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WELCOME BACK: Lincoln begins its second season of football after the program disbanded following the 1960 campain. Last season, the Lions went 1-9 but have 11 starters returning on defense and 10 on offense.
SERIES HISTORY: Lincoln has dominated the all-time matchup holding a 7-1-1 edge. The schools last met in 1946, a 72-13 Lincoln win. Cheyney's last win was a 46-0 victory in 1941. They played to a 0-0 tie in 1935.
THE COACHES: Jeff Braxton begins his second season as head coach at Cheyney following three years at Delaware State, where he served as the offensive coordiator. In his first year, Cheyney went 0-11. O.J. Abanishe led Lincoln to a 1-9 mark last season. Abanishe was named head coach in 2007 although the there was no competitive team that year as he built the program.
THE BROADCAST: The game can be heard live on the Internet at www.brandywineradio.com with Jon Schaeffer calling all of the action beginning at 12:45 p.m. with the pre-game show.
ABOUT CHEYNEY: Cheyney opens 2009 after an 0-11 2008 and has currently lost 16 consecutive games dating back to 2007. Cheyney returns 8 offensive starters and all 11 on defense. The Wolves last won Sept. 29, 2007 against Lock Haven.
WHICH CAME FIRST?: The contest with Cheyney has been nicknamed the Battle of the Firsts, as Lincoln and Cheyney argue which was the first historically black college. Cheyney was founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youths while Lincoln was founded in 1854 as the Ashmun Institute but Lincoln was the first to award a college degree.
EXPLORING NEW TERRITORY: Of the 10 games last season, all but Bowie State (Md.) were from Virginia or North Carolina. This season, Lincoln plays Cheyney, located outside of Philadelphia, and the University of New Haven, from Connecticut.
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: When the Lincoln Board of Trustees approved the recommendation to reinstate football and add a marching band as part of the student-enhancement inaitive, the original plan was for Lincoln to play a club schedule in 2008 and a full varsity schedule in 2009. Instead, Lincoln played a Division II schedule with the exception of a contest against George Mason, a 34-7 victory.
EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT: Lincoln has been the subject of feature stories on ESPN.com, USA Today, the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Tribune, the Washington Informer and the Winston-Salem Chroncile. Also, a NFL Films crew followed Lincoln from October 2007 through last season.
FAMILIAR FACES: Last year, only eight members of Lincoln's football team had prior college experience, but the addition of several transfers and 21 returners, 10 on offense and 11 on defense results in a very experienced program.
COMING TO LINCOLN: Lincoln boasts a roster of 68 players including 23 freshman from six states (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida and Georgia. Including transfers there are 35 players on campus, several of which were teammates at previous institutions. Brandon Austin (Greenville, N.C./Farmville Central) (Greenville, N.C.) and Euguene Lancaster (Virginia Beach, Va.) were teammates at Louisburg College. Derian Calnick (Freeport, N.Y./Roosevelt) (Freeport, N.Y.) and John Mason (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were teammates at the Globe Institute of Technology.
THE ROARING 20s: Lincoln was one of the top HBCU's during the 1920s. Lincoln posted a winning record eight times from 1920 to 1929. The 1924 squad cemented its legacy as arguably one of the best ever squads to ever play college football by giving up 3 points for the entire season en route to 7-1-1 record. The only defeat that season was a forefit setback to Hampton. Meanwhile, Lincoln was an offensive juggernaut, compiling, 304 points and winning by average of 42.4 points. The Lions closest game that season was a 21-0 victory over Virginia Seminary. Overall, during the decade of the 20s, Lincoln posted a nice 44-26-9 mark.
DID YOU KNOW: Lincoln has played 55 career games against Howard and Hampton each, the most it has played against any school?
A LOOK BACK AT 1960: In its last season before restarting the program for 2008, Lincoln finished with an 0-7 record. The Lions were outscored, 227-37. They reached double digits once in a 34-13 loss to Howard. Lincoln was shut out twice (Saint Paul's 14-0 & Virginia Union (75-0). The Lions scored two points against Hampton in a 35-2 loss. That was Lincoln's first winless season since 1932 when it went 0-4-1.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Freshman kicker James Taylor (Nottingham, PA/Oxford Area) (Nottingham, Pa.) is the son of Lincoln women's soccer coach Francine Taylor. He graduated from Oxford Area High School and will also do track and field at Lincoln. He was a state qualifier in the hurdles. Because of his speed, coaches have also utilized him at running back.
COACHING CHANGES: Leroy Thompson joins the Lion staff. As a former standout at Delaware State and professional player, he has years of experience although this is his first year on the sideline. He will work with the defensive line. Thompson comes to Linocln by way of the NFLPA/NCAA Coaching Internship Program. Shelton Bynum, who was coaching the defensive line, now works with linebackers and safeties.
NEXT OPPONENT: Lincoln begins its home schedule next Saturday against the University of New Haven in Community Day. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive rally towels courtesy of Jennersville Hospital. It will be the first game for the Chargers since 2003. New Haven was picked ninth in the preseason poll for the Northeast-10 conference, which is last.
