Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team has a tall order this week as it takes on defending national champion Northwest Missouri State in Bearcat Stadium.

The game kicks off in Maryville, Mo., at 1:30 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 football season pass. Finally, live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/nwmissouri/football/

Northwest has won 17 games in a row by an average score of 41-12. Going 15-0 last year to win the fifth national title in school history, the 'Cats are an experienced bunch with 13 senior starters. By way of comparison, UNK has a two-deep dotted with many redshirt freshman. And, five true freshmen have already taken the field.

Last year, the two meet at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field. While UNK had a 68-yard completion on the very first play from scrimmage, Northwest went on to win 31-0. Offensively, the 'Cats ran for 145 yards and three TD's with two QB's combining to go 23 of 37 for 242 yards and a TD. Defensively, NW held UNK to 176 yards after that big play.
 
The Bearcats lead the all-time series 9-3 and have won four straight over the Lopers. Two years ago in Maryville, UNK fell by a 31-7 score in a game where they pulled off two successful fake punts deep in their own territory.
 
One of those sneaky runs was done by senior linebacker Tyke Kozeal (Sargent). The 2016 preseason All-American has an MIAA-best 33 tackles this year, pushing his career total to 463. That is the seventh most in NCAA Division II history. Lindenwood's Connar Harris recently broke the D2 record of 519; he's currently at 522.
 
Kozeal's only TD as a Loper came in Maryville three years ago. He intercepted a tipped pass and raced 74 yards for the UNK's only score of the day.
 
Kearney has also gotten fine play at linebacker from Nebraska transfer Garrett Poppen (14 tackles and one interception) and Kansas City redshirt freshman Sal Silvio (10 tackles).
 
They'll be part of a Loper "D" trying to slow down a NW offense that is churning out 41 points and 406 yards a week. The 'Cats have eight senior offensive starters, led by quarterback Kyle Zimmerman. The fifth-year senior is he is completing 67% of his passes for 261 yards per game, five TD's and no INT's. On the ground, he has rushed for 60 yards and a score.

 
The other senior starters include running back Phil Jackson II (6-0, 223 lbs.) and receivers George Sehl (6-3, 210 lbs.) and Dre Washington (6-3, 187 lbs.).
 
Jackson II is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and is coming off a season in which he ran for 951 yards and 14 scores. Washington had 300 receiving yards in 2015 and is currently tied for the team lead in receptions with seven. Sehl had seven TD catches as a junior, part of the 34 Northwest had as an offense.
 
Also among the skill players, sophomore Shane Bane Jr. (5-11, 169 lbs.) is coming off a 82 catch, 1,207 yard season. Up front, the line has three senior starters in left tackle Jamie Thieman (6-4, 277 lbs.), Kyle Meyer (6-3, 283 lbs.) and center Chase Sherman (6-0, 267 lbs.).
 
A fearsome defense features preseason All-Americans Collin Bevins (6-6, 285 lbs.) and Kevin Berg (5-11, 176 lbs.). They are two of the four seniors that start on a unit that is allowing 10.5 points and 199.0 yards per game. Last year, Northwest gave up just 12 points and 223 yards per week.
 
Senior MLB Jacob Vollstedt (6-2, 215 lbs.) has made 21 tackles in two games, 14 more than any other Bearcat. He had a team-high 122 stops last fall. Bevins has 2.0 TFL, including one of Northwest's MIAA-leading nine sacks for 54 yards. The Iowa native had 26.5 TFL's (15.5 sacks) last season.
 
Berg picked off eight passes for 37 return yards as a junior to help Northwest have a plus 19 turnover margin. Finally, senior end Cass Weitl has a team-high two sacks to date and is one of four 'Cats to have made seven tackles.
 
On special teams, Danish kicker Simon Mathiesen made 76 of 77 PAT's last season as well as converting 25 of 31 field goals. Next, sophomore Matt Thorman averaged 33.6 yards per punt in 2015 and has upped that to 37 yards this season. Finally, Bane Jr. averaged a healthy 10.7 yards as NW's punt returner in 2015.
 
Offensively, UNK has tallied 21 of its 28 points this year in the fourth quarter. To get on track a bit earlier, the Lopers want to pump up a running game that has 77 net yards to date.
 
Redshirt freshman back Thomas Russell (Millard West H.S.) has UNK's lone rushing score, a two-yard scamper at Missouri Western State. He also leads the Lopers in carries with 19.
 
In the air, the Blue & Gold have literally gotten everyone involved. Thirteen UNK players have registered a reception, which is broken down to eight receivers, three backs and two tight ends/T's.
 
True freshman receiver Kentrez Bell (Kansas City) had a team-high 97 receiving yards with senior receiver Preston Foley (Houston) at a team-best seven receptions. Three different Lopers have caught a TD, including junior receiver Malcolm Moore (Minneapolis).
 
Finally, Springfield senior Payton Fluckey is routinely pinning the opponent back on its heels. Five of his 16 punts have landed inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He also isn't allowing many returns as 10 of his boots have been fair caught.
 
Next Saturday, it's "Homecoming" at UNK with the Washburn Ichabods coming to Cope Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m.