Preview: Virginia State University

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. - The Lincoln University football team looks to build on its Homecoming win when the Lions travel to Virginia State for Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association action. 

ON THE AIR
    All five home games can be viewed on the Lincoln University Sports Network. The audio will be provided in conjunction with a partnership HSRN. Preston Steward and Kyle Turner are the two announcers for the game. 
    
SERIES HISTORY
    Lincoln has lost all 12 meetings between the two teams. 

    THE LAST FIVE GAMES    
    2019 - Virginia State 33, Lincoln 5
    2018 - Virginia State 54, Lincoln 7
    2017 - Virginia State 73, Lincoln 21
    2016 - Virginia State 69, Lincoln 7
    2015 - Virginia State 35, Lincoln 0

THE LAST MEETING
    Lincoln's defense limited the Virginia State University football team to a season low 232 yards total offense on October 27, 2019.  However the Lions offense again struggled as the Trojans pulled out a 33-5 win at Lions Stadium.
    Justin Johnson (Etters, Pa./Red Land) led the Lions with 21 yards rushing.  Emmett Hunt (and Eban Jackson II combined for 150 yards passing.  The two quarterbacks were also sacked a total of 15 times over the course of the game.  Triplett led all receivers with five catches for 60 yards while Deontae Brockington (Randallstown, Md./Baltimore City College HS) had four catches for 36 yards.
    On the defensive end D'Rico Cook had ten tackles (seven solo) to lead all players.  He also added a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one tackle for an eight yard loss.  Solomon Bassett added seven tackles (five solo).

THE LAST GAME
    The Lincoln University football team snapped a 19-game losing streak with an exciting 17-14 Homecoming victory over Elizabeth City State this past Saturday. 
    The victory was historic as for the first time since bringing back football in 2011, two players rushed for at least 100 yards in the game. In his first start, junior Samuel Jordan (Shamong, N.J./Seneca) gained 113 yards on 27 carries, while freshman quarterback Andrew Banks (Atlanta, Ga. /Mays) added 100 yards on 17 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Banks finished 4-of-11 for 55 yards and two interceptions.
    Defensively, junior Devon Cathcart (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) led the way with eight tackles, five of which were solo, with a half tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Junior Andre Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) and Roosevelt Jordan (Shamong, N.J./Seneca) added five tackles and two pass breakups in the victory.

LINEBACKER OF THE WEEK
    Junior Devon Cathcart (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) became the first Lincoln University student-athlete to earn CIAA honors by being named Linebacker of the Week.

SMOOTH CRIMINALS
    After picking up on interception in each of the first six games this season, Lincoln's nine-game interception streak came to an end in the win over Elizabeth City State. 
    Seven different players - Eric Best (Burlington, N.J. /Burlington)Rontay Dunbar (Brooklyn, N.Y. /Freedom)Roosevelt Jordan (Shamong, N.J./Seneca)Devon Cathcart (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South)Jesse Jackson (Washington, D.C./Dunbar)Andre Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti), and Khaleb McRae (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) - all have an interception on the season. 
    The eight interceptions are fourth in the CIAA. The Lions are one of four CIAA teams with an interception returned for touchdown. 

TOTING THE ROCK
    Injuries have played a huge part in the constant shuffling of the the running back room this season as 10 different running backs have a carry for the Lions. 
    The top of the depth chart has two players that were defensive backs just two weeks ago. 
    Junior Samuel Jordan (Shamong, N.J./Seneca) made an immediate impact on the offense with his 112-yard performance in Saturday's victory over ECSU. He is now third on the team with 131 yards rushing, and leads the team with 43.67 yards per game. 
    Freshman Davon Allen (Washington, D.C./Anacostia) is now the back-up running back after starting the season as a defensive back. 

ROCKING THE CREDLE
    Junior receiver Michael Credle, Jr. (Bear, Del./Glasgow) leads the team with 22 receptions for 171 yards through seven games. 
    Junior Rashon Cooke (Sharon Hill, Pa./Lower Merion) has been the big-play receiver lately for the Lions. He has two of the longest receptions of the year, a 33-yard reception against Shaw and a 34-yard catch against ECSU. On the season, Cooke has eight catches for 130 yards. 

MILITARY ACADEMIES
    Lincoln's football roster has three new players that have spent time at Military Prep Schools. Quarterback Andrew Banks (Atlanta, Ga. /Mays) and defensive lineman Darius Sterling (South Chesterfield, Va./Thomas Dale) hail from Fork Union Military Academy, while offensive lineman Shawn Kemmerer (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) spent time at Valley Forge Military Academy.

SEEING DOUBLE
    Two sets of twins will line up for the Lions this season in defensive linemen Evan and Elliot Chavous, and defensive backs Roosevelt and Samuel Bryant. 

WELCOME TO COATESVILLE
    Due to construction delays, all of the Lincoln University football games will be moved to Coatesville Area High School. The final home game will be 1 p.m. October 30 against nationally-ranked Bowie State. 
    
SACKS TO GIVE BACK
    For every sack the Lions record this season, Food Lion Feeds will donate one-thousand meals to feed our neighbors in need right here in Oxford area.
    This far, Lincoln is responsible for 8,000 meals as Devon Cathcart (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) leads the team with four sacks and Derrick McCoy (Bridgeton, N.J. /Bridgeton) has two sacks.  Mike Johnson (Edgewood, Md./Edgewood) and Makhai Beasley (Washington, D.C. /McKinley Tech) also has a sack for the Lions.

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Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), educates and empowers students to lead their communities and change the world. Lincoln offers a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student body of approximately 2,200 men and women in more than 35 undergraduate and graduate programs.