Corbey R. Dorsey

Game 2 Preview: Home Opener Features the 'Chos

9/11/2019 2:29:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team begins a six-game home slate this Thursday night, September 12, when the Central Oklahoma Bronchos come to town.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with First National Bank sponsoring the contest. Loper "Fan Fest" debuts during pregame festivities. That event opens up at 5 p.m. with an expanded Loperville (beer garden run by Cunningham's Journal; closes at 7 p.m.), the Range (tailgating area for UNK students), live music and a step off at 6:30 where the Pride of the Plains Marching band will make its way through the tailgate area and into the stadium. Finally, a short fireworks show will be held at the North end of the stadium when the game is finished.

**GAME NOTES/DEPTH CHARTS**
Nebraska-Kearney	Cental Okla.

Action (pregame, game and post game) can be heard live on The River (93.1 FM) with the live video stream (for a price) provided by News Channel Nebraska and the MIAA Network. Live stats are also available.

UNK (1-0) and UCO (0-1) have had some tight battles throughout their short tenure in the MIAA. The Lopers won last year in Edmond, 31-27, as they capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive with 1:11 left. The Bronchos still had a chance to win as they drove to the UNK 28-yard line but three incomplete passes and two-yard loss followed.

The 'Chos, coming off a last second 37-35 home setback to No. 23 Pittsburg State last week, is 3-1 all-time in Kearney, picking up wins in 1979 (NAIA playoffs), 1993 and 2014. Due to an MIAA scheduling quirk, the last two games in the series have come in Oklahoma. UNK won the 2016 contest, 47-32, at home for its lone victory that fall.

Last Thursday in Edmond UCO fell behind 34-7 to Pitt only to roll in the second half and grab a 35-34 lead on a 20-yard fumble recovery for a score with 3:20 left. While the Gorillas ran for 290 yards they also coughed up the football four times, leading to 21 UCO points. Pitt responded by driving 67 yards in 11 plays, converting three third downs along the way, and won as time expired thanks to a 20-yard field goal.

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Junior Will Collins was one of several 'Chos to play QB in 2018 and finished 2,047 yards of total offense in seven games. Completing 64% of his passes, the Division I transfer (La.-Monroe) had a hand in 16 TD's and didn't play in the loss to UNK. Senior Dustin Basks and sophomore Mekail Hall both earned All-MIAA honors last season as they combined for 104 catches, 1,607 yards and 10 receiving TD's. Basks had 11 catches for 136 yards in the loss to the Lopers in 2018.

Junior newcomer T.J. Roberts is listed as the top back; he had over 2,000 career rushing yards in junior college. Finally, Oregon transfer Taj Griffin isn't listed on the two deep but had 879 rushing yards and six scores as a Duck. One TD came on a 50-yard gallop in a 2016 loss at Nebraska.

The UCO defense lost five All-MIAA players to graduation. The still-athletic group includes All-American corner O'Shay Harris and senior linebackers Dillon Hall and Bryan Burns. To earn his All-American honor last fall Harris amassed 74 tackles, two INT's, eight PBU's, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Finally on the special teams junior Alex Quevedo earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors as a sophomore after making 11 of 16 FG's and 46 of 47 PAT's. Besides Basks being a dangers return man, also back is senior punter Jay Tedesco. He averaged 39.4 yards a boot in 2018 and had 22 attempts land inside the opponent 20-yard line.

The Lopers started 1-0 for a third straight year by holding off Missouri Southern State, 39-27, last Thursday night in Joplin. UNK jumped out to a 33-6 halftime lead thanks to a 26-point second quarter that saw touchdowns on four straight drives. Those drives covered 273 yards with the Loper defense forcing the Lions to punt five times in the first half. However, MSSU senior quarterback Jacob Park, formerly of Iowa State and Georgia, shook off some rust and got hot in the second half to the tune of three scoring passes (26, 29 and 93 yards). 32233

The Lopers managed to hang on for the win by getting a fourth down stop at their own 32-yard line with nine minutes to play. They then flipped the field, converting three third downs along the way, before senior QB Alex McGinnis (Crete) scored on a two-yard plunge with 2:34 remaining to finish the scoring.

McGinnis finished the night with four TD's (three passing and one rushing) and his completion percentage of 83.0 (14 of 17) was the highest by a Loper signal caller in nine years.

Reaching 300 rushing yards for the fourth time in the Josh Lynn era, UNK held the ball for 40 minutes and didn't have a turnover in running 77 offensive plays. The Lopers picked off Park twice and recovered a fumbled punt late in the game. Last year UNK had four INT's and 10 recovered fumbles.

Defensively, All-American candidate Sal Silvio (Kansas City) had a team-high seven tackles, pushing his career total to 243 and moving him into seventh place on UNK's all-time list. Since tackles became a stat in 1990, the inside backer will become just the sixth Loper to reach 250 career stops.

UNK heads to Emporia State (1-0) next Saturday. The Hornets are at Pitt State this Saturday night.

Pronghorn Points
UNK

With a win Thursday head coach Josh Lynn will tie Ted James (1930-32) for eighth most wins in school history (13)
Opponents have made 19 consecutive field goals vs. UNK, dating back to a 40-yard miss by MSSU on Sept. 30, 2017
The Lopers haven't started 2-0 in back-to-back years since 1969 and 1970
Missouri Southern Players of the Game were Luke Quinn (Off.), Jordan Ingraham (Def.), Kendall Raschein (S.T.), Corey Hoelck & Hinwa Allieu (Off. & Def. Hustlers) and Hunter Hays & KeyShaun VanDyke (Iron Lopers)

UCO

The Bronchos won the 2018 H.E.A.R.T of Texas Bowl by beating Angelo (Texas State), 41-34
Head coach Nick Bobeck has led his alma mater to 38 wins and four bowl games over the last eight years
The starting d-line features 300 pound senior tackle Kahewai Kaaiawaawa

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