Game 8 Preview: #34/22 Lopers Head to Missouri's Capital City

10/20/2022 2:33:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The No. 34/22-ranked Nebraska Kearney football team heads to Jefferson City, Mo., this Saturday to take on the Lincoln University Blue Tigers.

This will be just the fifth all-time meeting between the Lopers (5-2) and LU (0-7). The game kicks off from Dwight T. Reed Stadium at 2 p.m. Those not attendance can listen live (The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM), watch live (The MIAA Network) or follow along with live stats. This will be LU's "Think Pink" game for the 2022 season.

With the all-important NCAA region rankings set to be released on Monday (Oct. 24), UNK is aiming to bounce back after last Saturday's loss to Emporia State. The Lopers are one of many teams in "Super Region 3" hoping to be one of seven playoff teams come November. Showing the region's strength, 14 of the AFCA's Top 34 come from this region.
Hunter Kraus

UNK downed LU by scores of 44-0 and 56-0 the past two years. The two schools also met on the grid iron in 2012 and 2013. The Blue & Gold lead the series by a 3-1 margin with the Blue Tigers slated to come to Ron & Carol Cope Stadium next November.

Blue Tigers first-year head coach Jermaine Gales previously helped restart the football program at Bluefield (W.V.) State College, another HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). The Southern Arkansas graduate took over BSC in 2020 and led the Big Blues to a 4-3 mark in 2021, its' first football season in four decades.

Gales has a young squad with just five senior starters (three defense, one offense and one special team) listed on the two-deep. Lincoln is led by receiver Aderias Ealy (357 yards and five touchdowns), quarterback Zamar Brake (four TD's and 101. ypg), right tackle Kory Woodruff (6-5, 350 lbs.), WILL Jaylon Mosley (52 tackles) and 2021 All-MIAA corner Zyan Thomas-King.

Offensively, Lincoln is at 10.6 points per game while forcing 13 turnovers and having 25 tackles for loss on defense. They are coming off a 49-10 loss to nationally-ranked Pittsburg State with their closest setback coming at Missouri Southern, 37-14.

UNK saw QB TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) become the all-time leading scorer in program history last Saturday when he rushed one yards for a score on the game's first drive. That pushed his point total (rushing & receiving TD's, PAT's & field goals) to 312, breaking a tie with former receiver Richie Ross ('05). Fellow QB's Justin Coleman (106) and Jake Spitzlberger (118) had over 100 combined TD's in their careers with Davis currently at 92 (51 rushing, 40 passing and one receiving). Junior Gonzalez

Nationally, Davis is the NCAA's second-best rushing QB (826), trailing only Southern Nazarene's Gage Porter (1,083). With 174 more yards he'll join all-time rushing leader Mike Miller ('04) as the only Lopers with three 1,000-yard seasons in a career. Miller achieved the feat between 2001-03.

Super senior Montrez Jackson (Trenton, Fla.) is close to a milestone as well as the All-American high jump is at 968 career rush yards. The former wide receiver and kick returner is up to 2,332 all-purpose yards in a five-year career that includes two All-MIAA honors. Next, super senior Junior Gonzalez (Corning, Calif.) is on-pace to be the seventh Loper kicker to reach 200 career points. The four-year starter is at 182 points (137 PAT's and 15 field goals) with his PAT total the second best in Loper lore (156, Volker Olbrich, '99).

Finally, senior punter and co-captain Hunter Kraus (Sargent) averaged a healthy 50.9 yards last Saturday. His memorable day included a career-long 73 yarder and his play to date has UNK leading the MIAA in net punting (42.4 avg.).

UNK welcomes in No. 14/16 Northwest Missouri State (5-2) next Saturday for "Homecoming." The Bearcats face Northeastern State (1-6) this Saturday.

UNK Release/Depth Chart & Roster

LU Football Information

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