Lincoln University of Missouri

BLUE TIGERS ARE GOIN’ SOUTH, LOOK OUT JACKSON TOWN!

   After picking up the first home victory of the Lemar Parrish era, a 22-10 defeat over Kentucky Wesleyan College, the Blue Tigers are gearing up for a nine-hour bus ride to Jackson, Miss.  Lincoln University (1-4) takes on Millsaps College (0-3) in non-conference action on Sept. 30 at 1:00 p.m. on the Sprinturf of Harper Davis Field.  The Blue Tigers are looking to give the Majors the blues on Purple Pride Day in the first meeting between the two schools.  The game will be broadcast over the Internet from WPBQ 1240 AM in Jackson, Miss.

   The Majors, who have seven home games this season, are playing their fourth of five games to begin the season at home on Harper Davis Field.  Millsaps is averaging 2,336 fans per game.

   The Majors are under the direction of first year head coach Mike DuBose.  DuBose is the former head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide (1997-2000).  While DuBose did step away from the sidelines for the 2001 season, he returned as head coach for Northview (Dothan, Ala.) High School in 2002, where the Cougars finished 0-10.  He moved to Luverne (Ala.) High School and led the Tigers to a runner-up finish in Class 2A in 2003 (12-3 overall) and advanced to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs in 2004 (9-3 overall).  DuBose was the defensive coordinator for the Majors in 2005.

   Millsaps College is a college of the United Methodist Church.  The Majors are Division III members of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and can only give academic aid.  Lincoln University is an NCAA Division II institution, which awards athletic and academic aid.  The Majors compete in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.  The New Orleans Saints of the National Football League make Millsaps College their training camp home.

   “Millsaps College is made for intelligent athletes,” said Marcus Harris, a sophomore defensive back for the Majors.  “I know when I leave here I’m going to have connections.  We’re going to class everyday with future lawyers and doctors.  The people here are going to be successful.”

   The Majors ended 2005 with a 2-7 mark and in 2004 were 4-5.  Of those six wins, four were decided by four points or less and all six were margins of less than nine points.

   The Majors are close to being 2-1 instead of 0-3.  Millsaps is coming off a bye week, which followed a 35-34 loss to Huntingdon College.  The Majors scored a touchdown with :01 left in the fourth quarter and were lined up for the win with a two-point conversion.  Unfortunately, the Majors tried to call a timeout, but did not have any remaining and were flagged for a delay-of-game penalty.  The Majors game tying extra point kick was blocked giving Huntingdon the win.  The Millsaps defense held Huntingdon scoreless for close to 24 minutes in the first half (9:11 first quarter until :32 second quarter).

   Tyson Day (jr., RB) was named SCAC Offensive Player of the Week for week three.  Day, a transfer from the United States Military Academy picked up 264 of the Majors 466 total yards in the loss to Huntingdon.  He rushed the ball 14 times for 119 yards (8.4 yards-per-carry) and scored three touchdowns.  Day caught eight passes for 147 yards (18.4 yards-per-reception) with the longest catch being a 54-yard strike from backup quarterback Burt Pereira.  Pereira (so., RB/QB) filled in admirably against Huntingdon for injured starter Juan Joseph (so., QB).  Prior to his absence, Joseph was leading the SCAC with 241 passing yards per game.  Day has per game averages of 74 yards rushing and 94 yards receiving.  Despite missing the game with Louisiana College, he has the third highest receiving yards total (187) in the SCAC.

   In their game against Louisiana College a 41-38 loss, Millsaps scored 38 points, the most they have tallied since a 51-41 loss to Centre College in 2003.  The Majors gave up a touchdown to the Wildcats with 3:36 left in the game and could not mount a game winning drive.  As a return specialist, Chris Jackson (sr., WR) broke a 42-year old Millsaps record (1964, Jerry Drane vs. Sewanee) as he rolled up 205 kick return yards on six attempts.  He is the first Major since 1996 (Mike McKenzie vs. Rhodes College) to return a kickoff for a touchdown.  Jackson ran a first quarter kickoff 99-yards for a touchdown. 

   Millsaps opened their season with the Backyard Brawl against perennial powerhouse Mississippi College.  The Choctaws spoiled the debut of DuBose 52-28 in the game between the two bitter rivals. 

   The Majors are ranked No. 35 in NCAA DIII in total offense 383.7 yards-per-game.  Millsaps averages 260.7 passing yards-per-game (No. 21 NCAA DIII) and are No. 23 in scoring (33.3 points-per-game).  Jackson has helped the Majors to an average of 26.2 yards-per-kickoff return (No. 20 NCAA DIII) and 12.8 yards-per-punt return (No. 38 NCAA DIII). 

