NEBRASKA-KEARNEY FOOTBALL 2019 On the Air Game # 4 - No 18. Pittsburg State U. Gorillas Radio September 28 ** 7 p.m. All Loper football games can be heard live on either The River (93.1 Kearne, NE (Ron & Carol Cope Stadium) FM) or KRVN (880 AM). Check the football schedule page on www.lopers. SERIES HISTORY (PITT LEADS 13-8) com for the station that week. The * Last year in Kansas Pitt scored the first 16 points en route to a 30-17 victory. games can be heard over the internet The Lopers tried to come back but a fourth down stop by the Gorilla defense deep in its own territory late in the third quarter sealed things by going to lopers.com and clicking the “live audio” link. * Pitt has won 11 in a row in the series dating back to 1983 Nebraska radio personalities Jayson Jorgensen (play-by-play) and Larry * UNK won eight of the first 11 games in a series that began in 1974 Cotnoir (color analyst) serve as the broadcasting team. LOPER TRACKS Live Video * UNK ranks third in Division II in rushing yards per game (300.7). Loper football games can be Eastern New Mexico, formerly coached by Josh Lynn, is number one this week watched live via The MIAA Network (398.3) (themiaanetwork.com) in conjunction * The Lopers haven't won three of its first games since starting 6-0 in 2011, with BlueFrame Technology. For all the last year in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) home games, News Channel Nebraska (NCN) will provide the live feed. * UNK has outscored the competition 60-19 in the 1st half and been Games can be purchased for one outscored 57-33 in the 2nd half day, ($10), a season pass ($75) or an all-sports pass ($125). * Senior ILB Sam Silvio is the sixth Loper since 1990 to reach 250 career tack- Live Statistics les (now 256). He is the third straight inside backer to reach this milestone, For home games, click on the “live following Kellen Werner ('13) & Tyke Kozeal ('16) stats” link at lopers.com. To find oppo- nent live stats, go to their athletic ABOUT T-18TH PITT STATE (3-0/8-3 IN 2018) * Pitt started last year with a 5-0 mark and finished up at 8-3. website page or the UNK football The Gorillas didn't take part in bowl games after not making the playoffs schedule * Tenth-year head coach Tim Boyle is currently 79-30 and led Pitt to the UNK Sports Information 2011 Division II National Title Peter Yazvac (Asst. A.D./Media Relations) * Senior corner/punt returner KiAnte Hardin, who began his career at Work Phone - 308.865.8334 Minnesota, had one interception and two PBU's in last year's win over UNK. Home/Cell Phone - 308.627.6878 Fax - 308.865.8187 2019 SCHEDULE & RESULTS Date Opponent Time/Result Location E-Mail - [email protected] 9/5 @ Missouri Southern State W, 39-27 Joplin, Mo 9/12 Central Oklahoma L, 28-23 Kearney 9/21 @ Emporia State W, 31-21 Emporia, KS 9/28 #T-18 Pittsburg State 7 p.m. Kearney 10/5 Northeastern St. (Homecoming) 2 p.m. Kearney 10/12 @ Lincoln 2 p.m. Jefferson City, MO 10/19 #7 Northwest Missouri State 2 p.m. Kearney 10/26 @ Fort Hays State 12 p.m. Hays, KS 11/2 #T-18 Central Missouri 12 p.m. Kearney 11/9 @ Missouri Western State 1 p.m. St. Joseph, MO 11/16 Washburn 12 p.m. Kearney NEBRASKA-KEARNEY FOOTBALL 2019/OPP. INFO PITT STATE (3-0) COACH TIM BECK (10TH YEAR/79-30) 9/5 @ Central Oklahoma W, 37-35 Beck has spent the last 33 years at Pitt, serving as head coach for the last 10. In 9/14 Emporia State W, 47-23 2011, he guided Pitt to the school’s fourth all-time national championship and a 13-1 9/21 Northeastern State W, 58-3 record. Prior to taking over, Beck was PSU's offensive coordinator for 16 seasons. 