It's not the position the Lincoln Blue Tigers wanted to be in at the beginning of the year.
But that doesn't mean they plan on rolling over in the final game of the season.
Lincoln closes out the 2014 football campaign at 1 p.m. today when the Blue Tigers travel to Missouri S&T for a Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup at Allgood-Bailey Stadium in Rolla.
"It's great opportunity for both teams," Lincoln head coach Mike Jones said. "It's two teams that have struggled somewhat through the year, with (similar) records, that are trying to get a win in the conference. I think it's a great way to end the season. If you think about it, it's a game that means something to both teams."
A victory against the Miners (3-7, 2-5 GLVC) would give the Blue Tigers (2-8, 1-6 GLVC) their first true road win since 2008. It would also be Lincoln's first conference win on the road since 1975 when the Blue Tigers beat Central Missouri.
"The bottom line is, we have one game left and we have an opportunity to win a road game, which was one of our goals," Jones said. "We're just trying to accomplish one of our team goals we set at the beginning of the season.
"You look at all the guys we have on this team. A lot of those guys have been here for two, three, four years. This would be a great accomplishment for them. It's something they can hang their hat on and something we can build on."
Lincoln has dropped its last three games and is coming off a 56-36 loss to McKendree in its home finale. McKendree (4-6, 4-3 GLVC) scored points on each of its first eight drives and only punted once while outgaining the Blue Tigers 561-359 in total offense.
"We've been inconsistent," Jones said. "We play well one week, we don't play well the next week. We've just got to become more consistent. That's the biggest thing. Consistency on defense is what we're striving for. We've got to eliminate the bad things and build on the good things."
Offensively, Lincoln was much-improved in the Week 10 game. Junior quarterback Owen Jordan was 22-of-33 for 259 yards with three scores, while Khiry Draine caught eight passes for 172 yards.
Senior running back Morris Henderson, who leads the league with 20 touchdowns and is second with 1,103 yards rushing, compiled 90 yards on the ground on 25 carries in the Blue Tigers' latest loss.
"Offensively, it was the first game in a while in which we moved the ball consecutively and for the majority of the game," Jones said. "We scored some points, but we didn't score as much as I would like, because we didn't win."
Despite losing their last three games, the Blue Tigers have been competitive in several contests this season, dropping five games by nine points or less.
"We've been in a few games, we just haven't played the way we would have liked," Jones said. "We've had opportunities, we just haven't made the most of it. We just have to go out there, play better and hopefully come out with a victory (today)."
The Blue Tigers will try to put their best foot forward when they take on Missouri S&T, a team that has also struggled as of late.
The Miners, ranked last in the GLVC in scoring offense (20.3) and fifth in scoring defense (25.7), have lost their last four games and are coming off a 30-12 loss to Indianapolis. However, all three of their previous losses were by a touchdown or less.
"Defensively, they're a little farther ahead than their offense," Jones said. "Their defensive front is senior-laden and they're playing well. When you're playing well up front, you're going to play well all over the field."
The Miners have split time at the quarterback position this season. Lamar Wilkes has thrown for 906 yards with six touchdowns, while Kayson Key has added 819 yards through the air with five scores.
"I think they're tying to find their identity at that position," Jones said. "I think that's one of the things they're tying to do."
Charles Bournes leads Missouri S&T's stable of running backs with 320 yards. Scott Hendricks has added 310 yards and a score, while Chris Kennard has rushed for 145 yards.
On defense, the Miners have nine players that have multiple sacks on the year. Dale Davey leads the pack with 121/2 sacks and Dan Mauszycky has chipped in with five. Zach Melber has recorded 141/2 tackles for a loss with 41/2 sacks and Dawan Ferguson is the team leader with 62 tackles.
"Defensively, they fly around the football," Jones said. "They cause turnovers, they've had a couple big wins in the season because of their defense."