   With Joseph and capable backup Pereira, the Majors are poised to give the Blue Tigers a stern challenge.  No matter who takes the snaps for Millsaps, they are trying to get the ball to their main wide receiver Eric McCarty.  McCarty, a sophomore averages 6 receptions-per-game (No. 39 NCAA DIII) and 71.7 receiving-yards-per game (No. 71 NCAA DIII).  Also making important grabs for Millsaps are Jackson, senior Josh Hanna, who doubles as a kick returner and junior Kennedy Griffin.  In addition to Roy, Nick Namias, a sophomore, who made his first start of the season in place of Roy in the Louisiana College game has proven effective.  Namias rushed the ball for 111 yards on 21 carries (5.3 yards-per-carry) and had one reception for seven yards against Louisiana College.  Namias entered the Mississippi College game late and picked up 31 yards on 5 rushing attempts.  Nine of the 11 offensive linemen for the Majors are underclassmen (9 freshmen – 2 sophomores).

   Defensively the Majors are led by linebackers Shawn Gillenwater and Ray Kline.  Gillenwater (jr.) and Kline (fr.) each have 28 tackles with Gillenwater having 3.5 tackles for 8 yards lost and Kline 2.5 tackles for 16 yards lost.  Kline has broken up two passes.  The defense receives contributions from Casey Younger (jr., DL) and Marcus Harris (so., DB).  Younger has 22 total tackles and a team high 5 tackles for a loss of 16 yards.  Harris, who leads the team in pass breakups (4), has made 17 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss of 7 yards.  Lee Klein (16 tackles) and Joey Doxey (15 tackles) add to the Millsaps defense.  The Majors have blocked three kicks this season.

   “People used to look down on us (Millsaps) because we’re in Division III, but there are good athletes in all levels of football,” noted Younger.

   DJ Mello (so., K) booted a 37-yard field goal in 2005, a season and career long.  He kicked a 23-yard field goal in the loss to Louisiana College.  Kickoffs by Mello are going 53.1 yards, while those of Sam Herman (fr.) are averaging 47.3 yards.  Three kickoffs by Herman have been touchbacks.  William Lawrimore (fr., P) is averaging 39.2 yards-per-punt. 

   The Majors have been susceptible to the pass allowing the opposition 378 passing yards-per-game.  It is vital that the Blue Tiger quarterback tandem of Rashad Aubrey and Donald Brown get the ball to their wide receivers to exploit this weakness of the Majors.  Ready to haul the balls in for the Blue Tigers are a pair of seniors, DeWitt Johnson (17 receptions-182 yards) and Devin Palmer (11 receptions-114 yards, 1 TD).  Freshman Kevin Brown has caught 4 passes for 163 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Blue Tigers.  The running game for the Blue Tigers is still struggling mightily (156 attempts-23 yards).

   The goal for the defense of the Blue Tigers is to slow down the Millsaps offense, which generates 384 offensive yards-per-game.  Leading the defense for Lincoln University are freshmen Derrick Manning and Julien Noel.  Manning has an astonishing 40 total tackles (No. 16 NCAA DII, 10 total tackles-per-game and No. 14 NCAA DII, 6 solo tackles-per-game).  Noel (27.5 total tackles) is No. 19 in NCAA DII with 9.8 tackles-per-game and No. 17 in forced fumbles-per-game (0.5 per game, 2 total).  Lending helping hands to halt the Majors are defenders Anthony Allen (21.5 total tackles), Terrence Wilson (21 total tackles) and Clourse Hardy (21 total tackles). 

Four different Blue Tigers have intercepted a pass this season.  Lincoln University has 27 pass breakups with the seven of Allen leading.  Noel and Allen have each forced two fumbles.  Allen has recovered three fumbles and returned them a combined 29 yards.  Chigbogu Anunoby and Floyd Brady Jr. have 6.5 tackles for a loss.  The tackles made by Anunoby have resulted in the opposition losing 24 yards and those of Brady Jr. have cost the opponent 20 yards.  Jesse Duncan leads the team with 3.5 sacks (25 yards lost).  Duncan and Wilson have made 4.5 tackles for loss with Duncan’s accounting for 36 yards and Wilson’s 23.  Brady Jr. has 2.5 sacks for 12 yards lost and Hardy has 2 sacks for 16 lost yards.

   Gerardo Cornejo is averaging 34.7 yards-per-punt and 55.3 yards-per-kickoff with one touchback.  D. Johnson has a 20.1 kickoff return average.  Wilson’s punt return average is 9.4 yards.

   Lincoln University isn’t going to Millsaps to mess around.  The Blue Tigers are shooting for back-to-back wins for the first time since 2003, when they won three consecutive games. 

GAME SIX RECAP - BLUE TIGERS SPUTTER IN 52-10 LOSS TO MAJORS