9/28 @ UNK 7 p.m. As a Pitt player, he was a two-time all-league defensive back. 10/5 Lincoln 1 p.m. 10/12 @ NW Missouri State 12 p.m. LOPER-GORILLA SERIES HISTORY (PITT LEADS 13-8) 10/19 Fort Hays State 1 p.m. Last year in Kansas Pitt scored the game’s first 16 points en route to a 30-17 victo- 10/26 @ Central Missouri 1 p.m. ry. The Lopers, battling early poor field position due to a turnover and safety, tried to 11/2 Missouri Western St. 1 p.m. come back but a fourth down stop by the Gorilla defense deep in its own territory late 11/9 @ Washburn 1 p.m. in the third quarter sealed things. Pitt out gained UNK by a 295-267 margin with cur- 11/16 Missouri Southern St. 1 p.m. rent back Tyler Adkins having 94 yards and one score on 15 carries. The Gorillas have won 11 in a row over the Lopers with Kearney’s last win in the STAT COMPARISON series coming back in 1983 in Kansas, 27-13. UNK Def. PSU Off. 25.3 Scoring 47.3 OFFENSIVE NOTES 342.7 Total Offense 428.0 Using the old-school veer offense along and some spread concepts, the Gorillas are 105.3 Rush Offense 215.0 at 47 points and 427 yards per game. T Eleven different players have carried the ball once, three quarterbacks have played 237.3 Pass Offense 213.0 and nine Gorillas have caught a pass. The current leaders are junior receiver Lorenzo 191 Total Plays 218 West (#8), QB’s Brandon Mlekus (#2) and Mak Sexton (#5) and running backs Tyler 94 Rush Attempts 148 Adkins (#28) and Tucker Horak (#22). 97 Pass Attempts 70 Adkins is at 4.8 yards per carry and leads Pitt in carries, yards (174) and rushing 5.4 Avg./Play 5.9 TD's (three). Next Mlekus has 34 carries for 101 yards with 5-8, 166 pound senior Kiah 3.4 Avg./Rush 4.4 Kintchen (#3) at 6.9 ypc and Horak reaching the end zone five times in just 21 totes. 7.3 Avg./Pass 9.1 In the air Mlekus, Sexton and sophomore Matt Harman (#16) have combined to 13.4 Avg./Catch 14.5 go 44 of 70 (62.9%) for 639 yards, four TD's and one INT. A 2018 third-team All-MIAA 4 Turnovers 6 pick , West has 10 catches for 200 yards and one score while having 167 yards and 100% Red Zone Scores 100% one TD on four kick returns. 100% Red Zone TD’s 53% Finally the line includes 2018 All-MIAA picks Ryan Todd (6-5, 300 lbs.) and Zach 23:45 Time of Possession 34:03 Thomas (6-4, 310 lbs.) 36% 3rd Down Conv. 57% 38% 4th Down Conv. 50% DEFENSIVE NOTES A defense with five senior starters is allowing 20 points and 299 yards per game. Having already picked off six passes, the Gorillas are allowing just a 25% conversion UNK Off. PSU Def. rate on both third and fourth downs. 31.0 Scoring 20.3 Minnesota transfer and corner KiAnte Hardin (#1) spear heads the unit that also 475.7 Total Offense 298.7 includes senior inside backer Chase Johnston (#13), senior tackle Simanu’a Thomas 300.7 Rush Offense 98.0 (#92) and senior safety Creighton Sanders (#20). 175.0 Pass Offense 149.7 Hardin had an INT and two PBU's in last year's win over UNK. He ended 2018 with 230 Total Plays 174 just six games played due to injury. Hardin has managed two INT's for 72 yards and a 177 Rush Attempts 94 PBU as well as 127 yards on only five punt returns. 53 Pass Attempts 80 Johnston (19) and Sanders (15) have combined for 34 tackles with Thomas already 6.2 Avg./Play 4.8 at 2.5 sacks. Pitt has an MIAA-best 12 sacks for 52 yards. Finally, reserve junior safety 5.1 Avg./Rush 2.7 Alex Derreyberry (#35) has two INT's and two PBU"s with sophomore corner Jermaine Brealy Jr. (#9) at a team-best five PBU's. 9.9 Avg./Pass 5.6 18.1 Avg./Catch 10.6 SPECIAL TEAM NOTES 3 Turnovers 6 Senior kicker Jared Vincent (#16) earned third-team All-MIAA honors last year and 74% Red Zone Scores 71% is aiming for more in 2019 as he has yet to miss a kick. With Pitt having a 53% TD red 63% Red Zone TD’s 57% zone rate, Vincent is 10 for 10 on field goals including three between 40-47 yards. He 36:15 Time of Possession 25:57 also is 16 for 16 on PAT's. 48% 3rd Down Conv. 25% Pitt has punted only six times abut has a solid 40.5 average with three fair catches 33% 4th Down Conv. 25% adn two attempts landing inside the opponent 20-yard line. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY FOOTBALL '19/COACH LYNN Josh Lynn was named the 18th head football coach in records while Nebraska-Kearney history on Jan. 4th, 2017. ranking among Lynn, who served as UNK's offensive coordinator in the national lead- 2017, coaches the Loper slot receivers, cruisers (TE's) and run- ers in a variety ning backs. Throughout his 17-year coaching career he has coor- of categories, dinated both sides of the ball and coached every position except including total the defensive line.