The Lincoln Blue Tigers have seen almost everything the MIAA has to offer this season.
Lincoln has faced teams the favor the run, and it has faced many a team that wants to throw the football. But today's opponent hasn't leaned one way or the other.
"This team is probably going to be the most balanced team we've seen," Lincoln head coach Malik Hoskins said of the Missouri Western Griffons, the Blue Tigers' opponent for Senior Day. Kickoff for the season finale is at 11 a.m. today at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
Based on total yards of offense, Northwest Missouri is the most balanced team in yardage, with 2,259 yards passing and 1,993 yards rushing. But the Bearcats' Week 2 matchup against the Blue Tigers was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Missouri Western is the only other MIAA team with less than a 500-yard gap between rushing and passing yards. The Griffons have gained 1,872 yards on the ground and 2,350 yards through the air.
Anthony Vespo began the season as the Griffons' quarterback, throwing for 1,442 yards and eight touchdowns. However, following a stretch where Missouri Western lost four times in a five-game span, Reagan Jones took over at quarterback and has led the team to back-to-back wins, including a 59-28 rout last Saturday against Central Missouri.
"Either one of those guys, Reagan or Anthony, when they get in, they're going to be really good," Hoskins said.
The past two games, Jones has thrown for 525 yards and rushed for 214 yards for the Griffons.
"I expect to see Reagan, because of some of the issues we've had with defending quarterbacks who are mobile," Hoskins said.
The Blue Tigers also had a recent change at the quarterback position, but theirs was due to injury. Zamar Brake had started each of Lincoln's first eight games, but he was inactive last Saturday.
Desmond Hunter came off the bench to throw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in his first start since Lincoln's abbreviated 2020-21 season in the spring.
"He did a really good job of managing the football game," Hoskins said.
While Jones has shown he is capable of being a dual-threat quarterback, Brandon Hall and Shen Butler-Lawson Jr. will get a bulk of the carries.
Hall, a freshman, has 85 carries for 553 yards and five touchdowns. Butler-Lawson, also a freshman, has 91 carries for 339 yards and nine touchdowns. Travon Harris, a senior who is listed as the starting running back, has 178 yards rushing.
"He's a shifty guy," Hoskins said of Hall, who had 124 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Central Missouri. "He's hard to bring down, he has a knack of making that first guy miss. If you don't gang-tackle him, he's going to be a problem."
Missouri Western's top receiving targets are Cooper Burton and Traveon James. Burton, a sophomore, has 40 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns, while James, a freshman, has 39 catches for 611 yards and four scores.
"They do a good job of playing to the system," Hoskins said. "Instead of having one particular guy they're looking for all the time, they're going to go through their concepts, and whoever is open, that's who they're going to get the football to."
Defensively, Hoskins said Missouri Western is a true 4-3 front that will play with two high safeties.
Defensive end Dakari Streeter recorded four tackles for loss and three sacks last week for the Griffons.
"We're banged up (on the offensive line), so we have to do a good job with Dakari," Hoskins said. "We have to try and put our offensive linemen and coaches in a position where we're going to be successful, but they're really talented up front."
Linebacker Evan Chohon leads Missouri Western with 98 tackles. He also has 7.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
"He's huge," Hoskins said. "He does a really good job of going from sideline to sideline. A lot of times when you go to certain sets in your offense, he's the one backing us into a box."
Safety Kobe Cummings has 72 tackles and five tackles for loss, but he also leads the Griffons' pass defense with six interceptions and five pass breakups.
"I wonder if he played receiver before, because if the ball is in the air, he does a really good job of attacking the ball," Hoskins said.
Other standouts for the Missouri Western defense are linebacker Terrance March, who has 33 tackles, four tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions, and lineman Garrett Watson, who has 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Missouri Western enters today's game averaging 33.3 points and allowing 31.8. The Griffons have bounced back from their tough stretch, winning three of their last four games and averaging 53.7 points in those three wins.
"They're clicking right now," Hoskins said. "They've found their groove, they've found what works for them, and they're riding it right now."
Prior to today's kickoff, Lincoln will recognize its eight seniors: Hunter, safety Elliott Albert, linebacker TeAndre Skinner, H-back Kalon Grover, defensive backs Piere' Jones and Steven Henderson, guard Jordan McCoy and center Cyril Spells.
"It's going to be bittersweet," said Hoskins, who has been on Lincoln's coaching staff since 2017. "I"m going to miss them, especially the ones that have been a positive influence for this program."
Hoskins also noted Spells has played every offensive snap at Lincoln since 2017.
"He's the kind of person I would like to build this program around, guys like him," Hoskins said. "He's always been undersized, he's always been overwhelmed. But every time you turn on the film, Cyril always has a passing grade against the other guys in this league.
Notes: Missouri Western holds a 4-0 lead in the all-time series against Lincoln. In 2019, the Griffons won 71-8. Hosea Franklin returned to full strength in the backfield last week for the Blue Tigers. He had 20 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, giving him 690 yards rushing and seven touchdowns this season. On the injury front, Hoskins said Spells, Franklin and tight end Samuel Ingoli are "a little banged up." Right tackle Xavier Stewart missed last week's game and will be a game-time decision, and Brake's status at quarterback will also be a game-time decision.