Lindenwood QB Alex Faddoul will lead the Lions into their NCAA Division II first-round playoff matchup against Grand Valley State, Saturday afternoon in Allendale, Mich. (Photo: Steven Delia)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 12 – #5 Lindenwood (9-2) at #4 Grand Valley State (9-1)
Date/Time – Saturday, November 20 – 12 pm
Location – Lubbers Stadium – Allendale, MI
Broadcast – Grand Valley Sports Network
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
Now that all the fun and celebrating winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship for the second time in the last three seasons is over, the real season will begin on Saturday for the Lindenwood University football team, which will travel to Allendale, Mich., to play in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs against Grand Valley State.
Lindenwood (9-2) will enter the postseason as quite possibly the hottest team in all of D2 football, as the Lions closed the regular season on nine-game winning streak.
That red-hot run earned Lindenwood the No. 5 seed in Super Region 3, and a first-round playoff slot against the No. 4 seed Lakers, who have won four in a row, with their only loss coming to region No. 1 seed Ferris State.
The Lions are making their second appearance in the D2 playoffs since joining the NCAA in 2012. Lindenwood last appeared in 2019, when it surprised the college football world by earning a trip to the playoffs, then pulled off the biggest upset of that postseason, when it went on the road and upset then-No. 5-ranked Ouachita Baptist on its own home field.
Lindenwood will be looking to do the same on Saturday against Grand Valley State. But that will be a tough task, as the Lakers boast one of the top defenses in the country.
Grand Valley finished the regular season leading the GLIAC and ranked 13th nationally in total yards allowed per game (261.7). The Lakers also ranked 26th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (98.6) and had allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season.
Offensively, Grand Valley was second in the GLIAC in total yards gained per game (432.7) and ranked eighth nationally in scoring (41.8 points per game).
Players to Watch: The Lindenwood offense is led by former quarterback-turned receiver-turned back into a quarterback, Alex Faddoul.
The senior from Jefferson City began the season as one of the Lions top pass-catching threats, but after injuries to Lindenwood’s top two QBs forced him back under center, Faddoul has been just fabulous at QB, earning back-to-back GLVC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his two starts as Lindenwood’s signal-caller.
Last week, Faddoul was the game’s top passer, with 261 yards and two touchdowns, and its leading rusher, with 126 yards and two more touchdowns, which included a sensational 54-yard score on a scramble when the opposing defense appeared to be closing in on a pass play where he had no receivers to throw to.
When Faddoul does hand the ball off, he has a dynamite tandem to go to in the backfield, in senior Nash Sutherlin and freshman Robert Giaimo. Last week, that thunder and lightning duo combined for 127 yards and two touchdowns (one apiece).
Lindenwood’s receiving corps is also quite good, with seniors Payton Rose and Clint Sigg leading the team in catches (40 each), and speedy big play threats Glen Gibbons and Spencer Redd contributing as well.
Defensively, Lindenwood is always led by senior linebacker Drew Seers, who ranks among the top 10 leading tacklers in the country with 118 total stops this season and a 10.8 tackles per game average.
The Lions have also shown themselves to be one of the top pass defenses in the country. The group, which had a GLVC-best 17 interceptions this season, is led by safeties Kai Ross (six INTs) and Grady Daniels (1 INT), and corners Keith Beverly (seven PBUs) and Jordan Perry (10 PBUs, 1 INT). Seers also had five INTs as well.
Grand Valley State’s offense is also led by its quarterback, Cade Peterson, who led the GLIAC in passing yards (1,827) and passing touchdowns (23) this season. Peterson’s top receivers are junior Hunter Rison and freshman Cody Tierney.
Peterson also leads the Lakers in rushing yards (556) and rushing TDs (seven). Grand Valley’s leading running back is sophomore Tariq Reid (533 yards, six touchdowns).
Up Next: The winner of Saturday’s contest will advance to next weekend’s regional semifinals, where it will play top-seeded Ferris State. The Bulldogs (10-0) are the undefeated GLIAC champions and are the No. 1 ranked team in the country according to both AFCA and D2Football.com.
Probable Starters
Lindenwood Offense Lindenwood Defense
QB – 10 Alex Faddoul – Sr. DE – 41 Alex Bolden – Sr.
RB – 20 Robert Giaimo – Fr. DT – 99 Tayvian Weary – Jr.
WR – 18 Spencer Redd – So. DT – 45 David Knox – Sr.
WR – 17 Payton Rose – Jr. DE – 95 Derek Edwards – So.
WR – 19 Glen Gibbons – Sr. LB – 9 C.J. McClure – Sr.
LT – 77 Blake Rogenhofer – Jr. LB – 5 Drew Seers – Sr.
LG – 78 Gareth Warren – Fr. LB – 1 Tre Hendon – Sr.
C – 51 Connor Mazzotta – Jr. CB – 15 Keith Beverly – Sr.
RG – 72 Logan Wright – Jr. FS – 21 Kai Ross – So.
RT – 74 Ethan Johnson – Fr. SS – 14 Grady Daniels – Sr.
TE – 16 Clint Sigg – Sr. CB – 6 Jordan Perry – Sr.
PK – 98 Logan Siebert – Fr. P – 91 Jared Stangler – Sr.
Grand Valley State Offense Grand Valley State Defense
QB – 13 Cade Peterson – So. DE – 90 Christian McCarroll – So.
RB – 21 Tariq Reid – So. DT – 91 Dennis Johnson – Sr.
WR – 8 Hunter Rison – Jr. DT – 90 Seth Hoonhorst – So.
WR – 11 Darrell Johnson – Fr. DE – 5 Jake Hlava – Sr.
WR – 14 Jacob Miller – Jr. NLB – 12 Antonio Crosby – Sr.
LT – 77 Quinton Barrow – So. MLB – 41 Abe Swanson – So.
LG – 72 Jake Kochanny – So. WLB – 3 Brendann Brown – Jr.
C – 76 Brian Buchman – So. CB – 2 Allante Leapheart – Sr.
RG – 70 Garrett Carroll – So. FS – 20 Ian Kennelly – Fr.
RT – 74 Jordan Davis – So. SS – 7 Antonio Strong – Jr.
TE – 87 Scott Cooper – Jr. CB – 23 Jon’Tavous Webb – Jr.
PK – 46 Kollin Kralapp – Fr. P – 43 Josh Gorball – So.