The Lindenwood Lions will go for their first win of the season, Saturday night, against Missouri State. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 3 – Lindenwood Lions (0-2) at Missouri State Bears (0-2)
Date/Time – September 14, 2024 – 6 pm
Location – Plaster Stadium — Springfield, MO
Watch – ESPN+
Listen — 89.1 The Wood
Live Stats – Missouri State Stat Broadcast
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Coming off a pair of tough losses to nationally-ranked opponents, the Lindenwood University football team will head a few hours south in search of its first win of the season.
The Lions will be in the “Queen City of the Ozarks”, Saturday night, to take on Missouri State in what is shaping up to be a big ballgame for both clubs.
Lindenwood lost its season opener, 48-3, to FBS No. 22 Kansas two weeks ago, and its home opener, 34-13, to FCS No. 9 Central Arkansas last week. While Missouri State lost a pair of tight road games to Montana (29-24) and Ball State (42-34). So both the Lions and Bears will be at Plaster Stadium on Saturday looking to get their season on track.
The Lindenwood defense kept the Lions in its game with Central Arkansas for the first 2 1/2 quarters, by holding the high-powered UCA Bears to just 13 points. But then UCA broke loose and scored three touchdowns in the game’s final 20 minutes to turn a close game into a blowout.
Missouri State trailed for the majority of both its games, but nearly rallied on the road for a comeback both times. The Bears will be hosting their own home opener on Saturday before beginning play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in two weeks.
Lindenwood has a home game next week, then will open up Big South-OVC Football Association play in two weeks against Eastern Illinois.
Players to Watch: Lindenwood’s best players so far this season has been its linebacking corps of Devon Edwards, Ethan Stuhlsatz, and Vincent King. Edwards and Stuhlsatz are tied for the club lead with 20 tackles this season. Stuhlsatz also has 1.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback sack, and two forced fumbles.
King didn’t start in the opener, but came in due to injury, and has been a bit of a dynamo for the Lions. The senior transfer from Northern Colorado has 14 tackles this season, including 11 in last week’s game against Central Arkansas.
The Lindenwood offense is led by quarterback Nate Glantz, who has passed for 309 yards and a touchdown in the team’s two games. Receiver Jeff Caldwell, an All-Big South-OVC selection last season, leads the team with eight catches for 103 yards, including a dazzling 40-yard catch and run last week.
Running backs Steve Hall and Cortezz Jones have combined for 150 rushing yards and both are averaging over 4.3 yards per carry. Hall, a native St. Louisan from MICDS High, leads the Lions with 88 rushing yards and a 4.7 ypc average.
Lindenwood RB Cortezz Jones vs. Kansas. (Photo courtesy: KU Athletics)
Missouri State also features two primary runners in its backfield. The Bears’ duo of Jayden Becks and Jacardia Wright have combined for 172 yards and three touchdowns in MSU’s first two games.
Wright, a senior, is 276 yards shy of reaching 2,000 for his career, while Becks, a sophomore speedster, leads the Bears with a 5.6 ypc average.
The Missouri State defense is led by junior safety Todric McGee, who had a career-high 16 tackles in last week’s game at Ball State. McGee has 27 tackles on the season, which leads the MVFC and is the third-most in all of NCAA FCS football.
Probable Starters
Lindenwood Offense Lindenwood Defense
QB – 18 Nate Glantz – Jr. DE – 4 Kobe McClendon – Jr.
RB – 0 Cortezz Jones – Sr. DT – 91 Austin Rustemeyer – So.
WR – 1 Jeff Caldwell – Jr. DT – 92 Jonah Rubadue – Sr.
WR – 8 Drew Krobath – Fr. DE – 44 Tajay Passmore – Jr.
WR – 10 Reece Thomas – So. LB – 20 Ethan Stuhlsatz – Jr.
LT – 78 Gareth Warren – Sr. LB – 23 Devon Edwards – Jr.
LG – 77 Adel Mountassir – So. LB – 9 Vincent King – Jr.
C – 74 Ethan Johnson – Sr. CB – 7 Jayden Patrick – Jr.
RG – 63 Cameron Cooper – Sr. FS – 39 Eric Gant – Jr.
RT – 56 Gavin Hulet – Jr. SS – 2 Jordan Knapke – Sr.
TE – 86 Darrin Fugitt – Jr. CB – 5 Jaylan Wesley – Jr.
PK – 43 Logan Siebert – Sr. P – 95 Patrick Turner – So.
Missouri State Offense Missouri State Defense
QB – 12 Jacob Clark – Sr. DE – 2 Darion Smith – Sr.
RB – 9 Jacardia Wright – Sr. DT – 99 Ryan Williams – Jr.
RB – 5 Jayden Becks – So. DT – 96 Armon Wallace – Sr.
WR – 0 Jmariyae Robinson – So. DE – 95 Jalen Williams – Sr.
WR – 2 Hunter Wood – Sr. LB – 11 Dallas Winner-Johnson – Fr.
LT – 76 Cristian Loaiza – So. LB – 44 Kanye Young – Jr.
LG – 72 Mark Hutchinson – Jr. LB – 26 Tahj Chambers – Sr.
C – 71 Cash Hudson – So. CB – 29 Avery Powell – So.
RG – 58 Hutson Lillibridge – Jr. S – 1 P.J. Hall – Sr.
RT – 66 Grant Goodson – Jr. S – 4 Todric McGee – Jr.
TE – 85 Lance Mason – Jr. CB – 5 Kaleno Levine – Sr.
PK – 36 Yousef Obeid – Fr. P – 31 Grant Burkett – Sr.
Up Next: Lindenwood will be back home next week to play its final non-conference game against St. Thomas. That game will be on Saturday, September 21, and will kickoff at Hunter Stadium at 1 p.m.
2024 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2024 (Saturday) | 6:00 pm | Away | Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. |
| September 21, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | St. Thomas | St. Charles, Mo. / Hunter Stadium |
| 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. |