Lindenwood vs. Washburn Storylines 
- The Lindenwood football team opens the 2015 season this Thursday evening at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. with a 7 p.m. game against Washburn.
 
- The Lions have won six straight season openers, including last year's opener against the Washburn program that it will face this week. Over those six games, Lindenwood has outscored its opponents by an average of 45.0-18.5. The program is 13-12 all-time in season openers, including 8-3 under head coach Patrick Ross.
 
- The Lions are 18-7 all-time in their home openers, including a 10-1 mark under Patrick Ross.
 
- Washburn leads the all-time series with Lindenwood by a 2-1 margin. All three games have been decided by single digits, including last year's 44-38 Lindenwood win in Topeka, Kan.
 
- The Ichabods outgained the Lions 451-319 in the 2014 game, but the Lions forced two more turnovers and received a 97-yard kickoff return from Lavorrie Johnson to help them win. Connor Harris led the defense with 10 tackles and two key interceptions. which started Lindenwood touchdown drives.
 
- Lindenwood is 3-2 all-time in Thursday night games, including a 2-2 mark at Hunter Stadium. Last season, the Lions had three Thursday games and they went 1-2 in those contests.
 
- Lions head coach Patrick Ross is starting his 12th season as the head coach of Lindenwood. Ross is the most successful coach in program history and enters the season with 101 career victories. Last season, he picked up win No. 100 against Washburn.
 
- Lindenwood is starting its 26th season of football, and it is in its fourth year as a NCAA Division II member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
 
- Lindenwood enters the year with an 84-55 all-time mark at Hunter Stadium, including a 47-16 record during the Patrick Ross era. The Lions had the toughest home schedule in program history last year, with the opponents having a combined record of 40-19. This year's home opponents had a combined mark of 18-37 in 2014.
 
Lions Offense
- Lindenwood returns three all-conference players on offense in running back Lavorrie Johnson, and wide receivers Greg Coble and Jaron Alexander.
 
- Wide receiver Jaron Alexander was a third-team all-MIAA selection last year after recording 55 receptions for 486 yards. He enters this season ranked seventh in program history with 116 career receptions, and needs 37 more to catch the school's all-time leader. Alexander is also currently tenth in career receiving yards with 1,344.
 
- Wide receiver Greg Coble had a strong second half of 2014, having 23 receptions for 423 yards over the final six weeks of the season.
 
- Lindenwood is expected to start two transfers at the quarterback and running back positions. Jesse Scroggins should get the start at quarterback after playing the last two years at Pac-12 member, Arizona. Calen Campbell will get carries at running back after playing at Ohio Valley's Jacksonville State the last two seasons.
 
- All five Lindenwood offensive linemen expected to start having seen starting action for the Lions. The five have combined for 45 games and 32 starts for Lindenwood.
 
Lions Defense
- Lindenwood returns seven starters on defense, including four all-conference players in defensive linemen Chaz Fulton and Skyler Suggs, linebacker Connor Harris, and defensive back Roderick Ryles.
 
- Lindenwood's defense enters 2015 as an experienced unit. The projected starters have combined to play in 193 games as Lions, including 114 starts.

- Connor Harris was a preseason first-team All-American selection by D2Football.com. Harris was one of three MIAA players to be named to preseason first-team list. The junior linebacker led the MIAA and was fourth in NCAA Division II last year with 13.8 tackles a game.
 
- The two new players in the defensive starting lineup are cornerbacks Ben Jackson and Bakari Triggs. Jackson was a redshirt last season for the Lions, and Triggs is a transfer from Butler Community College.

Lions Special Teams
- Brandon White returns as the team's placekicker after making four field goals and 11 PATs last season. Matt Klingler, a former NAIA All-American, will take over punting duties.
 
- All-MIAA returner Lavorrie Johnson and Tre' Roby should be the top returners in 2015. Both players average over 20 yards on kickoff returns in their careers.
 
Misc. Notes
- Lindenwood was picked tenth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, and 11th in the media poll. Washburn was tied for seventh in the coaches poll, and eighth in the media ranking.
 
- Lindenwood heads to Pittsburg State next for a Sept. 12 game against the No. 7 Gorillas.
 
About Washburn
- Washburn is coming off a 4-7 season in 2014, including a 1-4 mark on the road. The Ichabods were 4-0 when holding opponents to 30 points or less.
 
- The Ichabods will also be breaking in a transfer quarterback in Derek McGinnis, who comes from NCAA FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.