The Lindenwood Lions will play their first home game as an NCAA Division I team, Saturday night at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles. (Photo: Lindenwood Athletics)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 2 – Keiser (1-2) at Lindenwood (1-0)
Date/Time – Saturday, September 17 – 6 pm
Location – Hunter Stadium — St. Charles, MO
Broadcast – ESPN+
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. CHARLES, MO — The big day has finally arrived.
The Lindenwood University football team will be hosting its first game as an NCAA Division I team, when it hosts Keiser University, Saturday evening at Hunter Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Lions will come into the game with a 1-0 record, following last week’s thrilling 21-20 road victory over Houston Baptist University. Lindenwood trailed 20-15 with 28 seconds left, but pulled off one of the craziest plays in all of football last week, when it blocked a punt and recovered it in Houston Baptist’s end zone for a touchdown that won the game.
This week, the Lions will be taking on a Keiser team that has become a powerhouse program at the NAIA level. The Seahawks have only existed for five years, but have had a winning record every year and have made the NAIA playoffs in each of the last four years.
Last season, Keiser made it to the second round of the NAIA playoffs, and this year, the Seahawks were ranked No. 7 in the preseason NAIA poll. Keiser (1-2) will come into Saturday’s game ranked No. 14 in the most current NAIA poll.
“They’ve played a really tough schedule and this is their third straight road game,” Lindenwood head coach Jed Stugart said. “We expect them to come in here and be really hungry to get a win. We know we’re gonna have to play well. We’re excited about the challenge though. We’re looking forward to it.”
Players to Watch: Lindenwood will be led, as it always is, by senior quarterback Cade Brister. A 6-foot, 220-pound gunslinger from nearby O’Fallon, Mo., who owns a number of school passing records and was the Great Lakes Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a Division II All-American in 2019.
The Lions also have a dynamite 1-2 punch at running back in sophomore Robert Giaimo and junior Andrew Martin. Giaimo, Lindenwood’s leading rusher as a freshman last year and the GLVC’s Freshman of the Year, had 108 yards on 20 carries last week. Martin added 49 yards on nine carries and scored both LU touchdowns, including the one on the blocked punt that won the game.
Defensively, Lindenwood was led by sophomore linebacker Tyrone Griffin, a transfer from Indiana State who’s playing his first season with the Lions. Last week, Griffin earned Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, after racking up a team-high nine tackles, which included a quarterback sack, and two pass breakups.
Lindenwood also relies heavily on its two starting safeties, a pair of big-hitting, playmaking seniors in Lloyd Lockett and Kai Ross.
Keiser is led by sophomore quarterback Spencer Shea, who will come into Saturday’s game with 851 passing yards and five touchdowns in the Seahawks’ three games.
Shea’s top receivers include speedsters Myles Henderson and Seth Rolle, but his favorite target is his 6-foot-4, 235-pound NFL prospect tight end, Jalen Arnold. The senior from La Mesa, Calif., leads Keiser in all receiving categories with 16 catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
Keiser’s defense is led by sophomore linebacker Jaelin Willis (19 tackles, 12 solo) and senior nose tackle Camron Allen (10 tackles, two sacks, a quarterback hurry, and a fumble recovery).
“They’ve made the NAIA playoffs the last couple of years, and they were No. 7 in the NAIA rankings before the season began,” Stugart said. “They’re a good team and we absolutely know we can’t take them lightly.”
Up Next: Lindenwood will be back on the road next week, when it plays its first Ohio Valley Conference game. The Lions will travel down south to take on OVC preseason favorite, Tennessee-Martin in a game at that school’s Graham Stadium.
Probable Starters
Lindenwood Offense Lindenwood Defense
QB – 4 Cade Brister – Sr. DE – 91 Kobe McClendon – Fr.
RB – 20 Robert Giaimo – So. DT – 8 Moses Ale – Jr.
WR – 1 Kobe Smith – Sr. DT – 56 Dylan Petti – Sr.
WR – 17 Payton Rose – Sr. DE – 35 Sterlin Williams – Jr.
WR – 10 Spencer Redd – Jr. LB – 31 Matt Barnett – So.
LT – 77 Blake Rogenhofer – Sr. LB – 44 David Whittemore – Fr.
LG – 78 Gareth Warren – So. LB – 40 Tyrone Griffin – So.
C – 51 Connor Mazzotta – Sr. CB – 3 Darion Bolden – Sr.
RG – 52 Asa Baker – Jr. FS – 21 Kai Ross – Sr.
RT – 74 Ethan Johnson – So. SS – 7 Lloyd Lockett – Sr.
TE – 18 Chase Lanckreit – Jr. CB – 24 Wesley Hines – Jr.
PK – 43 Logan Siebert – So. P – 90 Riley Ripper – So.
Keiser Offense Keiser Defense
QB – 16 Spencer Shea – So. DE – 8 Jertavis Black – So.
RB – 25 Marques Burgess – Sr. NT – 53 Camron Allen – Sr.
WR – 10 Myles Henderson – Sr. DT – 33 Luckaad Dorsainvil – Sr.
WR – 8 Michael Robinson – So. DE – 4 Noah Curtis – Sr.
WR – 9 Seth Rolle – So. LB – 6 Jaelin Willis – So.
LT – 66 Scarlee Jean – So. LB – 23 Tivon Sutton – Fr.
LG – 72 Sala Laloga – Jr. LB – 26 Jace Stewart – Jr.
C – 78 Ignacio Olvera – So. CB – 2 Sage Chen-Young – Sr.
RG – 75 Arnesio Rosado – Jr. S – 1 Wendol Philard – So.
RT – 60 Colton Takis – Sr. S – 24 Brian Edwards – Jr.
TE – 5 Karl Reynolds – Jr. CB – 5 Kensley Johnson – So.
PK – 19 Chance Gagnon – Sr. P – 19 Chance Gagnon – Sr.
| 2022 Lindenwood Lions Upcoming Football Schedule |
| Sat., September 17 — vs. Keiser — 6 pm |
| Sat., September 24 — at #15 Tennessee-Martin — 6 pm |
| Sat., October 1 — vs. Southeast Missouri State — 1 pm |
| Sat., October 8 — at Central Arkansas — 4 pm |
| Sat., October 15 — at Eastern Illinois — 2 pm |
| Sat., October 22 — vs. Murray State — 1 pm |
| Sat., October 29 — vs. William Jewell — 1 pm |
| Sat., November 5 — at Tennessee Tech — 1:30 pm |
| Sat., November 12 — vs. McKendree — 1 pm |
| All Lindenwood home games will be played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium |