JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Following the longest road trip of the season, the Lincoln University football team will enjoy the chance to play at home when they welcome in Morehouse to Dwight T. Reed Stadium for the first-ever meeting between the two schools this Saturday, September 19 with gametime set for 2 p.m. CT.
Morehouse enters with a 2-1 record, which is also their conference record, as the Maroon Tigers’ first three games of the season all took place in the SIAC and the game against the Blue Tigers is Morehouse’s lone non-conference tilt of the season. The Maroon Tigers tallied a 6-4 record a year ago, going 3-2 on the road.
Morehouse opened the first two games of the season at home, rolling to an easy 34-13 victory against Benedict College, but dropped their next game against Fort Valley State, 36-13. This past weekend, the Maroon Tigers played a neutral site game in Louisville, KY., against Kentucky State, coming away with a tight 27-21 win.
Morehouse has already gained over 1,000 yards this season (1,033) and feature some similarities to the Blue Tigers in that several running backs can take the ball out of the backfield and be effective.
David Carter (5’10”, 215, FR) powers Morehouse’s attack, as the freshman running back from Marietta, GA., has already racked up 196 yards on 35 carries, tallying two touchdowns and has a long carry of 30 so far.
Myeric Thompson (5’8”, 170, JR) is the next closest to Carter in terms of total yardage gained on the ground, as Thompson has accounted for 96 yards in 21 carries, while his long run of 32 yards is the best on the team.
Mychal Harrison (5’8”, 190, JR) and Christian Green (5’10”, 200, SR) have also rushed for over 50 yards, with Harrison tallying 67 yards on 23 carries, while Green has pounded out 54 yards on 16 attempts.
Quarterback William Brack (6’1”, 220, JR) ranks fourth on the team in yards on the ground with 56, while also completing 47-of-85 passes (55%) for 560 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Two receivers have seen the bulk of the passes come their way, as Achille Hendje (6’2”, 190, SR) powers the air attack, snatching 16 receptions for 189 yards and the only two touchdown passes from Brack on the season. Robert Darby-McNair (5’9”, 185, JR) doesn’t have the touchdowns or big yardage through the air, but the junior has 10 catches for 87 yards to rank second on the team in both categories.
On defense, Morehouse has a defender that enjoys scoring touchdowns, but this time it comes from the linebacker position.
Sophomore linebacker Charlie Wilson (6’0, 205) leads the way with two interceptions, with both going back for touchdowns, with a long of 50 and the other 25 yards. Wilson ranks third on the team in total tackles (17), with nine solo of the bunch, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks to lead the team. The Maroon Tigers’ as a team have six interceptions and average nearly 30 yards per INT return (27.7).
Defensive back Olajawaun Gooch (6’0”, 175 SR) leads all Morehouse defenders in terms of total tackles (23) and solo tackles (11). Gooch has also found time to get into the backfield for four tackles behind the line for a total of 19 yards lost, while also adding 2.5 sacks to his repertoire.
Sandwiched between Gooch and Wilson, junior defensive lineman DaJuan Holmes (6’2”, 250, JR) has mashed out 18 total tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks to his credit.
The Blue Tigers (0-3) introduced a new quarterback to the option offense in junior Josh Goffigan (6’1”, 210, Myrtle Beach, SC) and Lincoln tallied almost as many yards in last week’s game as the team did in the first two combined.
Lincoln tallied 134 total yards of offense, with 128 coming on the ground. Junior slot back AJ Simeon (5’9”, 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL) led the way on the ground, besting Goffigan by two yards with his 38 yards on six carries, while Goffigan accounted for 36 yards in 18 attempts.
Sophomore linebacker Devin Mack (5’10”, 220, Detroit, MI) continues to lead the way in terms of tackles, as Mack tallied up another eight (six solo), while also accounting for one tackle for loss.
Freshman defensive back O’Hara Fluellen (6’0”, 190, Fort Lauderdale, FL) despite not tallying an interception last week, remains tied for fifth in the nation with his three interceptions in three games for an interception a game average.
The Blue Tigers will look to defeat the Maroon Tigers in a battle of the Tigers this Saturday, September 19 with kickoff set for 2 p.m. CT at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
Fans that can’t make it to the game can listen to the action on KJLU 88.9 FM with Sports Information Director Brian Kortz providing the play-by-play and Herb Patterson the color commentary with the pregame show beginning at 1:45 p.m.