Storylines
- The Lindenwood football team hits the road for the third time in four weeks. The Lions will travel to Hays, Kan. for a 2 p.m. game against Fort Hays State.
 
- Lions linebacker Connor Harris needs just two tackles on Saturday to become the NCAA All-Division leader in career tackles. He currently has 549 career tackles, one shy of Illinois State's Boomer Grigsby's record of 550.
 
- Lindenwood is looking to snap a three-game losing streak when it faces Fort Hays State, which has pushed the team's season record to 1-3. Last week, the Lions trailed Pittsburg State by just eight points late in the third quarter. The Gorillas scored 23 unanswered points though in the final 18 minutes for a 50-19 victory.
 
- Fort Hays State is off to a 3-1 start this season, with its only loss coming against nationally-ranked Central Missouri. Last week, the Tigers defeated Northeastern State by a 34-7 margin. Fort Hays State limited the RiverHawks to just 207 yards of total offense, and it forced three turnovers.
 
- Fort Hays State leads the all-time series by a 3-1 margin. The Tigers have won each of the last three games, including a 30-7 victory last year in St. Charles, Mo. Fort Hays led 30-0 after three quarters in that game, before the Lions were able to break through with a score in the final quarter.
 
- Lindenwood is 1-1 all-time in games played in Hays, Kan. The Lions won the first game there by a 20-17 score, when current San Diego Charger Pierre Desir intercepted a pass in the endzone with 1:17 remaining in the game. The Tigers have won six straight games on their home field, including both games this season by double-figure points.
 
- Lindenwood's offense will have to find a way to generate points. The Lions have scored just seven points in each of the last two games against the Tigers, and Fort Hays State is currently 21st in NCAA Division II by allowing just 17.8 points a game. Defensively, Lindenwood will look to get the Tigers off the field quickly as they are last in the MIAA with a 28.3 third-down conversion percentage.
 
Lions Offense
- Lindenwood ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring offense (32.0), and it is sixth in the MIAA in total offense (402.5).
 
- DeSean Warren had 172 receiving yards last game, tying for the highest mark for a Lion since the start of the 2013 season. He had an 85-yard reception against Pittsburg State, tying for the third-longest pass play in program history.
 
- Warren is averaging 31.4 yards per catch, the second-best mark in NCAA Division II. Eight of his 12 catches have been first downs. He has seven catches over 35 yards.
 
- Kendell Sparks and Deantrell Prince are each in the top-20 nationally in receptions per game. Sparks is fifth with 8.3 catches a contest, and Prince is 17th with 7.3 receptions a game.
 
- Calen Campbell is third in the MIAA with 80.8 rushing yards a game. He and Shakeem Wharton have combined for 503 yards this season, and both are averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry.
 
- Mason Bendigo has contributed to 10 of Lindenwood's 18 touchdowns this season. He has thrown eight touchdown passes, which ties for third in the MIAA, and has also rushed for two scores.
 
Lions Defense
- Lindenwood's defense ranks ninth in the MIAA in scoring defense (36.3), and is 12th in total defense (484.3).
 
- Connor Harris extended his streak of double-figure tackle game to 20 against Pittsburg State. In his career, Harris has averaged 12.7 tackles a game in three contests versus Fort Hays State, and 28 of those 38 tackles have been solo stops. Harris is currently third nationally in tackles.
- Roderick Ryles and Wesley Thomas also recorded double-figure tackles against Pittsburg State. Ryles had double-figure tackles for the ninth time in his career, and Thomas had 10 or more tackles for the fourth time as a Lion.
 
- Bakari Triggs and Wesley Thomas each have three forced turnovers this season for Lindenwood. Triggs has three interceptions, and Thomas has two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Ben Jackson leads the team with two fumble recoveries.
 
- Jonathan Harris is tied for the team-high with 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. He has recorded at least 1.0 tackles for loss in seven out of his last 10 contests.
 
Lions Special Teams
- Connor Harris handled most of Lindenwood's punting duties last game. He averaged 43.0 yards on eight punts, including a long of 55. The Lions have two punters averaging over 40 yards per punt, as Allen Thigpen is averaging 41.5 on the season, and Harris is averaging 40.1.
 
- Kendell Sparks is second in the MIAA by averaging 26.2 yards of kickoff returns.
 
Team Notes
- Turnovers have been the key stat this season. The Lions had a +4 turnover margin in their victory, but they are -8 in their three losses.
 
- Lindenwood is outscoring opponents by an average of 19.8-12.5 in the final 30 minutes of games this year. The Lions are being outscored by a margin of 23.8-12.3 in the first 30 minutes of their contests.
 
- Lindenwood returns home on Oct. 8 for a 1:30 p.m. game against Missouri Western. The Griffons are currently 2-2 on the year.