"I would say the smallest jump is going to be between Missouri and Alabama," Pitts said. "I think they're probably the closest on a level playing field. I think the next closest is probably Lincoln and Missouri State, because you've got a pretty big jump when you go from Missouri State to a team from a Power Five conference.

"There are a lot of reasons why that is, but that's a good question."

The bald fellow thanks you.

Pitts continued.

"The biggest difference is just the number of talented athletes," he said. "At each level you continue to climb, you don't have just one or two, you've probably got five or six, the next level you probably have 10 to 12, the next level, you're talking about 22 guys.

"Another major difference you see is in the offensive and defensive line play. There are a lot of really talented linebackers and defensive backs and running backs and tight ends. But the number of really good linemen ... they're not everywhere, you have to go find them."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

PITTS' DEFENSE GOT OFF TO A GREAT START this season against Lane, before hitting a bit of a road bump against Missouri State.

Against Lane, the Blue Tigers gave up only 10 first downs --- and two of those were by penalty --- 92 yards rushing and 207 total yards. And they had two interceptions (senior linebacker Edwin Durassaint, senior safety Joseph Madrigal), which is two more than they had ALL OF LAST SEASON.

That, indeed, is a wow.

But when they finally got one, it was like winning the lottery.

"The funny thing about it," Pitts said, "is that we dropped one two series before that. We should have had a few of them last year, but we just didn't. Takeaways are something that will really help us out and after two games, we've got six of them."

This was a shut-down performance by the defense, and Lincoln needed every bit of it in the 10-7 win.

"Whether you're playing a really quality opponent or an opponent that you know you're better than, you still have to do your job," Pitts said. "That's what we did in that game because more often than not, we had a lot of guys in the right spots at the right time doing the right things.

"We executed the game plan and that's really exciting to see, we took a lot of pride in that. Hopefully, that will be something we can build on as the season goes on."

Offensively, Division II Lincoln wasn't much better than Lane --- 11 first downs and 222 total yards --- but it was just enough.

Against Division I Missouri State, the numbers for the defense --- as you would probably expect --- weren't nearly as good. The Bears rolled up 22 first downs, 330 yards passing and 507 total yards.

Durassaint was once again a defensive star, as he scooped up a fumble and darted his way 78 yards for a touchdown. That gave the Blue Tigers a 10-0 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter --- and the excitement level on the Lincoln sideline was off the charts.

"It was awesome," Pitts said. "To see these guys enjoy that moment and really see what they're capable of, is really cool.

"In all reality, we lost it in the second quarter (outscored 28-0 in Missouri State's 52-24 win), but we played them even in the other three quarters. I'm not saying you can take quarters away, but with what we're trying to build, we can really build off those three quarters."

On offense, the Blue Tigers had just 59 yards rushing and 264 total yards. But sophomore quarterback Henry Ogala had his best day as a Blue Tiger, going 16-of-21 for 205 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior linebacker Amani Nelson only had three tackles against the Bears, but he still leads the team with 12 (seven solo) for the season.

"That whole experience was good for us," Pitts said. "I'm not a moral victory fan and none of us are, we want to win football games. But when you sit back and look at it, I feel really good about our football team and the chances we have as the year progresses."

Saturday's 1 p.m. home opener at Reed Stadium is shaping up to be a serious defensive battle, as Wisconsin-Oshkosh (1-1) appears more offensively challenged than Lincoln. The Titans have given up just 16 points this season, but they've scored only 27 and are averaging a measly 167 yards of total offense a game.

"They're still trying to find themselves, offensively," Pitts said. "They had a four-year starter at quarterback who graduated last year, and they've already played three guys at quarterback the first two games.

:But it's a program that's used to winning, they just to find some consistency at quarterback."

Lincoln may be finding that consistency with the maturation of Ogala, whose saw limited action last season due to injuries. His health is one reason the Blue Tigers look better, overall, than they did after two games last season.

Pitts would know.

"When you compare this year's team after two games to last year, it's night and day," he said. "Our guys are starting to understand what it takes and we're improving every day. When you step back and look at the steps that we've taken, not only on the field but off the field, I'm really proud of the program and the school.

"We're trying to build the program the right way."

And whether it's Lincoln, Missouri State, Missouri or Alabama, that's all you can ask.

Loeffler's Link

Lincoln's Isaiah Gray (21) celebrates with teammates after his fumble recovery during the third quarter of the Sept. 1 game with Lane in Memphis, Tenn. The fumble was forced by Ben Shumate (far left), who's a freshman defensive lineman from South Callaway.

After 1-1 start on road, Pitts
assesses progress of Blue Tigers