Lincoln University Upcoming Football Division I Opponents

By: Lucas Wickiser

Lincoln University’s 2022 Football Schedule is unique. The Oaklanders will square off against a variety of teams from different divisions. From NAIA, to Division II, to games against Division I opponents under the bright lights with the country watching, the Oaklanders are taking on all comers. But let’s dive a little deeper into this season’s most notable contests against the big boys of college football, the Division I schools. First up for the Oaklanders? Texas A&M Commerce

Texas A&M Commerce Lions (September 1)

The Lions are coming off a 7-4 campaign in 2021, and are entering their fourth season under highly successful coach David Bailiff. The Lions won their games in a variety of ways. Whether it was blowing out opponents such as Texas A&M Kingsville or the University of Fort Lauderdale, or winning dogfights against CSU-Pueblo and West Texas A&M, the Lions proved they were capable of finishing the job. They were competitive in all but two of their games last season. The two games they lost badly? Angelo State (30-3), and the #1 ranked team in the nation, West Florida (35-17). This will definitely be a challenge for the Oaklanders. This game is an opportunity to show how far the program has come since its establishment.

University of Saint Thomas (September 24)

The Tommies are entering their 15th season under Glenn Caruso, and coming off a solid 7-3 season in 2021. This program should provide a good test for Lincoln, as the Tommies recently made the climb from Division III to the FCS level of Division I, and didn’t seem to miss a beat in terms of being competitive and winning most of their games. The Tommies also posted an undefeated 4-0 record at home in 2021. The Oaklanders will have to be at the top of their game, and channel their inner road warriors if they want to come away with a win in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Portland State (October 8)

The Oaklanders face a team a little closer to home when they travel to Portland to take on the Portland State Vikings, members of the FCS. The Vikings are looking to improve upon a 2021 campaign in which they went 5-6 on the season, They dropped the first two games to Power 5 schools Washington State and Hawaii. Then they had a midseason hot streak, where they won five out of seven games, with wins over Western Oregon, Southern Utah, Idaho State, Cal Poly and Weber State. The season ended on a bit of a sour note though, as the Vikings then dropped their final two games to Sacramento State and Eastern Washington in blowout fashion. Portland State is looking to regain some consistency after an up and down campaign.

Texas Southern (October 29)

The Tigers come off a bad 3-8 campaign from last season. They ended 2021 on a three-game skid, and only managed wins over North American University, Southern and Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The Tigers will try to take their frustrations out on the Oaklanders. Lincoln will have a chance to win that one though if the Tigers’ defense continues to struggle like it did last season, as they gave up an average of 36 points per game.