Conference play began for the Lincoln University football team on Saturday as they took on Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.  The Blue Bears scored four touchdowns in the second and third quarters as they handed the Lions their fourth loss of the season 30-0.
 
Lincoln falls to 0-4 on the season on 0-1 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games.  Livingstone improves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
 
The Lions had their chances, driving into Blue Bear territory eight times over the course of the game before each drive stalled, including three trips into the red zone only to turn the ball over on downs (twice) and turn the ball over via an interception.
 
Highlights for the Lions in the first half included punter Cole Klubek's (Biloxi, Miss.) 62-yard punt. He becomes just the fourth Lincoln player in modern program history to boot a punt 60 or more yards.  He joins Brett Arkelian (2015), Kyle Jaski (Escondido, Calif./Kenwood HS) (2012 & 2013) and Cody Waddell (Elkton, Md./Northeast) (2016) as the only players with punts of 60 or more yards.
 
On the same play, the Blue Bear returner fumbled the ball and Lincoln's Vaughn Diggs (Fort Washington, Md. /Friendly) recovered the loose ball, giving the Lions great field position at the Blue Bear's 39 yard line.  This was the first of two fumble recoveries by Diggs in the game.  The Lions drove down to the 23 yard line before turning it over on downs.
 
The Blue Bears scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and added a field goal to take a 16-0 lead at the half.  Livingstone quarterback Miles Hayes threw a 209 yard touchdown to DeAndre Vickers and a 50-yarder to Everett Ransom. Antonie Akundu added a field goal with five seconds left in the half.
 
Keenan Reid (Somerset, N.J /Franklin High) got the Lions first interception of the season early in the third quarter ending a Blue Bear scoring threat but the Lions were unable to capitalize on the turnover, going three-and-out and setting up the Blue Bears for their next score , just two plays following the Klubek punt.
 
The Blue Bears added one more touchdown in the third quarter to take a 30-0 lead.  The Lions produced a sustained drive as the third quarter ended only to be stopped nine yards from the end zone as the fourth quarter began. 
 
Diggs recovered his second fumble of the game in the fourth quarter, giving the Lions excellent field position but the Lions again were unable to capitalize on the turnover.
 
Eban Jackson II (Los Angeles, Calif. /Narbonne) finished the game with 82 yards pass (6-27-1) to lead the Lions.  Lavelle Cloyd (Lexington, Ky./Bryan Station (Kentucky State)) rushed for 44 yards on 21 carries to lead the Lions ground game.  Richie Goslee (Suitland, Md./The Avalon School) and Reginald Mays Jr. (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin (Frostburg)) had two catches apiece.  The Lions had 176 yards of total offense.
 
Hayes led the Blue Bears with 208 yards passing (15-29-1) while Justin Ruffin had 92 yards rushing.  The Blue Bears finished with 452 yards of total offense (189 on the ground, 263 passing).
 
The Lions return home for the next game, hosting Johnson C. Smith University in a CIAA crossover contest.  Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.