Lindenwood defenders chase after an Eastern Illinois ballcarrier during Saturday’s OVC football game in Charleston, Ill. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood (2-4, 2-1) | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Eastern Illinois (2-5, 1-1) | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
CHARLESTON, IL — The Lindenwood University football team got itself back on the winning track and snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Eastern Illinois, 20-13, Saturday afternoon in an Ohio Valley Conference game at O’Brien Field.
The Lions outgained the host Panthers 367 yards to 256 yards and got rushing touchdowns from Steve Hall and Pops Battle to earn the win. Battle finished the day with 230 passing yards and 27 rushing yards, which included a 1-yard touchdown run that proved to be the difference in the game.
Hall had 39 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter that gave Lindenwood a 10-7 heading into halftime. Fifth-year senior Jared Rhodes led all rushers with 67 yards on 19 carries, as LU outrushed EIU 137 yards to 53.
“I was proud of how our guys responded all week,” Lindenwood head coach Jed Stugart said. “All we talked about was getting back to one play at a time, one quarter at a time. They handled a lot of adversity today and played like a team that had each others back.”
Lindenwood DB Jalon Jones tries to bring down Eastern Illinois’ Jeremy Reeves, following a pass catch during Saturday’s game in Charleston, Ill. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Fifth-year senior receiver Drew Krobath had a big day, with six catches for 81 yards. Fellow fifth-year defensive back Devonta Owens led the Lions with seven tackles (six solo). He also had a pass breakup and drew an offensive pass interference penalty on a key third down stop that helped LU keep EIU’s offense backed up.
Lindenwood scored first, when it got a 36-yard field goal from Will Graham midway through the first quarter. EIU answered with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Cole LaCrue to Jeremy Reeves that put the Panthers up 7-3.
Hall’s touchdown came with 26 seconds left in the half and made the score 10-7. The Lions added to their lead midway through the third quarter, with a 22-yard Graham field goal to go up 13-7.
EIU tied the game again, when LaCrue hit Alex Ginnever for a 24-yard touchdown. LU blocked the extra-point, so the score remained 13-13.
The huge special teams play seemed to spark the Lindenwood offense, which went 75 yards on 12 plays — all but one of which being run plays — for the winning score, a third down quarterback sneak with Battle bursting over the right edge for a touchdown.
EIU had three possessions in the fourth quarter, but Lindenwood stop them on downs all three times, before finally getting the ball back in the final minute and running out the clock.
Lindenwood RB Jared Rhodes runs over an Eastern Illinois defender during Saturday’s OVC football game in Charleston, Ill. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Lindenwood is now 2-4 on the season and will look to grab its third win when it steps out of conference play to host its annual Homecoming game against Chicago State next week.
Kickoff at Hunter Stadium on Saturday is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | LU | EIU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 05:43 | LU – FIELD GOAL – WIll Graham 36 yd field goal | 3 | 0 |
| 2nd | 12:12 | EIU – TOUCHDOWN – Jeremy Reeves 24 yd pass from Cole LaCrue (Drew Schiller kick) | 3 | 7 |
| 2nd | 00:26 | LU – TOUCHDOWN – Steve Hall 10 yd run (Will Graham kick) | 10 | 7 |
| 3rd | 08:00 | LU – FIELD GOAL – WIll Graham 22 yd field goal | 13 | 7 |
| 3rd | 02:47 | EIU – TOUCHDOWN – Alex Ginnever 24 yd pass from Cole LaCrue (kick blocked) | 13 | 13 |
| 4th | 11:00 | LU – TOUCHDOWN – Pops Battle 1 yd run (Will Graham kick) | 20 | 13 |
2026 LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 27, 2026 (Thursday) | 6:00 p.m. | Home | Charleston Southern* | Hunter Stadium |  | W, 20-17 (1-0) |
| September 3, 2026 (Thursday) | 6:00 p.m. | Away | Stony Brook | Stony Brook, N.Y. |  | L, 36-32 (1-1) |
| September 12, 2026 (Saturday) | 6:00 p.m. | Away | Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. | | L, 48-14 (1-2) |
| September 26, 2026 (Saturday) | 12:00 p.m. | Away | Eastern Michigan | Ypsilanti, Mich. | | L, 29-3 (1-3) |
| October 10, 2026 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Southeast Missouri State* | Hunter Stadium | | L, 38-27 (1-4) |
| October 17, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Away | Eastern Illinois* | Charleston, Ill. | | W, 20-13 (2-4) |
| October 24, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Home | Chicago State | Hunter Stadium | | |
| October 31, 2026 (Saturday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Tennessee State* | Hunter Stadium | | |
| November 7, 2026 (Saturday) | 1:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. central) | Away | Gardner-Webb* | Boiling Springs, N.C. | | |
| November 14, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Away | Tennessee-Martin* | Martin, Tenn. | | |
| November 21, 2026 (Saturday) | 2:00 p.m. | Home | Western Illinois* | Hunter Stadium | |
* – denotes Ohio Valley Conference game