Box score

The No. 3 Lindenwood football team buried Central Methodist on Saturday evening with big play after big play. The Lions set a school record for total offense and won their 13th straight home game by a 66-23 score over the Eagles.

The first big play came on the opening kickoff when Denodus O'Bryant took the short kick and returned it 73 yards to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. O'Bryant wasn't finished there, scoring on touchdown runs of 59 and 58 yards, and just missing another touchdown on a 40-yard pass reception.

Lindenwood finished the game with a school record 640 yards of total offense, breaking the mark of 636 set last year against Evangel. The Lions had eight plays from scrimmage that went for 40 or more yards. Three of those plays were runs as Lindenwood rushed for 287 yards. The other 353 yards came through the air, including three first-down passes for 40 or more yards.

Despite the big offensive numbers, the game was close for the first part of the game. After O'Bryant's kickoff return, Central Methodist tied the game on a 14-yard interception return midway through the first quarter.

Lindenwood's offense finally started clicking late in the first quarter as it scored touchdowns on their final four possessions of the first half. The Lions continued to roll with three touchdowns and a field goal in the first four possessions in the third quarter. A final Lindenwood touchdown midway through the fourth was the final points of the contest.

Quarterback Philip Staback looked sharp in his second game behind center as he was involved in five touchdowns. He completed 11-of-17 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 42 yards and two more scores.

O'Bryant finished with 119 rushing yards on just four carries and had 232 all-purpose yards. LeMarien Parson had 69 rushing yards and Zach Booker had the fifth rushing touchdown. Matt Angell went over the 100 yard receiving mark on just two receptions and had one score. Rudy Fleming caught three balls for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Marcel Thompson had 62 receiving yards and one trip to the endzone.

Defensively, Lindenwood held Central Methodist to just 124 total yards of offense in the first-half, and the Eagles had just 91 yards rushing for the game. Parks Peterson led the team with 12 tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss. #T.J. Prell also had a sack and Brandon Gould and Jovan Alexander# picked off passes.

Game Notes: Lindenwood defeated Central Methodist for the sixth straight time … the 66 points were the third-most in school history … O'Bryant is averaging 22.3 rushing yards per carry on the season … Lindenwood has now compiled over 600 yards of total offense three times in its history … the Lions will face Missouri Valley next week in Marshall, Mo. in the team's first game in 2009 against a ranked opponent.