guard Daniel Kempf (6-3, 295 lbs.).

Enyard ranked fifth on the team in tackles (41) last year while also having nine PBU's and one INT. Up front, Yost racked up 45 stops, including 10 behind the line. He also was second on the team in sacks at 4.5.

Senior LB Brock Sherman (51 tackles, 7.5 TFL), from Crete, and junior DL Collin Bevins (26 tackles, 9.0 TFL), an Iowa State transfer, are the other returning starters. Finally, Kearney High graduate Zach Maloley (6-2, 237 lbs.) is slated to start at middle linebacker after making 19 tackles as a junior.

An experienced UNK squad brought back 19 players who started a good majority of last season. The 2015 first game depth chart still has some new faces in the starting lineup, including junior college transfers Troy Studd (Butte College, Calif.) at right tackle and Preston Foley (College of the Sequoias, Calif.) at the "H" receiver slot.

Next, second-year Lopers and seniors Traveon Presley-Freeman (X receiver) and Bryan Luna (stud end) are slated to start as is junior Dezden Petty (Carson, Calif.) at the new T position. Petty was a running back last season, his first as a Loper after being a fullback at Washington.

Some other new faces expected to see playing time Thursday including corners Antwan Hadley (Lake Wales, FL) and Darian Thomas (Coral Gables, Fla.), receiver Terry Grigsby (SE Missouri State U. & Omaha North H.S.), tight ends Julian Navarrette (Queen Creek, Ariz.) and Matt Miller (U. of South Dakota & Omaha Skutt H.S.) and redshirt freshmen Jack Lydiatt (receiver) and Luke Quinn (running back).

Finally, the Loper secondary gets a boost with the return of safety Boone Anderson (Milford), who missed last season due to injury.

In last year's tilt in Maryville, senior back Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) ripped off runs of 17 and 36 yards early on to help the Lopers tack on a touchdown. Senior QB Bronson Marsh (Millard South H.S.) scampered in from eight yards out, one of his 12 rushing scores in 2014, to tally UNK's only points.

By the end of 2015, both Cotton and Marsh should rank among UNK's all-time leaders in rushing and passing yards, respectively.

Already in the record book is junior Mike linebacker Tyke Kozeal (Sargent), who will become the Lopers all-time leader in tackles by early October. He stopped 118 folks in 2013 and upped the ante to 136 last fall. Former inside backer Kellen Werner ('13) registered 316 to set the Loper standard.

Two years ago in Maryville, Kozeal returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown. Last year vs. the 'Cats, he rushed six yards for a first down on a fake punt play, one of two such successful plays the Lopers ran.

Around Kozeal are plenty of familiar faces, including senior safety Dillon Loschen (150 career tackles), junior linemen Peyton Lange (56 career tackles), sophomore linemen Sam Stoltenberg (20 tackles in 2014) and sophomore Buck Devontay LeFlore (54 tackles in 2014).

Northwest has won three in a row and six of the last seven over the Lopers to lead the all-time series, 8-3. UNK's last win in the series came in 1990, 45-42, as Russ Harvey threw for 325 yards and three scores. That capped a 2-8-1 season for the 'Cats with UNK ending 6-5.

Next Thursday, Kearney heads to Topeka, Kans., to face the Washburn Ichabods. WU plays at Lindenwood Thursday evening.