In its first season as a full member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), The Lincoln University (MO) football program has snapped a 42-game losing streak on its homecoming, with a 40-14 win over a different Lincoln University (CA), as the Division II HBCU football squad gets its first win since 2019 in the fifth game under first-year head coach Moses Harper.
The last win for the Blue Tigers of Lincoln (MO) was on Oct. 19, 2019, when they defeated Northeastern State, 27-9, at home in Jefferson City, MO. Since then, Lincoln had dropped 42 straight games before beating Lincoln (CA) at homecoming.
Founded in 1866 by members of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries, Lincoln University is a public, 1890 land-grant HBCU in Jefferson City, Missouri. This is the 93rd season of HBCU football at Lincoln as the Blue Tigers first fielded a team in 1920 and played every year until 1943 when Lincoln took a year off due to World War II. LU then played each season from 1944-1989 before the football program was disbanded. The program was brought back in 2000 where they were a full member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for 26 years (overall).
The Blue Tigers were an associate member of the GLVC from 2014-18, and have played in five different conferences in their 92-year history. Lincoln played as an independent in 2023 and went 0-11 before becoming a full member of the GLVC to start the 2024 season.
Lincoln (MO) almost tasted victory in week 4 as it went into halftime with a 10-7 lead over Southwest Baptist, only to see the Bearcats score 10 points in the third quarter and hold on for a 17-13 win.
Week 5 was a different story for the Blue Tigers. The Lincoln (MO) football team scored on offense, defense, and special teams in its first win since 2019.
Jareese Howard broke free for an 18-yard touchdown run after the Lincoln (CA) Oaklanders shanked a punt midway through the first quarter. On their next drive, Lincoln’s (MO) Donte Moore intercepted a pass at the three-yard line and ran it back to the house for a 97-yard touchdown that put Lincoln (MO) on top 14-0.
The Blue Tigers took a 21-6 lead into the half and never looked back. The Blue Tiger defense totaled six tackles for loss and four sacks and the Blue Tigers rushed for 167 yards as a team to win for the first time since beating Northeastern State, which was also Lincoln’s (MO) homecoming game.