Freshman RB Steve Hall will lead the Lindenwood offense into a matchup against St. Thomas at Hunter Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 4 – St. Thomas Tommies (1-2) at Lindenwood Lions (0-3)
Date/Time – September 21, 2024 – 1 pm
Location – Hunter Stadium — St. Charles, MO
Watch – ESPN+
Listen — 89.1 The Wood
Live Stats – LU Stat Broadcast
ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood Lions will be back at Hunter Stadium still looking for their first win of the season on Saturday, when they will host St. Thomas at 1 p.m.
The Lions (0-3) are coming off a 28-14 loss at Missouri State last week, where the home team scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions. Lindenwood was able to hold MSU to just one more score the rest of the game, but the Lions couldn’t generate enough offense of their own to pull off a comeback.
St. Thomas (1-2) picked up its first win of the year last week, when it knocked off Black Hills State, 24-14.
This will be the first ever meeting between the Lions and Tommies. St. Thomas is a former NCAA Division III program that is in its first season transitioning to NCAA Division I. The Tommies will compete in the Pioneer Football League, a new conference that features 11 teams, which includes Butler, Dayton, Drake, and San Diego.
Lindenwood’s Jeff Caldwell caught six passes for 137 yards and a touchdown last week against Missouri State. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Players to Watch: Lindenwood will be led on offense by its veteran, big play receiver Jeff Caldwell and freshman dynamo running back Steve Hall.
Last week, despite the teams’ struggles on offense, the duo put up big numbers for the Lions.
Caldwell caught six passes for 137 yards, which included a 79-yard touchdown, and Hall carried the ball 22 times for 121 yards. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry and was named the Big South-OVC Football Association Co-Freshman of the Week.
For the season, Caldwell is second in the Big South-OVC in receiving, with 240 total yards, and Hall is second in the league in rushing with 185 yards.
The Lions also played two quarterbacks last week. Starter Nate Glantz had a rushing touchdown and backup Tyler Kubat threw the touchdown pass to Caldwell.
On defense, senior linebacker Vincent King was all over the field against Missouri State. The 6-foot, 231-pounder from Denver was in on 17 tackles, 11 of them solo, which earned him Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Not to be overshadowed, sophomore end Donnie Wingate had two sacks last week as well.
St. Thomas is primarily a rushing team. Last week, running backs Joseph Koch and Hope Adebayo combined for 122 yards on 30 carries, while quarterback Micahel Rostberg rushed for 15 yards and scored all three Tommies’ touchdowns.
On defense, linebacker Ryan Sever led the team with 10 tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. Teammates Grif Wurtz and Nick Hand both had interceptions, while Noah Friedt had four tackles, a quarterback sack, and a forced fumble.
Lindenwood linebacker Vincent King had 17 tackles in last week’s game against Missouri State. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Up Next: Lindenwood will begin Big South-OVC play next week. The Lions will travel to Charleston, Ill., to take on Eastern Illinois.
Lindenwood’s next home game is in two weeks, on October 5, when the Lions will host Tennessee State.
2024 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |