Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team closes out the 2019 regular season this Saturday when the Washburn Ichabods come to town.

The game kicks off at high noon with 25 seniors (see complete list below) being honored during pregame. Check the Loper schedule page for media links.

UNK (6-4) and the 'Bods (5-5) are among the hottest teams in the MIAA, the Lopers coming off a 49-21 waxing of then-No. 27 Missouri Western State and WU having won four of its last five games. 

GAME NOTES/DEPTH CHARTS

Nebraska-Kearney

Washburn

This will be the 28th all-time meeting between the two with Kearney holding a slim 15-12 lead. The series has been very close since it resumed in 2012 with four games decided by 10 points or less. That includes a 47-44 (3 OT) Washburn win in 2016 at Cope Stadium and a 10-7 'Bods victory in the 2014 home opener for UNK.

Last year the Lopers got a matter of revenge for those close losses as it drove 61 yards in 14 plays and booted a 24-yard field goal with eight seconds left to win 17-16. UNK led 14-0 early in the second quarter before WU used three field goals and a 30-yard touchdown pass to move ahead. 

This Washburn team, led by the "Dean" of MIAA head coaches in Craig Schurig (18th year), is coming off a 49-38 win over Pittsburg State. They are averaging 38 points per game while giving up 32. The young 'Bods, with just six seniors starters, have tallied 110 points in the fourth quarter to overcomer 22 turnovers.

Junior quarterback Mitch Schurig (#11) has thrown 18 TD passes and is averaging 223 yards per game while completing 64% of his passes. The second-year starter has yet to rush for a score with WU allowing 19 sacks. 

The top wide outs are sophomores James Letcher Jr. (#13) and Collin Wilson (#3) who've combined for 13 scoring grabs and nearly 1,200 yards. Another tough match up is 6-5, 235 pound junior WR Jace Williams (#88). The 'Bods ground attack features true freshman Taylon Peters (#21) and junior Zach Willis (#34). They have scored 12 TD's and combine for nearly 100 yards every Saturday. Finally the line has three redshirt freshmen starters.
 
A defense with five underclassmen starting is surrendering 32 points and 409 yards a week. Allowing only 50 fourth quarter points (5.0 avg.) to date, Washburn has a 67% red zone touchdown rate (26 of 39) but also is giving up 5.2 yards per carry.
 
Having forced 13 fumbles, the 'Bods are led by redshirt freshman ILB Grant Bruner (#43), sophomore safety Kevin Neal Jr. (#4) and junior corner KJ Turner (#1). Bruner has a team-best 66 tackles with Turner at five pass breakups. Finally senior corner Josh Wright (#7) has two INT's and a team-best 13 PBU's.
 
On special teams, true freshman Kameron Lake (#27) is 4 of 9 on field goal tries with his long effort being a 36-yarder vs. UCO. He averages 58.2 yards kicking off and is a solid 51 of 52 on PAT's. Next junior Lane Spiker (#46) has a 41.7 punt average with nine of his 35 efforts landing inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Finally Washburn has blocked a punt and two kicks with Letcher Jr. (27.4 avg.) bringing back a kickoff an even 100 yards for a TD vs. Hays. He also had 152 kick return yards against Missouri Western and 98 more vs. UCO. The 5-8, 165 pounder also is the team's starting punt returner (5.2 avg.).
 
UNK's offense continues to hum along and will try again this Saturday. The Loper rushing totals are among the best in school history, currently at 3,367 yards, 36 TD's and a healthy 6.1 yards per carry.
 
Senior back David Goodwin (Lauderhill, Fla.) needs just 68 yards to record the 15th 1,000-rushing yard season in school history. He'd join Ricky Trinidad (1,###/2012) as the only Loper to reach four figures in rushing in UNK's MIAA era (2012-pre.).
 
Next redshirt freshman QB TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) has some of the best rushing numbers ever for a UNK signal caller (779 yards and 11 TD's). In the air he's now completing 53% of his passes with six TD's and 18 yards per completion. One of his favorite targets has been senior receiver Sedarius Young (Orlando) who has amassed 4888 yards and two TD's with just 16 catches. His 30.5 yards per catch average would set a new UNK single season record.
 
Another record that might fall Saturday is the single season sack mark of 9.5, set by end Nate Reicks in 2009. Senior ILB Sal Silvio (Kansas City), now with 306 career stops, has 8.0 to date to lead the conference. He also leads the Lopers in tackles (72), TFL's (10.0), forced fumbles (four), and fumble recoveries (three).
 
Overall the defense, with five senior starters, is among the MIAA leaders against the run, allowing just 111 yards every Saturday with only 10 scores. UNK also has a solid red zone TD rate at 56% (14 of 25) in giving up just 43 first quarter points.
 
Finally on special teams senior Kendall Raschein has a 39.1 punt average with 15 of his 39 efforts landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The 2018 All-MIAA pick has had six boots of at least 50 yards with his long effort traveling 64 yards.
 

Offense Seniors (10)
#1 Luke Quinn (WR/RB/PR), #8 Alex McGinnis (QB), #9 David Goodwin (RB), #10 Darrius Webb (RB), #11 Sedarius Young (WR), #12 Cody Summers (WR), #54 Jack McLeay (OL), #62 Josh Stoltenberg (OL), #77 Kolin Kenton (OL), #83 Mitch Carlson (WR)

Defense Seniors (10)
#3 Rakid Hill (ILB), #6 LaRoy James (S), #7 Kevin Wilson (S), #15 Zach Sullivan (OLB), #21 Malik Ransom (CB), #32 Sal Silvio (LB), #36 Alec Sovereign (OLB), #91 Freeman Coleman (DL), #93 Jordan Ingraham (DL), #99 Hinwa Allieu (DL)

Special Teams Seniors (2)
#81 Treygan Gowen (K), #97 Kendall Raschein (P/K)

Program Seniors (3)
Andrew Dubowsky, Rhett Hanson & Quentin Holley