Lindenwood quarterback Alex Faddoul scores a touchdown last Saturday against Missouri S&T, that helped him earn the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week award this week. (Photo: Steven Delia)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
When you win your second conference championship in three seasons, the rewards come with it.
And that’s what happened on Monday, when Lindenwood quarterback Alex Faddoul and linebacker Drew Seers were named the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, following the Lions’ title-clinching victory over Missouri S&T.
Lindenwood, which is 8-2 on the season with eight straight wins, crushed its rivals from Rolla, 43-16, this past Saturday, and Faddoul and Seers were both key factors in the victory.
Faddoul, the former-quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-back-into-a-quarterback due to injuries this season, made his first start under center since his freshman year in 2016, and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, as the former All-State high school player from Jefferson City completed 20-of-30 passes for 315 yards and a touchdown.
He also ran for 60 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns to help Lindenwood jump out to a 33-0 halftime lead. The first of those scores was probably the offensive play of the day, which saw Faddoul drop back to pass, but immediately find himself in trouble.
But instead of panicking or simply giving himself up, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior, scrambled to his right, broke free from one tackler, stiff-armed another, then outran the rest of the S&T defense for a 25-yard score that got the whole Lindenwood team fired up.
“Everybody was covered on that play,” Faddoul said after the game. “I tried to move to give guys time to get open, but then I felt somebody getting close and I just tried to get away. He had my leg, but I spun out of it. I stiff-armed a guy and next thing you know, I was diving into the end zone for a touchdown. It was great. That was fun.”
Seers was recognized as GLVC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, and he was definitely worthy of it, as he was all over the field for the Lions.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior had a game-high 13 tackles, including six solo stops, and made the defensive play of the day, when he picked off a pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
“I’m just so proud of these guys,” Lindenwood head coach Jed Stugart said. “You could see it in practice this week, and the last couple of weeks. They’re focus has been so great. They know we’re working towards something. And we have a goal we’re trying to reach. And they’re pushing each other to everybody be better. And you can see it out here on the field. This is a great group. I’m proud.”
Lindenwood also found out on Monday that it had remained in the No. 5 slot in the newest Division II regional rankings. That is significant because only the top seven teams from each region qualify for the playoffs.
Winning the GLVC title almost guarantees Lindenwood a spot in the playoffs, but nothing is official — not even winning your conference championship — until the names are announced during the NCAA Division II Football Playoff Selection Show, which will air on NCAA.com this Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Lions are hoping to climb into the top 4 because those are the teams that get to host their first playoff game. The top seed in each region gets a first-round bye and seeds 2-4 host their first round game.
Seeds 5-7 will have to go on the road for their first game, and though Lindenwood is not concerned about playing on the road – the Lions are 5-1 on the road this year, with that only loss coming to NCAA FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) South Dakota State.
And Lindenwood even went on the road and won its first round playoff game at Ouachita Baptist in 2019. But the Lions were still hoping to get to play a playoff game in front of their raucous home fans this time around.
“There’s something about the camaraderie of going on the road,” Stugart said. “We like having the whole team around and everybody around, but on the road, there’s maybe 60, 70 of us. And it’s just us, on the road, in the hotel together. Just a small group focused on one thing. Winning a ballgame. I love it. These guys love it. We enjoy playing on the road. But having a home game would be a whole lot of fun too.”
The Lions will get their last shot at impressing the selection committee into moving them into the top four, this Saturday, when they’ll host McKendree University at Hunter Stadium at 1 p.m.
“We know what’s at stake,” Stugart said. “And these guys know, McKendree’s a good team. It’s not gonna be easy. But these guys have worked hard for what they want all year. I expect that to continue.”
| Lindenwood Lions Football Upcoming Schedule |
| Sat., November 13 — vs. McKendree — 1 pm |
| Sun., November 14 — NCAA Division II Playoff Selection Show — 4 pm |
| Sat., November 20 — NCAA Division II Playoffs — TBA |
| All Lindenwood home football games will be played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium |