Lindenwood QB Cade Brister gets ready for a snap during Saturday’s NCAA football game against McKendree at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Team1st2nd3rd4thF
McKendree (5-7)7714735
Lindenwood (7-3)1421141463

Team Statistics

Game StatsMCKLU
Total Yards454631
Pass Yards286269
Rushing Yards168362
Penalty Yards3-331-5
1st Downs2336
3rd Downs9-176-6
4th Downs3-60-0
TOP33:0026:57

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood University football team put the finishing touches on a dynamite first season as members of NCAA Division-I FCS, when it knocked off Division II McKendree University, 63-35, on a frigid Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium.

Lindenwood posted 631 yards of total offense — the fourth time this season the Lions totaled 600 yards or more — and scored touchdowns on nine on its 12 possessions in a dominant Senior Day victory over the visiting Bearcats.

“It was a bittersweet day celebrating the legacy of our seniors,” Lindenwood head coach Jed Stugart said. “It was so fun to play another day, but sad knowing the eventual end for a group of men who brought so much to this program. They have definitely left a legacy that all of us old and new in our program should be proud of. Great explosive day of football and a lot of our seniors made great plays, which made it all the sweeter.”

Senior quarterback Cade Brister may have also put the finishing touches on winning the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award, by totaling 404 of those yards (269 passing, 135 rushing) and having a hand in six of Lindenwood’s touchdowns (three passing, three rushing).

McKendree, which came into the contest leading the Great Lakes Valley Conference in offense and scoring, was able to stay with Lindenwood through the first quarter and into the early part of the second. The Bearcats ran the ball well and scored a touchdown early in the second to make the score 14-14.

But that was when the Lions took over.

First, they drove right down the field on a seven-play, 74-yard drive, that was capped by a Brister 1-yard touchdown run to put them back ahead 21-14.

Then, after an interception by Lloyd Lockett, Lindenwood scored again quickly, on a 20-yard scramble by Brister, that made it 28-14.

Lindenwood forced a three-and-out punt — it’s first of the day — on McKendree’s next drive, then quickly scored again when Brister hit Jalen Bethany for a 13-yard touchdown, and suddenly, the score was 35-14.

The onslaught continued in the second half, as the Lions scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and two more in the fourth, to go passed the 60-point mark for the second time this season.

Other Lindenwood players who had fine days, included sophomore running back Andrew Martin, who rushed for 152 yards and scored two touchdowns; senior receiver Payton Rose, who caught 10 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns; junior linebacker Chase Giorgi, who had a game-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss; and freshman defensive lineman Kobe McClendon, who had two quarterback sacks and two quarterback hurries.

The Lions finished the year with a 7-3 record, with two of those losses coming against teams ranked in the FCS Top 25 and currently under consideration for earning a spot in the FCS playoffs.

Lindenwood is not eligible for the FCS playoffs this season, but will be eligible beginning next year and Stugart has said many times that is the goal for the program next year and beyond.

QtrTimeScoring PlayMCKLU
1st07:31LU – Rose,P. 15 yd pass from Brister,C. (Seibert,L. kick) 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:4207
1st03:40MCK – Pullen,Turner 1 yd run (Kastl,Ryan kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:5177
1st01:47LU – Brister,C. 7 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 6 plays, 48 yards, TOP 1:43714
2nd11:52MCK – Pullen,Turner 3 yd run (Kastl,Ryan kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:551414
2nd08:30LU – Brister,C. 1 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 3:161421
2nd05:10LU – Brister,C. 19 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 6 plays, 93 yards, TOP 2:321428
2nd02:38LU – Rose,P. 13 yd pass from Brister,C. (Seibert,L. kick) 3 plays, 67 yards, TOP 1:021435
3rd12:21MCK – Mitchell,Jayden 6 yd run (Kastl,Ryan kick), 5 plays, 23 yards, TOP 2:362135
3rd08:44LU – Rose,P. 10 yd pass from Brister,C. (Seibert,L. kick) 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 3:312142
3rd03:34MCK – Hunsaker,Ronnie 61 yd run (Kastl,Ryan kick), 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:112842
3rd01:39LU – Martin,A. 26 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 6 plays, 71 yards, TOP 1:482849
4th11:52LU – Rogenhofer,B. 5 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 7 plays, 46 yards, TOP 3:482856
4th06:54MCK – Griffin,Diontay 29 yd pass from Pullen,Turner (Kastl,Ryan kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:583556
4th02:19LU – Martin,A. 2 yd run (Seibert,L. kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:353563