Less than a week removed from the severe spinal cord injury to freshman Sterling Thomas, the Lindenwood football team was on the road to face the defending NCAA Division II National Champions and No. 18 ranked Pittsburg State.

"We felt helpless, we wanted to do anything we could for Sterling, but we were limited," said head coach Patrick Ross, "What we could do, is play with every bit of emotion and passion we could in his name. It wasn't about winning or losing, it was about giving everything we had in his honor, because we knew how bad he wanted to be out there."

The Lions were positive about the progress Thomas had already made within that week.

"We knew that we couldn't lie down and give up since he wasn't. He motivated everyone leading up to that game," said senior running back Denodus O'Bryant.

"The Lions knew we were about to shock the world," said senior Malach Radigan, "We got together to pray before the game, did our rituals, and went out to war and won that game for our little brother, Sterling. We were determined to win that game for him. Nothing was stopping us."

Lindenwood showed how motivated they were on the first play of the game. O'Bryant caught a screen pass that was wide open for an 80-yard touchdown.

"Dillon Miller, our QB, had to elude a defender, but once he did, there was nobody within 30 yards of Denodus when he caught the ball. This play gave us a huge spark," said Ross.

"The first thing I thought when I caught the ball was 'I can't believe this play actually worked'," said O'Bryant. "The defense did everything we wanted them to do."

Radigan added, "It set the tone. After we saw Denodus break a few tackles and run for the end zone, we knew it was game time. It was different though because normally our stadium is roaring after a touchdown, but with thousands of people there (at Pitt State), it went silent."

Another one-play touchdown drive occurred in the second quarter and again it was O'Bryant, but this time for an 80-yard touchdown run. Pitt State answered on its next drive, but Justin Broome blocked the extra point to keep the game at 14-6.
The Lions added 10 more points in the quarter on a James Neal field goal and an Andrew Helmick touchdown reception. After a late Pitt State score seconds before the half expired, Lindenwood took a 24-12 lead into halftime.

Pittsburg State scored on its second possession of the second half to pull within 24-19. With the Lions backed up on their own 13-yard line with a third-and-long, O'Bryant caught another pass and broke several tackles on his way for an 87-yard touchdown and his third score of the game.

"Having three plays in this league of over 80 yards in a season would be a great accomplishment. Denodus did that in one game, on the biggest stage of the year," stated Ross.

The Lions then had their third one-play scoring drive when Nate Orlando found the end zone on a 29-yard run in the third quarter. Neal added his third and fourth field goals of the contest and the Lions held on to upset the No. 18 Pittsburg State Gorillas in Pittsburg, Kansas by a score of 44-33.

"It was obviously a signature win for our program," mentioned Ross. "The atmosphere (8,000 fans), the coaching, and the players at Pitt State are top notch, and so whenever you can win a game like this, it says a lot about your team."

O'Bryant finished the game with 314 offensive yards and three touchdowns. "His play in this game was one of the best college performances I have ever seen," said Ross of O'Bryant. "With a true freshman at quarterback starting his third game, Denodus knew he had to take this team on his back, and that he did."

"It took me back to the semifinal game in 2009 when we beat Carroll at Carroll," O'Bryant reminisced, "A game that we weren't suppose to win but this time it was Pitt State, they were the defending National Champions. We get to go into their house and show the MIAA that we 'LU' are no team to be taken lightly. We did just that and came away with a huge victory and statement."

Ross concluded, "I am extremely proud of our football program. We have great kids that truly care about each other and this University. This win over Pitt State was one of the biggest wins in program history."

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