The Lindenwood Lions will travel to Charleston, Ill., for a game against Eastern Illinois on Saturday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 5 – Lindenwood Lions (1-3) at Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-3)
Date/Time – September 28, 2024 – 2 pm
Location – O’Brien Field — Charleston, IL
Watch – ESPN+
Listen — 89.1 The Wood
Live Stats – EIU Sidearm Stats
CHARLESTON, IL — Fresh off earning its first win of the season, last week against St. Thomas, the Lindenwood University football team will be back on the gridiron on Saturday to take on Eastern Illinois in the Big South-OVC Football Association opener for both teams.
Lindenwood laid a flat out whooping on St. Thomas, bashing the Tommies 64-0, in a game where the Lions scored eight touchdowns, which was twice as many as they had scored in their previous three games combined.
The Lions had faced three tough opponents, including NCAA FBS No. 22 Kansas and FCS No. 9 Central Arkansas. So it was quite a relief and a wonderful release for Lindenwood, which is now 1-3, to finally break loose and earn itself a win.
Eastern Illinois is also 1-3 on the year. The Panthers earned their first win three weeks ago in their first home game against Indiana State.
EIU was picked to finish second in the Big South-OVC preseason poll and even got two first-place votes. But the Panthers haven’t played that way thus far this year. Saturday will give both clubs a chance to restart their seasons.
Lindenwood WR Jeff Caldwell has 19 catches for 393 yards and three touchdowns this season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Players to Watch: Lindenwood had several players stand out in last week’s win. RB Cortezz Jones had a season-high 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns. QB Nate Glantz threw for 228 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing).
But Lindenwood’s brightest star has been WR Jeff Caldwell, who caught five passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns last week. For the season, Caldwell has 19 catches for 393 yards and three scores.
He’s second in the conference in receiving yards and third in total catches and touchdowns, and he leads the entire league with a 20.7 yards per catch average.
On defense, LB Vincent King leads the Lions with 35 tackles and is second in the conference with 21 solo stops. Fellow LB Donnie Wingate is tied for second in the conference with three quarterback sacks, and CB Jayden Patrick has three pass breakups and got his first interception of the season last week.
K Logan Seibert was this week’s Big South-OVC Special Teams Player of the Week after making three field goals and seven extra points in last week’s win.
Lindenwood DB Jayden Patrick leads the Lions with three pass breakups and got his first interception of the season in last week’s win. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Like Lindenwood, Eastern Illinois has struggled some on offense this season. But the Panthers do have one of the top big-play performers in the Big South-OVC in RB M.J. Flowers, a Freshman All-American and the Big South-OVC Offensive Freshman of the Year last season.
He’ll come into Saturday’s contest ranking second in the conference with 255 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He had his best game of the season so far last week, when he went for 117 yards and a touchdown against Illinois State.
QB Pierce Holley was also an all-conference player last year. He threw for 2,742 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023. A grad student who began his college career at Georgetown, Holley does lead the Big South-OVC with six interceptions thrown this season.
LB Elijawah Tolbert leads the Panthers with 38 tackles and teammate Nicholas Oliveira-Chace has 3.5 sacks.
Lindenwood scored eight touchdowns in its win last week over St. Thomas. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Up Next: Lindenwood will be back home for another Big South-OVC matchup next week. The Lions will host Tennessee State on Saturday, October 5.
Kickoff at Hunter Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
2024 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 28, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:00 pm | Away | Eastern Illinois | Charleston, Ill. |
| October 5, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Tennessee State | St. Charles, Mo. / Hunter Stadium |
| October 12, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Charleston Southern | St. Charles, Mo. / Hunter Stadium |
| October 19, 2024 (Saturday) | 3:00 pm | Away | Gardner-Webb | Boiling Springs, N.C. |
| October 26, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Home | Western Illinois | St. Charles, Mo. / Hunter Stadium |
| November 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Away | Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, Tenn. |
| November 9, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Southeast Missouri State | St. Charles, Mo. / Hunter Stadium |
| November 23, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:00 pm | Away | Tennessee-Martin | Martin, Tenn. |