Jeff Caldwell scored four touchdowns and Devon Edwards made 14 tackles in Lindenwood’s win over Western Illinois last Saturday. (Image: Primo Greenway)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
NASHVILLE, TN — Fresh off its scintillating comeback win over Western Illinois last Saturday, two members of the Lindenwood football team earn big time accolades from the conference.
Sophomore wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, Jr., and junior linebacker Devon Edwards were named the Big South-OVC Football Association Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.
Caldwell, who was Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking two punts and scoring on one of them in Week 1, earned his award by tying a Lindenwood program record four receiving touchdowns, including the one that proved to be the game-winner in the final minutes of the game.
The 6-foot-4, 197-pound Louisville, Ky. native, finished the night with five catches for 185 yards and the four scores.
Edwards was all over the field for the Lion defense on Saturday. He registered a team-high 14 tackles, 11 of which being solo stops, along with two tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.
Lindenwood will look to keep its hot play going when it takes on Illinois State, Saturday afternoon in Normal, Ill. The Lions’ next home game will come in two weeks, when the club will host Austin Peay on September 30 at Hunter Stadium.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jeff Caldwell, WR • 6-4, 197, R-So. • Louisville, Ky. • Lindenwood
Caldwell caught five passes, four of which went for touchdowns, as Lindenwood came from behind to top future Big South-OVC member Western Illinois 43-40 on the road. The redshirt sophomore had touchdown grabs of 39, 40, 72 and 16 yards, the last coming with 1:13 to play to lift the Lions to victory. Caldwell finished the day with a career-high 185 receiving yards. He is one of two FCS players to have four touchdown catches in a game this season while his 185 receiving yards are the fourth-most in 2023.
Others Nominated: Matt Prochaska, Bryant; Pierce Holley, Eastern Illinois; Narii Gaither, Gardner-Webb; Noah Robinson, Robert Morris; Brad Clark, Tennessee Tech; Kinkead Dent, UT Martin.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Devon Edwards, LB • 6-2, 231, R-Jr. • Longmont, Colo. • Lindenwood
Edwards helped Lindenwood beat future Big South-OVC opponent Western Illinois, tallying 14 tackles (11 solo) in a 43-40 road win. The junior had 2.0 tackles for loss, including stopping a botched field goal attempt in the backfield. He also forced a fumble and keyed a defense that limited WIU to just 2.3 yards per carry.
Others Nominated: Blake Ruffin, Eastern Illinois; Ty French, Gardner-Webb; Jamar Shegog, Robert Morris; Eric Ivory Jr., Southeast Missouri; Jacquez McGowan, Tennessee Tech; Daylan Dotson, UT Martin.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
James Lowery, K • 5-10, 210, R-Jr. • Lauderdale, Fla. • Tennessee State
Lowery nailed a 50-yard field goal with nine seconds left to lift Tennessee State to a 27-25 victory over Gardner-Webb in the John Merritt Classic. It marked the fifth-longest field goal in the FCS this season. The junior nailed a 49-yard field goal just six minutes prior; both surpassed his previous career-long field goal of 43 yards. Lowery is one of just two players nationally with a pair of field goals longer than 49 yards. He also was perfect on PATs, finishing the game with nine total points. This marks Lowery’s first year as a placekicker after previously serving as the team’s kickoff specialist.
Others Nominated: Nivon Holland, Charleston Southern; Julian Patino, Eastern Illinois; DC Pippin, Southeast Missouri; Aidan Loras, UT Martin.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
MJ Flowers, RB • 6-1, 195, R-Fr. • Cincinnati, Ohio • Eastern Illinois
Flowers tallied 55 all-purpose yards in a game where offense was hard to come by as Eastern Illinois topped No. 25 ranked Illinois State 14-13 in the Mid-America Classic. Flowers carried the ball three times for 25 yards (8.3 ypc) and had four catches for 30 yards. The win snapped a 15-game losing streak to nationally-ranked opponents for EIU.
Others Nominated: none