College gameday: Lincoln University vs. Quincy University

QUINCY — The Quincy University football team finally will open its season — officially — after last week’s trip to Drake was washed out by weather. The Hawks and Bulldogs played one half and endured a two-hour delay before calling it a no-contest and wiping away all the stats.

So Saturday’s home opener has become the season opener by default, and coming to QU Stadium will be Lincoln, a new full-time member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the team QU beat for its first victory in the refurbished stadium in 2015.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: QU Stadium

TV/Livestream: GLVC Sports Network

Radio: WGEM 105.1 FM

Previous meeting: Oct. 6, 2018 — Quincy 14, Lincoln 13. Theo Hopkins’ 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter capped a seven-play, 74-yard drive that gave the Hawks the lead for good. The Blue Tigers missed a 50-yard field goal for the lead with 2:58 to play in regulation, and the Hawks ran out the clock on their final possession.

Scouting the Blue Tigers: Entering their first year as a full-fledged member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Blue Tigers have undergone a complete overhaul. Moses Harper was hired as the head coach in January after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western. He inherited a program that has lost 38 consecutive games and has gone 1-44 over the last five seasons combined. Lincoln finished with only three rushing touchdowns last season and none of the top statistical leaders have returned.

Scouting the Hawks: Quincy limited Drake to three points for the first 29 minutes of the half and picked up where it left off defensively a year ago. The offense struggled to find rhythm, and a pair of turnovers didn’t help with consistency. However, the coaching staff walked away encouraged with quarterback Drake Davis making the right decisions and right reads and expects the offense won’t see a defense as good as Drake’s the remainder of the season. Look for the Hawks to establish the running game with heavy doses of Teon Dollard. If Quincy can churn out more than 250 yards on the ground, first-year coach Jason Killday will get his first career victory.