The Lindenwood Lions celebrate winning their second Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in the last three seasons, after defeating McKendree, Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Score by Quarter1st2nd3rd4thF
McKendree (4-7, 3-4)0914730
Lindenwood (9-2, 7-0)71771445

by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

The game itself was really just a formality. The Lindenwood University football team had already clinched its second Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in the last three seasons, when it defeated Missouri S&T last week.

But that didn’t stop the Lions from celebrating like champs in front of all their friends and families, following Saturday’s 45-30 win over McKendree. The Lindenwood players had worked a long, hard time for this title, and on Saturday, they finally got to enjoy it.

“Man, I can’t even explain the feeling,” senior linebacker Drew Seers said afterward. “It’s been like 600-something days. We didn’t play in the spring, so we just had to sit and watch. But now to be here and enjoy this with my brothers, it’s just wonderful. I can’t even think of the words.”

Lindenwood was officially presented the championship trophy by GLVC commissioner Jim Naumovich on the field following the game, and it was clear, all the Lion players and coaches were ready to finally let loose.

“I’m just so proud of these guys,” head coach Jed Stugart said. “Especially this senior class. For them to go out with back-to-back titles, that’s just awesome. Those are the guys who came in here when Lindenwood was just winning four or five games a year. But they came here to be a part of something special, and to build something. And that’s what they did. I’m so proud. I love those guys.”

In the game itself, Lindenwood led throughout. The Lions scored a touchdown on their opening drive — a three-yard run by senior running back Nash Sutherlin — and never looked back.

Freshman running back Robert Giaimo made the play of the first half, when he broke free for a 50-yard score early in the second quarter to put the Lions up 14-0.

McKendree got a touchdown and a field goal later in the second quarter to pull within 14-9, but Lindenwood answered with a touchdown and a field goal of its own in the final 1:40 of the half, to go into the locker room ahead 24-9.

The visiting Bearcats got two more scores in the third quarter, wrapped around a 35-yard touchdown run by Lindenwood quarterback Alex Faddoul, to make the score 31-23 heading into the fourth. But that’s when the Lions put their final stamp on what would be their ninth-straight victory.

First, Faddoul hit Payton Rose for a 10-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the fourth quarter to make it 38-23. Then, after stopping McKendree on downs, Faddoul scrambled through the Bearcat defense for a 54-yard touchdown to put the Lions up 45-23.

“Plays like that are why when we started having the injuries at quarterback, I wasn’t really worried,” Stugart said. “He’s a great playmaker. You saw it on that play. He made plays at quarterback before. He made plays at receiver. And we expect him to make plays at quarterback again.”

And the senior from Jefferson City did just that, finishing the day by leading all players in passing yards (261) and rushing yards (126), while also throwing for two scores and rushing for two others.

“We’re very comfortable with Alex at quarterback,” Stugart said. “First, Alex is a very talented and very smart football player. Second, he’s very mature and has a great understanding of the offense. So we know he can do what we need done to get our offense moving. And also, you have to credit Dusty Hovorka. He’s our offensive coordinator and our quarterbacks coach, and he’s done a magnificent job of getting Alex ready for these last couple of games.”

With the win, Lindenwood is now 9-2 on the season and the 7-0 mark in league play means the Lions are now 14-0 in their two seasons as members of the GLVC.

The regular season is now over, but Sunday will be a big day for Lindenwood, as it will find out if and where it will be placed in the NCAA Division II playoff seedings. Simply winning your conference championship does not guarantee any team a spot in the playoffs.

But Lindenwood was ranked fifth in the most recent regional rankings that came out last Wednesday, and unless something completely bonkers happens, the Lions should find themselves in the playoffs. The official announcements will be made during the NCAA Division II Playoff Selection Show, which will air on NCAA.com, Sunday at 4 p.m.

“We expect to be in. We think we deserve to be in,” Stugart said. “We’re gonna have a little get-together and watch it together. We’re gonna meet in one of the big conference rooms and watch it. We usually do it in our team meeting room, but we’re gonna meet, just us and the players, in the Business building, because it’s bigger and we can all spread out. We’re excited to see where we’re gonna be.”

If the rankings stay as they were, Lindenwood will likely face Northwest Missouri State, which was ranked fourth last week. Only the top seven teams earn a playoff berth, with the No. 1 seed earning a first-round bye.

Things could change though. At 9-0 in the region, Lindenwood is one of only two teams to go unbeaten in Super Region Three. And Lindenwood’s only D2-level loss this season, came in the season opener to Angelo State, which was ranked No. 2 in Super Region Four last week.

It’s possible the Lions could move up and earn a home game, but Stugart said he just wants his team ready to play whoever or wherever it plays next week.

“It could happen,” Stugart said, about possibly hosting a first-round game. “But we’re not expecting it. Based on how some of the other games went (on Saturday), it might be tough for us to move up. We’re not really worried aobut that though. We’ll be ready to play whoever we get. But we are excited to find out who it’s gonna be.”

McKendree vs. Lindenwood — Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
11:28 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Nash Sutherlin 1 yd run (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 0-7
2nd Quarter
12:18 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Robert Giaimo 50 yd run (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 0-14
6:49 – McK – TOUCHDOWN – Narkel LeFlore 46 yd run (PAT failed) — LU 6-14
2:37 – McK – FIELD GOAL – Kaleb Barry 32 yd field goal — LU 9-14
1:40 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Payton Rose 19 yd pass from Alex Faddoul (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 9-21
:00 – LU – FIELD GOAL – Logan Siebert 47 yd field goal — LU 9-24
3rd Quarter
10:44 – McK – TOUCHDOWN – Turner Pullen 1 yd run (Kaleb Barry PAT) — LU 16-24
5:18 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Alex Faddoul 35 yd run (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 16-31
1:56 – McK – TOUCHDOWN – Jacob Bachman 34 yd pass from Turner Pullen (Kaleb Barry PAT) — LU 23-31
4th Quarter
13:19 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Payton Rose 10 yd pass from Alex Faddoul (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 23-38
9:24 – LU – TOUCHDOWN – Alex Faddoul 54 yd run (Logan Seibert PAT) — LU 23-45
1:22 – McK – TOUCHDOWN – Turner Pullen 1 yd run (Kaleb Barry PAT) — LU 30-45