Complete game notes in .pdf format
Storyline
Lindenwood looks to stay on top of the HAAC standings and near the top of the NAIA ranking with a victory this week at Culver-Stockton. The matchup will be two teams having opposite type of seasons, with the Lions undefeated at 6-0 and the Wildcats still looking for their first victory.
The Lions won their sixth game last week with a 52-30 victory over Baker. The offense was nearly unstoppable, scoring on eight of 10 possessions. For the season, Lindenwood's offense is now second in the NAIA with 56.7 points and third with 528.8 total yards of offense a game.
Defensively, Lindenwood allowed more points and yards than it would have liked against Baker. However, it made Baker work for the yards, as the Wildcats averaged just 4.2 yards per play.
Perhaps the top unit for the Lions is special teams. Both kickers are among the best in the HAAC and the kickoff return team continues to give the other team fits with their third return touchdown of 2009 against Baker.
Culver-Stockton is 0-5 on the year and has not won a game since October of 2007. The Wildcats have struggled offensively but have stayed close in a few games thanks to having one of the top turnover margins in the NAIA.
A Lindenwood Win Would...
⇒ improve the program to 103-110 all-time.
⇒ improve the Lions to 51-16 under head coach Patrick Ross.
⇒ increase Lindenwood's conference winning streak to 16 games.
⇒ be the fourth straight victory in the series against Culver-Stockton.
A Lindenwood Loss Would...
⇒ drop the program to 102-111 all-time.
⇒ drop the Lions to 50-17 under head coach Patrick Ross.
⇒ snap Culver-Stockton's 19-game losing streak.
⇒ snap Lindenwood's 15 game conference winning streak.
National Player of Week
Denodus O'Bryant was named the NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday. Last week, he averaged 62.0 yards on two kickoff returns, including a 94-yard touchdown. On the season, O'Bryant has only had five balls kicked to him. He has returned two for touchdowns and is averaging 46.0 yards.
As a team, Lindenwood leads the NAIA in kickoff return yards with 28.5 yards per return, over two yards more than the next closest team.
Lion Kickers
Halley Ferrell continues to lead NAIA kickers with 66 points. He has made all of his 44 PAT attempts and is six-of-seven in field goal tries.
Nick Somes is second in the HAAC with a 39.1 punt average. Five of his 15 kicks have been inside the 20 and one has been over 50 yards.
Ground Game
Lindenwood leads the nation with 7.6 rushing yards a carry and the team is averaging 216.3 rushing yards a game.
Denodus O'Bryant leads the running backs with 86.4 yards a game and he has five rushing touchdowns. Richard Murrell, who was one yard shy of 100 last week, is averaging 45.0 yards and also has five touchdowns.
Making No Mistakes
Philip Staback has not thrown an interception over his last 66 passes. In that span, he has thrown nine touchdowns and completed 74.2 percent of his passes.
Wide Receiving Corps
Lindenwood does not have a wide receiver at the top of the HAAC statistics, but as a group the Lions have one of the best wide receiving squads in the NAIA.
Marcel Thompson and Rudy Fleming lead the wide receivers with both having four touchdowns and over 20 receptions and 450 receiving yards. Matt Bramow and Matt Angell have each caught three touchdowns and those two along with Roren Thomas have over 10 receptions.
Forcing Turnovers
For the first time in 2009, Lindenwood did not force a turnover in the Baker contest. This week, the Lions will face an offense which leads the NAIA by turning the ball over just three times this season.
Rush Defense
Lindenwood's rush defense is one of the top in the HAAC. The Lions are averaging just 2.8 yards per carry and have only allowed three rushing touchdowns.
Misc. Notes
Lindenwood ranks third in the NAIA in pass efficiency and sixth in passing yards per game ... Denodus O'Bryant is third in the NAIA in scoring per game ... the Lions are a perfect 25-of-25 in the red zone and has scored touchdowns on 80% of those chances.
Up Next
Lindenwood has its bye week next Saturday. The Lions return to the field on Oct. 31 against Benedictine.
About The Wildcats
Culver-Stockton is looking to snap a 19-game losing streak this week. Five of those losses have come in HAAC play this year, although two have been by 10 points or less.
The Wildcats biggest problem has been offensively, where it is averaging just 11.4 points a game and has been shutout in the first half in four of their five games. The team is averaging just 185.4 yards a game.
Allen Adrian is the top rusher with 47.6 yards a game. Its passing game, led by Jake Harnacke, is averaging just 107.6 yards, but the Wildcats have not thrown an interception in 2009. Six different receivers are averaging over one catch a contest.
Defensively, Brent Holtrop is among the HAAC's defensive leaders with nearly 10 tackles a game. Juan Martin is second in tackles and leads the team in passes defended with five.
Last Week
Culver-Stockton had its bye last weekend. Prior to that, the Wildcats lost 45-0 to Baker in a game that was closer than the final score indicated.
Culver-Stockton held Baker to just 17 points through three quarters, but its offense couldn't get anything going, compiling just 72 yards of total offense in the game. Baker finally broke the game open with four fourth quarter touchdowns.
Brent Holtrop led the Culver-Stockton defense with 11 tackles and Kyle Haeberlin had 10 tackles, two for losses.
Head Coach Christian Guenther
Christian Guenther is in his fifth season as head coach at Culver-Stockton. He has a 7-41 record at the school. Guenther was previously an assistant at Culver-Stockton, Elmhurst and Minnesota State.
