Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team heads to Carnie Smith Stadium (aka The Jungle) this Saturday for a date with the Pittsburg State Gorillas.

The 93-year old venue can seat as many as 12,000 fans with Pitt currently leading the MIAA in attendance at 9,950.

The game kick 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.

Pitt (5-4), which has twice won national titles at the D2 level, was ranked third in the MIAA preseason polls. A young squad with seven senior starters (three defense, two on offense and special teams) is averaging 39 points per game but allowing 40.

Since joining the MIAA in 2012, UNK (1-8) has lost to the Gorillas by scores of 36-24 (2014) and 24-19 (2014). Last year, the

Lopers led 13-0 minutes into the action but Pitt rallied behind 199 rushing yards and a blocked punt.

Sophomore quarterback John Roderique (6-4, 220 lbs.), due to injury, didn't play in the game for Pitt. He has been healthy most of this year and is among the MIAA's top passers, coming in at 285 yards per game with 17 TD's.

The transfer from FCS power Sam Houston State (Texas) also has rushed 203 for yards and a TD. Backup Thomas LePage (6-3, 200 lbs.) has extensive experience and guided Pitt to the 2015 win at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

Besides Roderique, Pitt has the leading receiver (Missouri transfer Levi Copelin) and second ranked rusher (Michael Rose) in the MIAA. Copelin has 51 receptions for 846 yards (94.0 ypg) with Rose averaging 82 yards per game and having seven rushing TD's. 

Junior Austin Panko (36 recep., 651 yds., four TD's) and redshirt freshman Brenner Clemons (36 recep., 504 yds., four TD's) are also dangerous on the edge with the line featuring three juniors, including left tackle Codey Frank (6-6, 305 lbs.).
 
A defense with three senior starters is allowing 39.9 points and 492.6 yards per game. Pitt has forced 15 turnovers but allowed 25 TD's through the air and seed its opponents covert 40% on third down.
 
Senior backer Spencer Brown (6-0, 214 lbs.) has made a team-best 83 tackles (44 solo), forced a fumble and recorded two sacks. Next, senior end Heath Wilson (6-3, 256 lbs.) has a team-best 8.5 TFL's, including 3.0 sacks. He has made 37 tackles overall.
 
In the secondary, sophomore safety Deron Washington (6-1, 211 lbs.) has two INT's for 58 yards and 56 tackles with senior corner Darrius White (5-11, 182 lbs.) having a team-best five PBU's, two INT's and 20 stops.
 
On special teams, Pitt has two dangerous return men in Panko (14.2 avg. punt) and redshirt freshman Lorenzo West (29.5 avg. kick). Both have scored TD's with sophomore receiver Slade Nordic (22.1) also a threat on kick return.
 
Next, senior Chad Levin (5-9, 171 lbs.) is among the MIAA's top kickers as he has made 39 of 42 PAT's and is 10 of 15 on field goals. Finally, sophomore Carter Anchors (6-1, 190 lbs.) leads the conference with a 43.8 average. He's had one punt blocked but 13 of his boots have gone at least 50 yards.
 
UNK, looking for its first road win since October 2014, has seen the emergence of redshirt sophomore back Luke Quinn (Scottsdale, Ariz.) over the last four weeks.
 

Working behind an offensive line with three fifth-year seniors (Zach Beard, Luke Browne and Nick Wenz), Quinn averaged 105 rushing yards per game in October. His 162 yards last Saturday vs. Lindenwood was a career-high effort and he has cracked the 94-yard mark four times so far.  
 
Showing his versatility, Quinn is second on the Lopers in TD receptions (three), has the longest two receptions on the season (65 and 72 yards) and is 2 for 2 with a TD through the air. His passes have come out of the "Tilt" formation (aka Wild Loper) and were shovel passes.
 
Also in the air, junior Malcolm Moore (Excelsior, Minn.) needs just 10 receptions over the last two weeks to put his name on UNK's single season top 10 list. He has 46 catches to date; Jace Pittman (2001) and Mike Smith (1997) are currently tied for 10^th on that list with 55 grabs apiece.
 
Moore is averaging 62 yards and five receptions per game. He also leads UNK with four TD receptions.
 
Versatile senior Preston Foley (Houston, Texas) hopes to reach the end zone at Pittsburg State or at home vs. Fort Hays State. The sprinter on the UNK track team has a team-best 17 kick returns, is third on the team in catches (18) and is fourth in rushing attempts (27).
 
Those 62 touches have gone for 542 yards, third on the Loper behind Quinn (855) and Moore (608). Foley had two receiving TD's in2015, including an 80-yarder at Central Oklahoma.
 
Defensively, Sargent senior Tyke Kozeal has one more milestone to reach. The now three-time Academic All-District selection has 50.0 career tackles for loss (TFL's). Defensive tackle David Cunningham set the Loper standard with 53.0 TFL's from 1994-1997.
 
Kozeal currently leads the Lopers in TFL's on the season with 13.0. That total includes 3.0 sacks, which ranks second behind sophomore end Tye Spies (Mullen). The converted tight end has 3.5 sacks, good for a loss of 14 yards.
 
Besides Kozeal and Spies, redshirt freshman linebackers DJ Curtis (St. Charles, Mo.) and Sal Silvio (Kansas City) have combined for 9.5 TFL's with junior transfers Spencer Cook (Houston) and Romeo Bryant (Inglewood, Calif.) having three apiece.
 
Finally, senior Payton Fluckey (Springfield) continues to pin the opposition as he ranks first in the MIAA in fair caught punts (23) and is tied for first in punts landing inside the 20-yard line (16).
 
UNK will honor 13 seniors and a graduate student next Saturday in the regular season finale against FHSU.