The Lincoln University football team started off strong against Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) rival Bowie State University in their final home game of the 2018 season at Lions Stadium.  The Lions jumped out to a two-touchdown lead before the Bulldogs chipped away at their lead and eventually pulled out a 35-14 win.
 
Lincoln's record now stands at 1-8 overall and 1-4 in CIAA games.   Bowie State is now 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league play.
 
Dominique Rogers (Danbury, Conn /Henry Abbott Tech (Monroe College)) scored the first Lions touchdown as Lincoln jumped out to their early lead.   Midway through the first quarter the junior linebacker picked off Bowie quarterback Amir Hall and ran it back 50 yards for the touchdown.  It was Rogers' first touchdown as a Lion and Lincoln's first interception return for a touchdown since the 2015 season.  Cole Klubek (Biloxi, Miss.) added the extra point for a 7-0 Lincoln lead.
 
Keenan Reid (Somerset, N.J /Franklin High) and Andre Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) came through on special teams late in the second quarter as the Bulldogs punted from their own end zone.  Reid blocked the Bulldog punt and Williams later recovered it in the end zone for the score.   Klubek again nailed the extra point and the Lions were now up 14-0.
 
Reid's blocked kick was his second of the game, becoming the first Lions player to record two blocked kicks in the same game.  It was also his third of the season, a new school record.
 
BSU's Hall came through with a 68-yard touchdown pass on the Bulldogs next possession starting a string of 15 straight points before the half  giving the Bowie State a 15-14 lead at halftime.
 
The Bulldogs scored twice late in the third quarter and once more early in the fourth quarter to round out their scoring.
 
Senior quarterback Vincent Espinoza (Madera, Calif /Madera (West Hills)) paced the Lions offense with 122 yards passing and 59 yards on the ground.   Espinoza completed 14 of 31 passes to eight different receivers.  Carlos Croslin (Baltimore, Md. /Frederick Douglass (Globe Tech) ) and Deontae Brockington (Randallstown, Md. /Baltimore City College HS) caught three passes apiece to lead Lincoln.
 
On the defensive side, Devon Cathcart (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) led all players with ten tackles while Rogers again turned in an all-around solid performance with eight tackles  (one for loss) a forced fumble, and two breakups.  Reid had the school-record two blocked kicks and three tackles while Tayonte McKenzie (Washington, D.C. /Bell ) had four tackles and two breakups.
 
Hall led Bowie State with 306 yards passing and four touchdown tosses. Gilbert Lunsford led BSU with seven catches for 73 yards.  Geordan Clark caught two touchdown passes while Lansana Sesay and Montez Clay had one apiece.   Maurice Williams paced the Bulldog ground game with 59 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Lincoln football team will close out their season on Saturday, November 3, 2018 when they play Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.  Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.