Head coach Jed Stugart and the Lindenwood Lions will host Tennessee Tech on Saturday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 6 – Tennessee Tech (1-3) at Lindenwood (2-3)
Date/Time – October 7, 2023 – 1 pm
Location – Hunter Stadium — St. Charles, MO
Broadcast – ESPN+
Live Stats – Lindenwood Live Stats
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. CHARLES, MO — After nearly a month of playing non-conference games, the Lindenwood University football team will venture back into Big South-OVC Association action with what figures to be a pivotal home game, Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium, against Tennessee Tech.
Lindenwood is coming off a rough defeat last week, when it lost its first meeting ever against Austin Peay, 52-10.
The Lions committed four first-half turnovers and gave up four first quarter touchdowns, before falling behind 35-3 at halftime.
This week, the team hopes to find its rhythm sooner and also slow down a Tennessee Tech team that is coming off its first win of the year, which came two weeks ago, when the Golden Eagles knocked off Kennesaw State, 17-7.
Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech played a barnburner of a game last season. The Golden Eagles won 35-34, but only after Lindenwood scored a late touchdown and instead of kicking the extra point to tie and send the game into overtime, the Lions went for two and the win. The play failed, giving Tennessee Tech the win in the teams’ first ever meeting.
Players to Watch: Running back Robert Giaimo has been quite an effective player for Lindenwood the last several weeks. In the last three games, the sophomore from Bartlett, Tenn., is averaging 127.3 all-purpose yards per game and scored three touchdowns.
Most of that has been ground yards, where Giaimo is averaging 106.0 yards per game, with a season-high of 120 in LU’s game three weeks ago at Western Illinois. Giaimo also ranks second in the Big South-OVC in rushing for the season with 440 yards and the three touchdowns.
Lindenwood’s passing duo of quarterback Cole Dugger and wideout Jeff Caldwell, Jr., has also played well. Dugger is third in the conference in passing with 1,021 yards and tied for second most touchdown passes with 10.
Caldwell has 20 catches for 420 yards, which ranks third in the conference, while his 21.0 yards per catch average and six touchdown catches are both tops in the league.
Defensively, the Lions are led by linebackers Ethan Stuhlsatz and Brenden Dye. The two redshirt sophomores both rank in the top 10 in the conference in tackles, Stuhlsatz is third with 37 and Dye is sixth with 32.
Stuhlsatz has been particularly great lately. He had a career-high 12 tackles two weeks ago at Illinois State and 11 tackles last week against Austin Peay.
The Tennessee Tech offense is still trying to find its footing. The Golden Eagles average just 309.0 yards per game and has scored only four touchdowns this season.
The Golden Eagles are hoping to have junior quarterback Ethan Roberts back this week. He didn’t play last week due to an injury.
If Roberts can’t go, then grad student senior Willie Miller will make his second straight start. Miller is listed as a wide receiver on Tennessee Tech’s roster, but played quarterback due to injuries all over the Golden Eagle roster.
Up Next: Lindenwood will be back on the road for the first of two straight road matchups at Charleston Southern, next Saturday. They’ll play at Tennessee State in two weeks.
Tennessee Tech plays at South Carolina State next week.
Probable Starters
Lindenwood Offense Lindenwood Defense
QB – 2 Cole Dugger – Jr. DE – 4 Kobe McClendon – So.
RB – 21 Robert Giaimo – So. DT – 44 Tajay Passmore – Jr.
WR – 10 Spencer Redd – Sr. DT – 99 Makai Finau – Fr.
WR – 19 Jeff Caldwell – Sr. DE – 46 Frank Caldwell – Jr.
WR – 81 Ronnie Thomas – Jr. LB – 20 Ethan Stuhlsatz – So.
LT – 78 Gareth Warren – Jr. LB – 52 Brenden Dye – So.
LG – 68 Joe Becker – So. LB – 15 Sanjay Strickland – So.
C – 60 George Miki-Han – So. CB – 3 Darion Bolden – Sr.
RG – 71 Jacob Swihart – Jr. FS – 1 Taylen Blaylock – So.
RT – 74 Ethan Johnson – So. SS – 11 Mann McGruder – Sr.
TE – 18 Chase Lanckreit – Jr. CB – 24 Wesley Hines – Sr.
PK – 43 Logan Siebert – So. P – 95 Patrick Turner – Fr.
Tennessee Tech Offense Tennessee Tech Defense
QB – 1 Willie Miller – Sr. DT – 55 Daniel Rickert – So.
RB – 22 Marcus Knight – Sr. DT – 92 Kail Dava – Sr.
WR – 9 Brad Clark – Sr. DT – 99 Jacorrian Wrenn – Jr.
WR – 7 Metrius Flemming – Sr. DE – 8 Hudson Tucker – Jr.
WR – 8 Jalal Dean – Jr. LB – 19 Aaron Swofford – So.
LT – 77 Trevor Stephens – Sr. LB – 47 Jacquez McGowan – So.
LG – 74 Ellis Adams – Sr. CB – 7 Okachi Emmanwori – Sr.
C – 66 Nate Hodnett – Jr. N – 6 Jyron Gilmore – So.
RG – 68 Wes Delk – So. S – 20 Tim Coutras – Jr.
RT – 73 Logan Weedman – So. S – 10 Jackson Price – Sr.
TE – 88 Hunter Barnhart – Jr. CB – 5 Nyquan Washington – Jr.
PK – 29 Hayden Olsen – Jr. P – 13 Nick Bigelow – Jr.
| 2023 Lindenwood Lions Football Schedule |
| Sat., October 7 — vs. Tennessee Tech* — 1 pm |
| Sat., October 14 — at Charleston Southern* — 3 pm |
| Sat., October 28 — at Tennessee State* — 2 pm |
| Sat., November 4 — vs. Eastern Illinois* — 2 pm |
| Sat., November 11 — vs. Bryant* — 1 pm |
| * – denotes Big South-Ohio Valley Conference game |
| All Lindenwood home games will be played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium |