The Lincoln University football team struggled on both sides of the ball as they were routed by St. Augustine's University 81-9 Saturday evening at Lions Stadium.
 
The game was the Central intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opener for both teams as well as the Lions home opener.  Lincoln falls to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in league play with the loss.  The Falcons earn their first win of the season and improve to 1-3 and are 1-0 in CIAA contests.
 
St. Augustine's 81 points is the highest total scored in a game by a Division II football program this season and the most allowed by a Lions team since Wofford College put up 82 against Lincoln in week two of the 2012 season.
 
While the Lions offense put up 320 total yards on the night, nearly half of those yards came on just two plays, a  63-yard pass play by Vincent Espinoza (Madera, Calif./Madera (West Hills)) to Carlos Croslin (Baltimore, Md./Frederick Douglass (Globe Tech) ) in the first quarter and an 84-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Trey McCollum (Burlington, N.C./Western Alamance) late in the second quarter.    
 
McCollum's touchdown was the lone offensive score of the game for the Lions, coming with just 1:14 left in the second quarter and making the score 40-9.  Lincoln's only other points came on a strange play that resulted in a team safety.  With the Lions driving, Espinoza threw his second interception of the game, a pass picked off by SAU's Delano Davis in the end zone for a touchback and the Falcons were called for an illegal block resulting in the safety.
 
Lincoln's offensive line had its struggles protecting Espinoza and McCollum throughout the game as the Falcons recorded ten sacks (another NCAA D-II single game high for the season). Espinoza finished the game with 132 yards passing on nine completions.  McCollum had 68 yards in the air on six completions.
 
McCollum also finished the game with 41 net yards rushing to lead the team.  Andre Price (Rialto, Calif./Jurupa Hills (Chabot)) led the team with seven catches for 75 total yards.
 
The Lions' defense gave up 602 yard of total offense to the Falcons, including 331 yards in the air.  Darryl Johnson tossed six touchdown passes to equal the top mark in NCAA D-II games this season and had 297 yards throwing the football.  Jeremiah Miller ran for 144 yards and added two touchdowns on the ground.

Lincoln returns to action next Saturday when travel to face Winston-Salem State University, winner of the last two CIAA Championship games.  Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.