Storylines
- The Lions football team will hit the road for the first time in 2013 when it travels to Southwest Baptist on Saturday for a 6 p.m. game against the Bearcats. The matchup will feature head coach
Patrick Ross going against his longtime assistant coach Craig Schuler, who is in his first year in Bolivar.
- Lindenwood opened the 2013 season with a 24-22 MIAA victory over Lincoln last week. Southwest Baptist is 0-1 after falling to Truman in non-conference action last week by a 40-37 margin.
- The Lions had a comfortable 24-3 lead after three quarters against Lincoln, but the Blue Tigers scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the game exciting.
A.J. Chappelle had the play of the game by blocking the PAT after the second touchdown, and Lincoln was unable to convert a two-point coversion after its final touchdown.
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Dillon Miller set a new Lindenwood single-game record against Lincoln when he completed 34 passes. The team also set a single-game record with 36 completions.
- Lindenwood and Southwest Baptist have played just once before as the Lions defeated the Bearcats by a 35-14 score last year in St. Charles, Mo. The Lions led by just seven at halftime but outscored Southwest Baptist 14-0 in the second half.
- Over the last four years, the Lions are 17-4 in true road games, and in each of those seasons, they have won their first road game of the year.
- Through the first week of the season, Southwest Baptist and Lindenwood are first and second in the MIAA in passing offense. The Bearcats threw for 475 yards last week, while the Lions threw for 377.
- Over half of Southwest Baptist's coaching staff has ties to the Lindenwood football program. Head coach Craig Schuler was an assistant coach at the school from 2004-2012. Three coaches played at Lindenwood, including offensive coordinator Philip Staback and defense coordinator Marcus Klund, and two others coached at Lindenwood.
- Southwest Baptist went 1-5 on its home field last year, but its lone win came on the final week of the season when the Bearcats defeated Lincoln by a 43-12 margin.
Lions Offense
- Lindenwood ranks ninth in the MIAA in scoring offense (24.0) and eighth in total offense (469.0).
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Dillon Miller completed 65 percent of his passes last week to eight different players.
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Jordan Gater recorded 10 receptions, tying for the fifth-most in school history for a single game.
- Running back
Marvin Byrd surpassed 100 all-purpose yards, with 79 rushing yards and 30 receiving yards.
- Lindenwood's new-look offensive line allowed just one sack for minus one yard in the opener.
- Twenty-four of the team's 36 receptions, and 302 of the team's 377 receiving yards last week came from freshmen and sophomores.
Lions Defense?
- Lindenwood ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring defense (22.0) and seventh in total defense (408.0).
- The Lions are tied for first in the MIAA with four sacks, including two from
Thomas Stubbs.
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Connor Harris set a career-high with 17 tackles last week. He now has double-figure tackles in five consecutive games, and seven out of his last eight contests.
- Through three quarters last week, the Lions allowed just 207 yards of offense and gave up just three points on 10 drives.
- The Lions recorded eight tackles for loss, including 2.0 from
Thomas Stubbs,
DeShawn Lawson, and
Justin Taylor.
- Cornerback
Pierre Desir collected seven tackles and two pass breakups against Lincoln.
Lions Special Teams?
- Lindenwood's
Brandon White was the starting placekicker last week. He was three-for-three on PATs and one-for-two on field goal attempts.
- Punter
Edward Burns had the longest punt of his career with a 65-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Lions Schedule
- Lindenwood stays on the road after this week for a Sept. 21 contest at Central Missouri.
About Southwest Baptist?
- Southwest Baptist collected 549 yards of total offense last week and allowed just 369 yards.
- Quarterback Willie Tindal threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 29 yards and another score.
- Drew Lauderdale caught 13 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Evan Ray and Chad Nolan also had over 85 receiving yards.
- Shaquille Shedd led the defense with 11 tackles, and Evan Ray had the team's only turnover with an interception.
MIAA Notes?
- Three MIAA teams, Northwest Missouri (3), Missouri Western (6), and Pittsburg State (16) are ranked in the latest AFCA poll. Washburn, Emporia State, and Missouri Southern are also receiving votes in the ranking.
- The MIAA Players of the Week were: Pittsburg State's Anthony Abenoja (offense), Northwest Missouri's Brandon Dixon (defense), and Washburn's Justin Linn (special teams).
