Turnovers were the story on Saturday in Warrensburg, Mo. when the Lindenwood football team faced off against Central Missouri. The two teams combined for 35 points off turnovers in the game which the Mules won by a 48-28 score.
 
Lindenwood set a season-high in rushing yards and total offensive yards, and scored its second-most point of 2014. The Lions couldn't take advantage as they turned the ball over seven times, including six interceptions. Central Missouri scored two interception return touchdowns, and scored another touchdown after starting on the Lindenwood 12-yard line.
 
Lindenwood's defense kept the game close for the first half. It held one of the top rushing teams to just 28 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes, and only allowed one long touchdown drive. The Lions still trailed 21-7 at halftime though after Central Missouri scored two touchdowns off interceptions.
 
In the second half, Central Missouri outscored Lindenwood 10-7 in the third quarter to go up 31-14. After a field goal, the Mules then went up 27 points with a 55-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter. Lindenwood scored twice late, but it wasn't enough for the Lions.
 
Lindenwood finished with 437 yards of offense, including 151 on the ground and 286 through the air. Central Missouri matched the Lions in passing yards, and it had 184 rushing yards.
 
Lavorrie Johnson had a big game for Lindenwood with 177 all-purpose yards. Included in that was 71 rushing yards, the most by a Lion this year, and a team-high 95 receiving yards. He scored a touchdown for the fourth straight week with a 16-yard touchdown reception.
 
Jared Rayford had two rushing touchdowns in the game on rushes of eight and two yards. Greg Coble had the other touchdown on a 13-yard passing play.
 
Jaron Alexander caught a team-high 11 passes and finished with 60 receiving yards. Dillon Miller came off the bench to complete 19 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Defensively, Roderick Ryles had a team-high 12 tackles, one more than Connor Harris. Skyler Suggs had two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, and Steven Pace had one sack and 2.0 tackles for loss. Jeremy Morris had one interception, Tyrrell Burriss had a forced fumble, and A.J. Chappelle recovered the fumble.
 
Game Notes: Lindenwood falls to 1-8 overall and in MIAA play … Central Missouri improves to 7-2 overall and in MIAA play … Central Missouri is now 4-0 all-time against Lindenwood, including 2-0 in Warrensburg, Mo. … Connor Harris had his seventh double-figure tackle game of the season, and Roderick Ryles had his fifth double-figure tackle contest … Lindenwood's defense held the Mules to 37.5 rushing yards below their season average, and Central Missouri averaged 1.6 yards less per rush than its season average … over the last two meetings with Central Missouri, Jaron Alexander has caught 27 passes for 209 yards … Jaron Alexander's 11 receptions tied for the fourth-most in school history for a single game … Lavorrie Johnson had his fourth game this season with over 100 all-purpose yards, and his 177 all-purpose yards was the second-most by a Lion this year … Lindenwood has its final home game of the season next week with a 1:30 p.m. contest against Central Oklahoma.