The Lindenwood Lions will look to close out its first season as an NCAA Division I FCS team with a win, when it hosts nearby rival McKendree, Saturday at Hunter Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Lindenwood Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 10 – McKendree (5-5) at Lindenwood (6-3)
Date/Time – Saturday, November 12 – 1 pm
Location – Hunter Stadium — St. Charles, MO
Broadcast – ESPN+
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The Lindenwood University football team will close out the 2022 regular season, Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium, with a matchup against nearby rival and former Great Lakes Valley Conference opponent, McKendree University.
Lindenwood is coming off an emotional defeat last week, when it failed on a last-second two-point conversion that could have won the game, but instead ended as a 35-34 loss to Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech. The Lions had won four games in a row before that and were looking to finish the year with a .500 record in OVC play.
Instead, Lindenwood (6-3) finished 1-3 in the OVC, but will look to close out the year with a win.
McKendree (5-5) has lost in a row and is coming off its worst defeat of the season — a 52-7 loss to Truman State. The Bearcats began this season with one of its program’s best starts ever, as they won four of their first five games. But since then, McKendree has lost four of five and will head into Saturday’s matchup with Lindenwood needing a win to ensure its first winning season since 2018.
Players to Watch: Lindenwood’s No. 1 player to watch is always its sensational quarterback Cade Brister. The senior from O’Fallon, Mo., heads into the final game of the season leading the OVC in nearly every passing category, including completions (208), yards (2,796), passing efficiency (156.7), and touchdowns (24).
Brister is a key reason why Lindenwood has the highest scoring offense in the OVC (36.9 points per game), which includes the season-high five touchdown passes he threw in the Lions’ loss to Tennessee Tech last week.
Lindenwood’s top two receivers are having fine seasons as well. Payton Rose, Lindenwood’s all-time leader in every receiving category, leads the OVC in yards (1,018) and touchdowns (nine), while teammate Kobe Smith is fifth in yards (660) and second in touchdowns (eight).
On defense, the Lions are led by linebackers David Whittemore and Tyrone Griffin, and safeties Lloyd Lockett and Mann McGruder.
Whittemore and Griffin have combined for 100 tackles this season, and Lockett and McGruder have totaled 96 stops, to go along with two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 18 pass breakups.
McKendree has a big time quarterback of its own in redshirt junior Turner Pullen. Like Brister, Pullen leads his conference in every passing category.
This year, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Shelbyville, Ill., has 299 completions, 3,255 yards, a 153.8 passer rating, and 29 touchdown passes.
McKendree’s top receivers are Yogi Flagler, who leads the GLVC in yards (895) and touchdowns (10), and Jacob Bachman, who leads the lead in catches (87) and is second to Flagler in yards (754) and third in touchdowns (seven).
Saturday’s contest figures to be a high-scoring affair with both teams averaging over 35 points per game.
Next Up: Since it’s still in its first season as an FCS team, Lindenwood isn’t eligible to compete in the FCS playoffs. But the Lions could still be invited to play in a postseason bowl game.
It doesn’t happen often, but there is some concern that not enough FBS teams will be eligible to fill all the bowl game slots. And if that were to occur, Lindenwood might be a team one of the bowl game committees offers an invitation to.
Probable Starters
Lindenwood Offense Lindenwood Defense
QB – 4 Cade Brister – Sr. DE – 91 Kobe McClendon – Fr.
RB – 22 Andrew Martin – So. DT – 8 Moses Ale – Jr.
WR – 1 Kobe Smith – Sr. DT – 56 Dylan Petti – Sr.
WR – 17 Payton Rose – Sr. DE – 35 Sterlin Williams – Jr.
WR – 10 Spencer Redd – Jr. LB – 23 Devon Edwards – So.
LT – 77 Blake Rogenhofer – Sr. LB – 44 David Whittemore – Fr.
LG – 78 Gareth Warren – So. LB – 40 Tyrone Griffin – So.
C – 51 Connor Mazzotta – Sr. CB – 3 Darion Bolden – Sr.
RG – 52 Asa Baker – Jr. FS – 11 Mann McGruder – Sr.
RT – 74 Ethan Johnson – So. SS – 7 Lloyd Lockett – Sr.
TE – 18 Chase Lanckreit – Jr. CB – 15 Jayden Patrick – Fr.
PK – 43 Logan Siebert – So. P – 90 Riley Ripper – So.
McKendree Offense McKendree Defense
QB – 15 Turner Pullen – Jr. DE – 45 Chase Maxey – Fr.
RB – 6 Narkel LeFlore – So. DT – 96 Jacob Stoneburner – So.
WR – 8 Diontay Griffin – So. DT – 93 Arman Oshana – So.
WR – 10 Jacob Bachman – Jr. DE – 13 Josh Bleich – So.
WR – 0 Yogi Flagler, Jr. – So. LB – 31 Logan Turbyfill – Fr.
LT – 71 Billy Doyle IV – So. LB – 7 Iben King – Sr.
LG – 65 Andrew Johnson – So. LB – 27 Luca Gualdoni – So.
C – 74 Nicholas Cicero – Fr. CB – 3 Drew Crooks – Jr.
RG – 61 Nolan Puent – So. SS – 5 Brandon Wilson, Jr. – So.
RT – 60 Kenny Thomason – Sr. FS – 19 Andrew Sherry – So.
TE – 88 Jordan Sprycha – So. CB — 1 Kenneth Scarbrough – Jr.
PK – 11 Ryan Kastl – Jr. P – 34 Kaleb Barry – So.
| 2022 Lindenwood Lions Upcoming Football Schedule |
| Sat., November 12 — vs. McKendree — 1 pm |
| All Lindenwood home games will be played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium |