NEBRASKA-KEARNEY FOOTBALL 2018 ON THE AIR Game # 1 - Missouri Southern St. U. Lions Radio August 30 ** 7 p.m. All Loper football games can be heard live on either The River (93.1 Kearney (Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field) FM) or KRVN (880 AM). Check the football schedule page on www.lopers. SERIES HISTORY (UNK LEADS 9-7) com for the station that week. The * The Lopers won in Joplin, 16-6, last year as the defense limited the Lions to games can be heard over the internet 288 total yards (220 passing and 68 rushing) by going to lopers.com * The teams combined to go 1 for 4 on field goal tries and clicking the “live audio” link. (two misses and a block) but were a combined 4 for 8 on 4th down Nebraska radio personalities Jayson Jorgensen (play-by-play) and Larry * UNK hasn't posted back-to-back wins over MSSU since 1987 and 1988 Cotnoir (color analyst) again serve as the broadcasting team. LOPER TRACKS Live Video * Fifth-year junior running back Luke Quinn, a 2016 third-team All-MIAA Loper football games can be watched selection, returns tonight after missing last year with injury. He has 1,533 live via The MIAA Network (themi- career all-purpose yards with 12 touchdowns aanetwork.com) in conjunction with BlueFrame Technology. For all home * The Lopers are looking for its second straight 1-0 start which hasn't games, News Channel Nebraska will happened since the 2003 and 2004 campaigns provide the live feed. Games can be purchased for one day, * UNK is 6-14 in its last 20 season openers ($10), a season pass ($75) or an all- * The Loper roster of 128 players includes 53 true freshman (41%) and sports pass ($125). 12 graduate students or seniors (9%) Live Statistics For home games, click on the “live ABOUT MO SOUTHERN (0-11 IN 2017) stats” link at lopers.com. To find oppo- * The Lions have lost 15 straight games dating back to a 24-14 victory at nent live stats, go to their athletic web- UNK on October 1, 2016 site page or the UNK football schedule * MSSU features new defensive (Joe Bettasso) and offensive (Demo Odems UNK SPORTS III) coordinators. Another new assistant is QB coach Cody Green who began INFORMATION his college playing career at Nebraska Peter Yazvac (Asst. A.D./Media Relations) * Returning All-MIAA players are center Mike Dzierzega (#63), right tackle Work Phone - 308.865.8334 Aaron Leo (#72) and linebacker Roc Robbins (#44) Home/Cell Phone - 308.627.6878 2018 SCHEDULE & RESULTS Fax - 308.865.8187 DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT LOCATION E-Mail - [email protected] 8/30 Missouri Southern State 7 p.m. Kearney 9/6 @ Central Oklahoma 7 p.m. Edmond, OK 9/15 Emporia State (Homecoming) 2 p.m. Kearney 9/22 @ Pittsburg State 7 p.m. Pittsburg, KS 9/29 @ Northeastern State 1 p.m. Tahlequah, OK 10/6 Lindenwood 11 a.m. Kearney 10/13 @ Northwest Missouri State 2 p.m. Maryville, MO 10/20 Fort Hays State 11 a.m. Kearney 10/27 @ Central Missouri 1:30 p.m. Warrensburg, MO 11/3 Missouri Western State 11 a.m. Kearney 11/10 @ Washburn 1 p.m. Topeka, KS UNK FOOTBALL 2018 - OPPONENT INFO MO SO IN 2017 (0-11) COACH DENVER JOHNSON (4TH SEASON/3-30) 8/31 Fort Hays State L, 48-7 A former all-conference linemen at Division I Tulsa and a 1981 NFL draft pick by 9/7 @ Missouri Western St. L, 45-7 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Johnson took at MSSU after spring ball 2015. 9/16 Emporia State L, 36-29 Previously, he was an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at his alma 9/23 @ NW Missouri State L, 63-0 mater for four seasons. In his time at UT, Johnson had four linemen earn all-league 9/30 UNK L, 16-6 honors, helping two backs run for over 1,000 yards. Prior to Tulsa, Johnson was head coach at FCS-members Illinois State and Murray 10/7 @ Washburn L, 49-21 State. He compiled a combined 69-66 mark, leading ISU to the 2006 FCS quarters. 10/14 @ Central Missouri L, 71-22 10/21 Central Oklahoma L, 63-33 LOPER-LION SERIES HISTORY (UNK LEADS 9-7) 10/28 @ Northeastern State L, 32-29 The Lopers and Lions played every season from 1977-88 when both were members 11/4 Lindenwood L, 37-17 of the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC). UNK won the first four meet- 11/11 @ Pittsburg State L, 56-7 ings, taking the last three by an average of 31 points, before MSSU bounced back to win the next three. The Lopers then took four of five in the late 1980’s. STAT COMPARISON The series resumed in 2014 when Kearney joined the MIAA. The Lions won the UNK Def. MSSU Off. first three games (34-17, 24-14 and 24-14), two coming at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium 30.6 Scoring 16.2 at Foster Field. Last year in Joplin, the Lopers beat MSSU 16-6 as the defense allowed 367.5 Total Offense 297.1 only 288 yards and picked off two passes. 125.3 Rush Offense 112.4 Individually, Thomas Russell carried the ball 39 times for 178 yards and two scores with tight end Alex Harms having a 76-yard reception to setup UNK’s second touch- 242.2 Pass Offense 184.7 down. That was the longest catch of the season by a Loper receiver. 777 Total Plays 736 The defense was led by linebackers Sal Silvio (11 tackles; 1.5 sacks), Ty Botsford 381 Rush Attempts 356 (seven tackles; one pass break up) and Zach Sullivan (five tackles, 1.0 sack). MSSU 396 Pass Attempts 380 saw linebackers Akel Beard and Roc Robbins combine for 26 tackles and receiver 5.2 Avg./Play 4.4 Carson Day have five catches for 29 yards. 3.6 Avg./Rush 3.5 6.7 Avg./Pass 5.3 OFFENSIVE NOTES 10.7 Avg./Catch 11.2 Still a pass-heavy offense, this side of the ball is now under the director of Demo Odems III. A former Iowa receiver, Odems helped Division III East Texas Baptist go 15 Turnovers 25 7-4 last fall thanks to an offense that averaged 403 passing yards per game. 82% Red Zone Scores 78% Junior college transfer Sean Kelly (6-2, 200 lbs.) is the new signal caller. The 64% Red Zone TD’s 61% Connecticut native completed 54% of his passes last season at Monroe (N.Y.) College. 28:38 Time of Possession 26:47 In seven games played he had 10 TD's, four INT's and averaged 144 yards an appear- 42% 3rd Down Conv. 29% ance. Finally, Kelly ran 39 times for 111 yards and six TD's. 55% 4th Down Conv. 27% Day (5-8, 175 lbs.), a redshirt junior, is the most experienced receiver back with Josiah Bennett (6-7, 240 lbs.) not available. Day had 15 catches for 139 yards and one UNK Off. MSSU Def. TD in 2017. In the backfield, JUCO transfer Caleb Batie (5-9, 210 lbs.) is the new starter. He 16.7 Scoring 46.9 averaged seven yards per carry last fall at Pearl River C.C. in Mississippi. Also here is 300.8 Total Offense 530.1 5-11 sophomore Shemar Coleman (team-best 663 all-purpose yards in 2017) and soph- 144.1 Rush Offense 262.3 omore Dalton James (27 carries, 119 yards). 156.7 Pass Offense 267.8 MSSU's line is led by two 2017 honorable mention All-MIAA selections in center 746 Total Plays 866 Mike Dzierzega (6-3, 265 lbs.) and right tackle Aaron Leo (6-4, 310 lbs.). 467 Rush Attempts 547 279 Pass Attempts 319 DEFENSIVE NOTES MSSU struggled on this side of the ball in 2017, allowing 47 points and 530 yards 4.4 Avg./Play 6.7 per game. Forcing just nine turnovers, the Lions are now led by coordinator Joe 3.4 Avg./Rush 5.3 Bettasso. He has led defenses at D2 McKendree (Ill.), Quincy (Ill.) Universities as well 6.2 Avg./Pass 9.2 as NAIA McPherson (Kan.) College. 11.7 Avg./Catch 14.2 Beard (85 tackles, 8.0 TFL) and Robbins (80 tackles, 11.5 TFL) were among the 20 Turnovers 9 Lion tackle leaders last fall. Robbins had 5.5 of the team's 10 sacks with a new-look 71% Red Zone Scores 85% secondary including senior safety Diontez Champion (32 tackles) 65% Red Zone TD’s 70% 31:21 Time of Possession 33:13 SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES Coleman and Day are back at punt and kick return with juniors Paul Wolff and 33% 3rd Down Conv. 52% Riley Hathorn the new punter and kicker, respectively. Hathorn comes in from NE 57% 4th Down Conv. 50% Oklahoma A&M while Wolff was at Independence (Kan.) C.C. UNK FOOTBALL 2018 - COACH JOSH LYNN Josh Lynn was named the 18th head football coach in program’s first Nebraska-Kearney history on January, 2017. postseason ap- He is a native of Eunice, N.M., and an ENMU gradu- pearance in 11 ate. Over a five-year period (2012-16), Lynn helped turn his years. He also alma mater around, leading the Greyhounds to 27 wins, two worked in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl appearances and a share of defensive second- the 2013 Lone Star Conference (LSC) title.