# 2016 Nebraska–Kearney Lopers football team

The 2016 Nebraska–Kearney Lopers football team represented the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. The Lopers played their home games on Foster Field in Ron & Carol Cope Stadium in Kearney, Nebraska, as they have done since 1939. 2016 was the 111th season in school history. The Lopers were led by second-year head coach, Josh Lamberson. Nebraska–Kearney has been a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association since 2012.

## Preseason

The Lopers entered the 2016 season after finishing with a 0–11 record overall and in conference play, under Lamberson. On August 2, 2016, at the MIAA Football Media Day, the Lopers were chosen to finish in 11th place in the Coaches Poll and 12th place in the Media Poll.

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Along with Lamberson, there were 13 assistants.
| Name | Position | Seasons at UNK | Alma Mater |
| Josh Lamberson | Head Coach/QB's | 2 | Northwest Missouri State (2005) |
| Ken Gordon | Assoc. Head Coach – Defensive Coord./Backs | 2 | Northwest Missouri State (1996) |
| Kevin Bleil | Assist. Head Coach – Co-Offensive Coord./Passing Game Coord./TE | 2 | Akron (2010) |
| Joe Holtzclaw | Assist. Head Coach – Co-Offensive Coord./Running Game Coord./Offensive Line | 2 | Northwest Missouri State (2007) |
| Matt Miller | Assist. Head Coach – Wide Receivers | 2 | Arizona State (2006) |
| Shayne Shade | Assist. Head Coach – Defensive Line | 2 | Northwest Missouri State (2011) |
| Jake Willrich | Assist. Head Coach – Line Backers/Special Teams | 2 | Truman (2003) |
| Michael Gruber | Assist. Head Coach – Specialists | 1 | Nebraska–Kearney (2014) |
| Mark Newmyer | Graduate Assistant | 2 | Doane (2008) |
| Aaron Terry | Graduate Assistant | 2 | Northwest Missouri State (2013) |
| Bronson Marsh | Graduate Assistant | 2 | Nebraska–Kearney (2016) |
| Creighton Reed | Student Assistant Coach | 2 | current student at UNK |
| Spencer Dorn | Student Assistant Coach | 1 | current student at UNK |
| Joe Kripp | Strength & Conditioning | 2 | Eastern Illinois (2013) |
| Reference: ||||

### Roster
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 7:00 pm | at Missouri Western | Spratt StadiumSt. Joseph, MO | L 21–44 | 6,017 |
| September 8 | 7:00 pm | Emporia State | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | L 7–34 | 4,663 |
| September 17 | 1:30 pm | at No. 1 Northwest Missouri State | Bearcat StadiumMaryville, MO | L 14–52 | 8,550 |
| September 24 | 2:00 pm | Washburn | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | L 44–47 $^{3OT}$ | 4,028 |
| October 1 | 2:00 pm | Missouri Southern | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | L 14–24 | 2,005 |
| October 8 | 1:00 pm | at Central Missouri | Audrey J. Walton StadiumWarrensburg, MO | L 16–36 | 6,637 |
| October 15 | 2:00 pm | Central Oklahoma | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | W 47–32 | 2,200 |
| October 22 | 2:00 pm | at Northeastern State | Doc Wadley StadiumTahlequah, OK | L 21–31 | 1,187 |
| October 29 | 2:00 pm | Lindenwood | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | L 14–35 | 2,005 |
| November 5 | 2:00 pm | at Pittsburg State | Carnie Smith StadiumPittsburg, KS | L 21–52 | 8,253 |
| November 12 | 2:00 pm | Fort Hays State | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumNebraska, NE | L 17–27 | 2,100 |
| Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||
Source:

### Game summaries
#### Missouri Western

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| • Missouri Western | 2 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 44 |

#### Emporia State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Emporia State | 3 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

#### Northwest Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • #1 Northwest Missouri State | 10 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 52 |

#### Washburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| • Washburn | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 47 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 44 |

#### Missouri Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Missouri Southern | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

#### Central Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| • Central Missouri | 7 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 36 |

#### Central Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Central Oklahoma | 3 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 32 |
| • Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 47 |

#### Northeastern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| • Northeastern State | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

#### Lindenwood

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Lindenwood | 0 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

#### Pittsburg State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| • Pittsburg State | 7 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 52 |

#### Fort Hays State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Fort Hays State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |