The Lindenwood Lions will go for their first win of the season on Saturday against Charleston Southern. (Photo: Ellie Parker)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 3 – Lindenwood Lions (0-2) at Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0-2)
Date/Time – September 13, 2025 – 3 pm
Location – Buccaneer Field — Charleston, SC
Watch – ESPN+
Listen — 89.1 The Wood
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
CHARLESTON, SC — The Lindenwood University football team will open up Ohio Valley Conference-Big South Football Association play on Saturday in a road matchup against Charleston Southern. The Lions and Buccaneers will kick off from Buccaneer Field at 3 p.m.
The Lions are coming off a hard fought 20-13 loss on the road at Appalachian State last week. Lindenwood allowed just six points in the second half and had a change to win it late after recovering an onside kick but came up short.
Leading the charge defensively was Sanjay Strickland who posted a career-high 13 tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble. As a result, he was named the OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Week.
The last time Lindenwood forced three or more takeaways in a game was against Charleston Southern last season, when the Lions tallied four, coming on a pair of interceptions by Jayden Patrick and Jaylan Wesley and a pair of fumble recoveries by Jacob Waller and Tajay Passmore in a 29-14 win.
Rico Bond had a breakout game against App State, hauling in seven catches for 102 yards and one touchdown.
It was the first collegiate touchdown and 100-yard receiving game for the St. Louis native, who averaged 14.3 yards per reception on last Saturday.
For his efforts, he was tabbed the freshman of the week by the OVC-Big South. Nate Glantz was responsible for the other offensive touchdown, using his legs from one yard out to find the end zone.
Lindenwood safety Sanjay Strickland was named the OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Week, this week. (Photo: Ellie Parker)
Lindenwood and Charleston Southern will meet for the third time in program history on Saturday with each team trading home wins in 2023 and 2024. The Lions did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game last season. The Buccaneers had just 197 yards of total offense in the contest.
NUMBERS TO KNOW:
100: Rico Bond eclipsed the 100-yard mark last week against App State for the first time in his career. As a result, he was named the OVC-Big South Freshman of the week. The Lions have had a receiver go over 100 yards in back-to-back games to begin the season as Drew Krobath did it against St. Thomas.
3: The Lions’ defense forced three takeaways against App State, which resulted in six points. The last time that Lindenwood had three or more takeaways in a game was against Charleston Southern in 2024 when the Lions had four in a 29-14 win at Hunter Stadium.
8: In the last meeting between the two teams, Lindenwood held the Buccaneers to just eight first downs and 197 yards of total offense. Charleston Southern did not score an offensive touchdown in the game.
7: Lindenwood has committed just seven penalties through the first two games of the year, making the Lions the least penalized team in the OVC-Big South. The Lions average just 35.5 penalty yards per game, the lowest mark in the Association.
Up Next: Lindenwood will host its home opener, next Saturday, September 20, in a matchup against Stony Brook. Kickoff at Hunter Stadium is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
2025 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 28, 2025 (Thursday) | 6 pm | Away | St. Thomas | St. Paul, Minn. |  | L 35-13 (0-1) |
| September 6, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Away | Appalachian State | Boone, N.C. |  | L 20-13 (0-2) |
| September 13, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | Charleston Southern | Charleston, S.C. | | |
| September 20, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Home | Stony Brook | Hunter Stadium | | |
| September 27, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Away | Miami (OH) | Oxford, Ohio | | |
| October 4, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Home | Tennessee-Martin | Hunter Stadium | | |
| October 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Home | Tennessee Tech | Hunter Stadium | | |
| October 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Gardner-Webb | Hunter Stadium | | |
| November 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 3:30 pm | Away | Tennessee State | Nashville, Tenn. | | |
| November 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | Western Illinois | Macomb, Ill. | | |
| November 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Eastern Illinois | Hunter Stadium | | |
| November 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | Southeast Missouri State | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | |