Lindenwood QB Robert “Pop” Battle threw two touchdown passes in the Lions’ shutout win over Tennessee State on Saturday. (Photo: Jackie Williams)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State (2-7, 0-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lindenwood (4-4, 3-1) | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood University football team delivered what may have been its most complete victory of the season, when it dominated Tennessee State on both sides of the ball on its way to a 27-0 win, Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium.
The victory was Lindenwood’s third in a row and moved the Lions back to the .500 mark, at 4-4, and lifted LU into a three-way tie for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, along with SEMO and Western Illinois.
Driven by a dominant defensive display, which held Tennessee State to just 11 first downs, 187 total yards, and forced three turnovers, Lindenwood secured its first shutout victory since 2024.
Lindenwood head football coach Jed Stugart has his Lions on a three-game winning streak. (Photo: Jackie Williams)
Several stars stood out to lead the Lindenwood defense on Saturday. Senior cornerback Keshawn Lyons had a team-high eight tackles (six solo). Fellow senior DBs DeVonta Owens and Zech Pratt both had interceptions.
But the biggest star of the day was junior linebacker Andrew Baumgart, who had six tackles, including a career-high three quarterback sacks — the last one put a final stamp on the day, as it ended Tennessee State’s final drive.
On offense, quarterback Robert “Pops” Battle was the star. The junior from East St. Louis completed 24-of-32 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Battle also led Lindenwood with 71 rushing yards.
The first score of the game on the second play of the second quarter, when Battle hit Drew Krobath for a 27-yard touchdown that made the score 7-0. The Lions added Will Graham field goal on their next possession to go up 10-0, which is where the score stayed through halftime.
Graham hit his second field goal of the day midway through the third. The next dagger came later in the third, when Battle connected with Jalen Smith for a 12-yard touchdown that made the score 20-0.
Running back Jared Rhodes put the final touches on the day, when he scored from 2 yards out to cap a 13-play, 98-yard drive, which helped Lindenwood run out the clock.
Lindenwood RB Jared Rhodes scored the game-clinching touchdown in the final minutes of the Lions’ win over Tennessee State on Saturday.(Photo: Jackie Williams)
After playing two straight games at home, Lindenwood will be back on the road next week, with a matchup in Boiling Springs, N.C., against Gardner-Webb. Kickoff at Spangler Stadium is slated for 12:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | TSU | LU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 14:46 | LU – TOUCHDOWN – Drew Krobath 27 yd pass from Pops Battle (Will Graham kick) 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 05:19 | 0 | 7 |
| 2nd | 10:15 | LU – FIELD GOAL – Will Graham 37 yd field goal, 5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 02:31 | 0 | 10 |
| 3rd | 05:34 | LU – FIELD GOAL – Will Graham 28 yd field goal 11 plays, 41 yards, TOP 05:05 | 0 | 13 |
| 3rd | 03:32 | LU – TOUCHDOWN – Jalen Smith 12 yd pass from Pops Battle (Will Graham kick) 2 plays, 40 yards, TOP 00:29 | 0 | 20 |
| 4th | 03:39 | LU – TOUCHDOWN – Jared Rhodes 2 yd run (Will Graham kick), 13 plays, 98 yards, TOP 06:25 | 0 | 27 |
2026 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 27, 2026 (Thursday) | 6:00 p.m. | Home | Charleston Southern* | Hunter Stadium |  | W, 20-17 (1-0) |
| September 3, 2026 (Thursday) | 6:00 p.m. | Away | Stony Brook | Stony Brook, N.Y. |  | L, 36-32 (1-1) |
| September 12, 2026 (Saturday) | 6:00 p.m. | Away | Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. | | L, 48-14 (1-2) |
| September 26, 2026 (Saturday) | 12:00 p.m. | Away | Eastern Michigan | Ypsilanti, Mich. | | L, 29-3 (1-3) |
| October 10, 2026 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Southeast Missouri State* | Hunter Stadium | | L, 38-27 (1-4) |
| October 17, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Away | Eastern Illinois* | Charleston, Ill. | | W, 20-13 (2-4) |
| October 24, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Home | Chicago State | Hunter Stadium | | W, 44-9 (3-4) |
| October 31, 2026 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Tennessee State* | Hunter Stadium | | W, 27-0 (4-4) |
| November 7, 2026 (Saturday) | 12:30 p.m. | Away | Gardner-Webb* | Boiling Springs, N.C. | | |
| November 14, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Away | Tennessee-Martin* | Martin, Tenn. | | |
| November 21, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Home | Western Illinois* | Hunter Stadium | |
* – denotes Ohio Valley Conference game