Lincoln University of Missouri

   For the first game this season the Blue Tigers were able to gain positive rushing yardage (28 carries-51 yards rushing), but the outcome was similar to the previous two games, a loss.  Playing on the road for the first time this season Lincoln University managed to amass a little more than half (160) of the total offensive yards generated by West Virginia State University (351) in a 16-0 defeat.  The loss dropped Lincoln University to 0-3, while West Virginia State evened their record at 1-1.  It is the first shutout for the Yellowjackets since a 1-10 season in 2002.  In their second game of the 2002 season, West Virginia State University won at Cheyney 24-0 (09/14/02).

   The 16-0 setback is encouraging for the Blue Tigers, who were blown out against Central Missouri State University 78-0 and Lane College 36-0.  It is the third consecutive week the Blue Tigers have not scored a point.  In the past three seasons, the Blue Tigers were only shutout in four games.  Since football was brought back to Lincoln University as a varsity program in 2000, the Blue Tigers have only been shutout six times (not including the three of the 2006 campaign).

   The Blue Tigers started the game on defense and forced a three-and-out, but on the punt return Bruce Suber (fr., DB) coughed the ball up, giving the Yellowjackets the football at the Blue Tigers 36-yardline.  A 1-yard touchdown run from Flen Sistrunk, three plays after West Virginia State had recovered the fumble gave the Yellowjackets a 7-0 lead with 12:05 to play in the first quarter.

   Terrence Wilson returned a punt to end the first quarter, but lost six yards on his return, resulting in a safety by John Bugg of West Virginia State.  The two points gave the home team a 9-0 advantage, which they took into halftime.

   A 7-yard pass from Kevin O’Brien to Flen Sistrunk capped the scoring and put West Virginia State in front 16-0.  The touchdown reception by Sistrunk came with 5:38 left in the third quarter and ended a 12-play, 75-yard drive, which covered 6:37. 

   The Blue Tigers turned the ball over twice in the last half of the fourth quarter.  An interception with 4:36 stopped a drive at the Yellowjackets 31 and a fumble at the Yellowjackets 31 snapped a drive with 2:19 remaining in the game. 

   Of the Blue Tigers 14 drives, 7 crossed into Yellowjackets territory.  Three of those drives the Blue Tigers chose to punt, two ended in fumbles, an interception halted a drive and the end of the first half stopped a potential drive.

   Lincoln University was limited to only 60 total yards of offense in the second half.  The Blue Tigers were 2-of-12 on third-down conversion attempts.  Six fumbles were made by Lincoln University with three being recovered by West Virginia State.  The Blue Tigers were flagged a season high 14 times against the Yellowjackets. 

   Donald Brown (fr., QB) completed 61 percent (11-18) of his passes for 103 yards, but was sacked three times.  DeWitt Johnson (sr., WR) had a good day catching 5 passes for 66 yards.  Gerardo Cornejo (sr., P/K) had an average of 39.4 yards on 8 punts.  Cornejo booted a 65-yard punt in the second quarter. 

   The Blue Tigers (0-3) will try to avoid a 0-4 start when they take on the University of Missouri-Rolla Miners (0-2) at 2:00 p.m. Sept. 16 in Dwight T. Reed Stadium.  It is the first Great Lakes Football Conference game for the Blue Tigers, while the Miners opened their GLFC slate with a road loss at Tiffin University (58-32, 08/26/06) to begin the season.  The Miners hold a 15-9 series edge, but the Blue Tigers won the last meeting between the two schools.  The Blue Tigers prevailed 21-14 on Sept. 30, 1989 in Dwight T. Reed Stadium.  The last time the Blue Tigers began a season 0-4 was 2004.