The Lindenwood Lions suffered their second loss of the season Saturday night, in a 52-7 defeat to FCS No. 2 South Dakota State. (Photo: Nathan Assata)
| Scoring by Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| #2 South Dakota State | 21 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 52 |
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The Lindenwood University football team suffered its second straight loss to begin the 2021 season Saturday night, in a 52-7 defeat at the hands of South Dakota State at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
The host Jackrabbits came into the game ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division I FCS rankings and looked every bit like one of the best teams in the country on Saturday, as they scored points on each of their seven first half possessions.
South Dakota State’s starting lineup only played the first five possessions and scored touchdowns on all of them, with quarterback Chris Oladokun tossing four touchdown passes to lead the way.
Lindenwood, an NCAA Division II program, looked overmatched right from the start, as South Dakota State took the opening kickoff and went right down the field to score on just three plays. Senior running back Pierre Strong capped that drive with a 7 yard touchdown run to put the Jackrabbits on the board.
Strong fininshed with a game-high 110 rushing yards and that one score. His night was done after just seven carries. Teammate Amar Johnson had 105 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own, after taking over in the backfield for Strong.
South Dakota State quarterback Chris Oladokun had the biggest night on an evening when several Jackrabbits stood out. The senior, who transferred to South Dakota State after playing at Samford last season, completed 12-of-14 passes for 171 yards and four touchdowns — two each to his tight ends Zack Heins and Tyler Kraft.
The one bright spot for Lindenwood was quarterback Cade Brister and receiver Payton Rose hooked up for their first touchdown of the season. It came on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Rose broke free and Brister found him for a 37 yard strike that kept the Lions from being shutout.
South Dakota State outgained Lindenwood 560 yards to 196 and posted 26 first downs to LU’s 10.
After enduring a tough start to the new season, Lindenwood will look to get back on the winning track this Saturday, when it hosts its Great Lakes Valley Conference opener at Hunter Stadium against Kentucky Wesleyan. Kickoff on Saturday night is scheduled for 7 p.m.
| Lindenwood vs. South Dakota State — Scoring Plays |
| 1st Quarter |
| 13:47 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Pierre Strong 7 yd run (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-7 |
| 7:20 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Zach Heins 4 yd pass from Chris Oladokun (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-14 |
| 2:21 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Zach Heins 2 yd pass from Chris Oladokun (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-21 |
| 2nd Quarter |
| 12:42 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Tyler Kraft 5 yd pass from Chris Oladokun (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-28 |
| 8:36 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Tyler Kraft 13 yd pass from Chris Oladokun (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-35 |
| 3:07 – SDSU – FIELD GOAL – Cole Frahm 54 yd field goal — SDSU 0-38 |
| :30 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Mason Leighton 14 yd pass from Keaton Heide (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-45 |
| 3rd Quarter |
| 7:02 – SDSU – TOUCHDOWN – Amar Johnson 1 yd run (Cole Frahm PAT) — SDSU 0-52 |
| 4th Quarter |
| 14:52 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Payton Rose 37 yd pass from Cade Brister (Logan Seibert PAT) — SDSU 7-52 |