By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
Making its first journey around the MIAA has created a new football schedule for Nebraska-Omaha.
“Yes, no question. With a first-time game, there is always an anxiety level,” Mavericks head coach Pat Behrns said.
But while Missouri Southern and UNO meet for the first time tonight at Fred G. Hughes Stadium, the Mavericks certainly aren’t strangers to Lions head coach Bart Tatum.
“Since 1996, I’m not sure how many times (Northwest Missouri) has competed against Nebraska-Omaha,” said Tatum, a former Bearcats assistant. “Pat Behrns has been there the whole time. Pat’s not going to re-invent the wheel. We know what they do. It’s not an overwhelming concern about not being prepared. We’ll have a good idea of what they’re going to do. The challenge is slowing them down.”
And, Behrns sees some familiar traits with the Lions.
“I see a lot of similarity between this team and Northwest Missouri, especially on defense,” he said. “There are structurally some different things, but they are big, physical and have a lot of athleticism.”
No. 5-ranked UNO has won its first two games comfortably at home, 49-21 over Nebraska-Kearney and 41-20 over Emporia State.
“We’ve done some good things,” Behrns said. “It’s not like we win the game and we’re disappointed, but to move into the next level, going on the road in this league, we have to be more consistent. We have to defend the run better.”
Zach Miller, UNO’s 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior quarterback, leads the MIAA in total offense (279.0 yards per game) and pass efficiency rating (192.9). He’s completed 24 of 35 passes for 400 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, and he’s run for 158 yards and three scores.
“Last week against Emporia, he hit the sideline on a bootleg,” Tatum said. “People had the angle on him, and he just ran away from them. It will be a tremendous challenge for our defense to try to contain him and slow him down a little bit.”
Tailback Brian McNeill, 5-9, 180 senior, has 210 yards and four touchdowns.
“He reminds me a little bit of Xavier Omon,” Tatum said, “and he has a little bit of Germaine Race in him, too ... very powerful, breaks tackles, runs low to the ground. Like all good backs, he has that sixth sense when contact is coming, and it looks like his feet accelerate like pistons right at the point of impact.”
The Lions are looking to bounce back from last week’s 21-14, last-minute loss at Pittsburg State. The Lions held a 331-283 advantage in total yards, but mistakes in the form of fumbles, penalties and kickoffs out of bounds hurt the Lions.
Quarterback Adam Hinspeter hit 14 of 31 passes for 176 yards, leaving him 14 completions short of becoming the league’s career leader. Isaac Norman caught a 25-yard touchdown pass among his three receptions, giving him 101 for his career.
Running back Renard Johnson ran for 82 yards and a score.
Defensive leaders included cornerback Skyler Vandiver (11 tackles), safety Corderial Collier (nine tackles, one interception, one breakup) and linebackers Antwan Dyer (nine tackles) and Jared Brawner (eight tackles).
“I’m proud of the defensive line,” Tatum said. “A couple of those guys, Clarence Leverette and Cruz Johnson, it was their first extended action. David Benham played his best game as a Lion. He really played lights-out football. And Jairius Jarvis played a tough game, too.”
“I sometimes don’t look at won-loss record,” Behrns said. “I look at personnel, and I’m impressed. Tell me another team that has as many 300-pound players on defense and play as well as they play. And 245-250 pound inside linebackers who play well, we haven’t seen that either.”
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