The Lindenwood football team has released its schedule for the 2021 season. The Lions will look to win their second GLVC title in as many seasons in the league.
Lindenwood will open up the 2021 slate with a Thursday night matchup on September 2 against Angelo State in Harlen C. Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. Angelo State posted a record of 8-3 in 2019, which was its best season since 2014 when the Rams made the NCAA Division II Playoffs. In 2019, the Lions and Rams had one common opponent in Midwestern State. Lindenwood fell to the Mustangs 28-27 in week two, while Angelo State picked up a 28-6 victory. The Rams had a quality defensive unit in 2019, as they had the third-best scoring defense in the country by holding opponents to 14.8 points per game.
The Lions will hit the road the following week to take on NCAA Division I FCS South Dakota State on September 11 in Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits are coming off an 8-5 record and a playoff appearance in 2019. South Dakota State had a stout defensive squad as well, as the Jackrabbits ranked sixth in FCS with 16.7 points allowed per game, and compiled the sixth-most interceptions in the nation with 18.
Lindenwood will return home on September 18 to host Kentucky Wesleyan College. The Panthers completed the 2019 season with a record of 1-10, as their only win came in the final game of the season. Kentucky Wesleyan lost to GLVC schools Quincy and Southwest Baptist. The Hawks took down the Panthers 34-16 in the second week of the season, while the Bearcats defeated Kentucky Wesleyan 20-13 just one week later. Kentucky Wesleyan managed to produce 250.4 passing yards per game, and compiled a total of 22 turnovers on the defensive side of the ball in the 2019 season.
The Lions will return to the road on September 25 to start a two-game road trip which starts with the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. The Oilers went 7-4 in 2019, which featured a balances offensive attack. Findlay passed for 241.8 yards per game and rushed for 221.4 yards per game during the year. The Oilers averaged 37.7 points per game, which ranked 21st in the country. As the offense led the way, the defensive side of the ball tallied 25 turnovers as the Oilers ranked fifth in the country with a 1.36 turnover margin.
Lindenwood will kick off GLVC competition on October 2, when the Lions head to Kirksville, Mo. to take on Truman State. The Lions ousted No. 24 Truman State on homecoming in 2019, after a miraculous comeback in the final minutes of the game. The Lions scored with less than two minutes remaining in the game to bring the deficit within three points. After recovering a perfectly executed onside kick,
Cade Brister found
Erik Henneman in the back of the end zone to secure the 28-24 victory. The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 10-2, as their only two losses came to playoff teams in Lindenwood and UIndy.
In week six, Lindenwood will return to Hunter Stadium to host Quincy on October 9. The Lions edged the Hawks by just six points in 2019, with the help of 177 receiving yards and three scores by
Payton Rose. Lindenwood was strong in the run game as well, after 25 rushes by
Nash Sutherlin led to 135 yards on the ground. Sutherlin added 71 receiving yards and one touchdown catch to help the Lions to the road win. Quincy compiled a record of 5-6 on the year, as the 303.7 passing yards per game ranked eighth in NCAA Division II.
Lindenwood will head to Indianapolis, Ind. on October 16 to face GLVC powerhouse UIndy. The Lions handed UIndy its first GLVC loss since October 12, 2016, and just its fifth setback in GLVC play since the start of the 2012 season. Brister set a new school record for passing yards in a game with 541 yards. The Lions had three receivers register 100 yards or more in the passing game, helping Lindenwood to the 34-27 upset victory. The Greyhounds went 10-2 in 2019, as their only other setback was a first-round exit in the playoffs.
The Lions play host to Southwest Baptist on October 23 inside Hunter Stadium. Lindenwood handled the Bearcats 42-10 in Bolivar, Mo. in 2019, which capped off a perfect 7-0 conference record the 2019 GLVC Championship. Sutherlin powered his way to three scores on the ground, as he compiled 231 yards on 22 rushes.
Tayvian Weary led the defensive unit in the final game of the regular season, as he posted three sacks, four tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Southwest Baptist ended the 2019 season with a 3-8 record with just one GLVC victory.
Lindenwood heads to Liberty, Mo. on October 30 in a matchup with William Jewell. The Lions held a commanding 28-3 lead at halftime in 2019, but the Cardinals shutout the Lindenwood offense in the second half. Lindenwood was able to hold on for the 28-16 win in its first GLVC contest.
Erik Henneman registered two touchdowns on 106 yards receiving, while
Dalton Grohler barreled his was to 97 yards on the ground. William Jewell went 1-10 in 2019, as its only victory came in the first game of the year.
The Lions will head to Rolla, Mo. on November 6 for a rematch of the 2019 overtime thriller with Missouri S&T. The Miners had a chance to end the game with a field goal, but
Jordan Perry came through with one of the biggest plays of the season as he blocked the attempt to send the game to overtime. Lindenwood took first possession in overtime, and Brister found
Glen Gibbons for a 12-yard score as he reached across the goal line. The Lions held strong on their defensive possession, capping off a wild 37-31 overtime victory. Missouri S&T closed out the 2019 season with a 7-4 record, including a 4-3 GLVC slate.
The 2021 regular season will conclude in St. Charles, Mo. on November 13, as the Lions host McKendree. The two squads battled it out in a high-scoring affair in the NCAA Division II Football Showcase Game of the Week in 2019. Lindenwood had the upper hand in a 45-37 victory in Lebanon, Ill. Brister was a smooth 22-for-28, as he compiled 415 yards and four touchdown passes. McKendree won four of its final six games in 2019, and concluded the year with a 5-6 overall record.
