The Lindenwood football team (9-3) upset No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (11-1) in the first round of the playoffs by a final score of 41-38 on Saturday in Arkadelphia, Ark.
GAME OVERVIEW
The Lions opened the game with a 17-play drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal by
Brett Garner. Ouachita Baptist answered with a 72-yard touchdown run on its first play from scrimmage, taking a 7-3 lead.
Cade Brister responded on the ensuing drive, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run to regain the lead. The Tigers went back in top with another touchdown run, making it 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Ouachita Baptist took its largest lead of the game to start the second quarter, jumping out to a 21-10. The Lions began to hit their groove in the passing game, as Brister found
Erik Henneman in the corner of the end zone with 6:43 to go in the half. The Tigers were threatening late in the second quarter, but a big stop on fourth down by
Drew Seers and
Darrius Williams kept it a 21-17 Ouachita Baptist lead at halftime.
Lindenwood forced the Tigers to punt on their opening drive of the second half, and
Nash Sutherlin made it count with a four-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later. The back-and-forth game continued as the Tigers went back on top halfway through the third quarter with another rushing touchdown. Glenn Gibbons changed the lead again after making a great catch in the corner of the end zone near the end of the third quarter.
On a third down, the Tigers connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass to take a 35-31 lead with 12:25 to go in the game.
Spencer Redd made one of the biggest plays of the game on the ensuing kickoff. After being surrounded by multiple Tigers, Redd escaped the tacklers and took the ball 97-yards to the house to put the Lions up 38-35.
Ouachita Baptist marched down the field and had a first-and-goal at the six-yard line, but the Lions did not break. The Tigers were forced to kick a field goal with 6:02 in the game, leading to a 38-38 tie. Brister and the Lions put together a long drive that was kept alive with a key third-down snag by Henneman. Garner broke the tie with a clutch 30-yard field goal to make it a 41-38 lead with 1:24 remaining.
On the second play of the ensuing drive,
Jordan Perry made a great play on the ball to grab the game-winning interception, giving the Lions the 41-38 victory. The two teams were even across most statistical categories, but the Lions converted 10-of-13 third-down plays to keep the Tigers offense on the sideline. The Lions won their first NCAA Division II Playoff game in program history, and the first playoff victory since 2009 when the Lions were in the NAIA.
GAME LEADERS
Cade Brister (28-for-36, 273 yards, 2 TD, 94 rush yards, 1 rush TD)
Spencer Redd (4 KOR, 157 yards, 1 TD)
Tayvian Weary (8 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks)
UP NEXT
The Lions will hit the road for the second round off the playoffs next Saturday to take on No. 10 Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo. at 1:00 p.m.
