Kearney, Neb. – A bit of NCAA history will occur when Nebraska-Kearney hosts the Lindenwood Lions Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

The all-time tackle leaders in NCAA history (all divisions), UNK's Tyke Kozeal and LWU's Connar Harris, will square off for the final time. They've combined to make a staggering 1,159 tackles the past four years.

The game kicks off at 2:00 p.m.  The contest can be heard live locally (KRNY 102.3 FM) and over the internet at www.krny.com. To watch the action, log on to UNK's Stretch Internet page; cost is $9.95 or $69.95 for a season pass. Finally, live stats will be available HERE.

Both UNK are LWU are 1-7 on the season and both beat Central Oklahoma at home. In each win, both the Lopers and Lions had two "pick sixes" to get by the Bronchos.

Harris (6-0, 243 lbs.) is a year older than Kozeal (Sargent). He tallied 33 tackles over the first three games of 2013 before getting injured and receiving a medical redshirt.

Also a backup punter and a part-time running back, Harris has 599 career stops with Kozeal at 560. Harris set the Division II record for tackles last fall (184), a mark Kozeal probably won't get to this season. He currently leads all of the NCAA tackles with 130.

In three previous meetings, Harris has totaled 37 tackles with Kozeal having 23.

The UNK/LWU series has been dominated by the home team, to say the least. UNK posted wins of 56-6 (2013) and 31-13 (2014) with the Lions winning 49-28 (2012) and 28-10 (2015) on their turf.

Last fall in St. Charles, current sophomore Mason Bendigo (6-5, 233 lbs.) threw for a career-best 335 yards and three TD's. Bendigo began the year as LWU's starter but has been replaced by senior Allen Thigpen.

Having been a "slash" player at RMAC-member Fort Lewis last season, Thigpen currently leads the Lions in rushing attempts (88), rushing yards (333) and rushing TD's (five). In the air, he's completing 51% of his passes with six TD's and three INT's. Thigpen also doubles as the starting punter (41.0 avg., 17 fair catches).
 
Top back Calen Campbell (66.2 ypg, one TD) hasn't played the past three weeks so senior Aaron Daniels (5-11, 225 lbs.) is the new starter. He has three scores and averages 5.2 yards per carry.
 
Five-eight junior Kendall Sparks (52 recep., 351 yds., four TD's) and 5-11 junior Deantrell Prince (43 recep., 465 yds., five TD's) lead in catches with 5-11 senior DeSean Warren (76.2) among the MIAA leaders in receiving yards per game. The o-line features senior right guard Dixxon Diaz (6-3, 344 lbs.) and senior right tackle Alex Zendejas (6-4, 303 lbs.).
 
The Lion defense, with six senior starters, is allowing 38 points and 499 yards per game. The opposition averages 320 passing yards per game and has thrown 19 TD's.
 
Lindenwood's secondary has eight INT's with senior corner Bakari Triggs (5-9, 163 lbs.) bringing back two for scores. He has three total INT's for 123 return yards, an MIAA leading 13 PBU's and 41 tackles.
 
Next, senior free safety Wesley Thomas (5-10, 184 lb.) has two INT's, seven PBU's and 59 tackles with sophomore end Jonathan Harris (6-5, 275 lbs.) registering 10.0 TFL's, including 5.0 sacks. Finally, Harris has 104 tackles, including 5.5 TFL's. He has made 53 solo stops and also has punted 17 times for a 39.8 yard average.

 
On special teams, Sparks is LWU's return specialist. He is averaging 29.3 yards on the kick team, with a long effort of 73 yards, while bringing back 16 punts for 66 yards (4.1 avg.).
 
Sophomore Travis Spraul (5-7, 163 lbs.) is 3 for 3 on field goal tries, converting from 27, 29 and 32 yards out. He is 14 of 22 on PAT's so senior Brandon White (5-10, 178 lbs.) has taken over and made 4 of 5 attempts. White also handles kickoff (61.1 avg.) duties.
 
On the Loper side of the field, junior Malcolm Moore (Excelsior, Minn.) needs 16 catches over the next three weeks to crack the UNK all-time top 10 for receptions in a season.
 
Moore, averaging 94 yards in his last four games, has 40 receptions to date for 510 yards and four TD's. In its brief MIAA history, UNK's record for catches in a single season is 41 (Allen Sampson, 2014).
 
UNK also is getting it done on the ground as sophomore Luke Quinn (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has had efforts of 94 and 97 yards the past two weeks.

He is now the MIAA's seventh leading rusher working behind an o-line with three fifth-year seniors in tackles Luke Browne (Ft. Lupton, Colo.) and Nick Wenz (Grand Island) and right guard Zach Beard (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).
 
Quinn still has the Lopers longest two receptions of the season, 65 and 72 yards, both going for scores. His three TD grabs rank second on the team behind Moore.
 
Defensively, the Blue & Gold had six sacks last Saturday at Northeastern State. Not only was that a season high but the most by the Lopers in a game in three years. That fall, and in 2012, UNK had 6.0 sacks in wins over Southwest Baptist.
 
Kozeal and sophomore end Tyke Spies (Mullen) are tied for the lead in sacks with 2.5 apiece with 10 others having recorded at least a half of a sack. Not surprisingly, Kozeal also leads UNK in forced fumbles (two), fumble recoveries (two) and overall tackles for loss (11.5).
 
Another senior, corner Antwan Hadley (Lake Wales, Fla.), has a Loper-best three INT's for 183 return yards and two TD's. His return yardage total is tops in the MIAA and among the best in Division II. "Stretch" also is tied for the team-lead in pass breakups (six) while tied for fifth in tackles with 28.
 
Second on that list, and behind Kozeal, is redshirt freshman safety Dallas Vaughn (St. Louis). He has made 51 tackles (25 solo) in his first year as a Loper. That total includes 2.0 TFL and Vaughn also has four PBU's and a fumble recovery.
 
UNK travels to the Jungle next weekend to face Pittsburg State.