After losing 52-10 last week, the Lindenwood Lions’ football team responded this week with a 23-0 shutout win against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
The win puts the team at 3-3 on the season, with four games left to play on their schedule, as they hold a record of 1-1 within the Ohio Valley Conference. The win over the Golden Eagles proved to be Lindenwood’s first shutout victory since 2005.
“We still have a chance to end at the top of our conference as far as standings when we were projected to be at the bottom of the rankings, so going forward, we are all going to be working very hard to obtain the goal of being conference champions,” wide receiver and kick returner Spencer Redd said. “In my eyes, we have great hope for winning out these last four games and it will be exciting for the school as well going forward in the future to set the standard of winning the conference,”
Lindenwood came out of the gate swinging, putting up 10 points over Tennessee Tech in the first quarter. Redd returned the opening kickoff of the game back for a 99-yard touchdown, giving Lindenwood a 7-0 lead within the first 13 seconds of the game. Later in the quarter, kicker Logan Seibert drilled a 49-yard field goal to give the Lions three more points, putting the score at 10-0 moving to the second quarter.
Seibert again came up big in the next quarter, as he made another field goal, this time a 23-yarder to ap off a nine-play drive. The three-pointer was the only time either team put points on the board in the quarter.
After halftime, both the Golden Eagles and Lions were quiet throughout most of the third quarter. With roughly two minutes remaining until the fourth quarter, Redd continued his impressive game, finding the end zone on a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carter Davis. The Lions ended the third quarter up 20-0.
In the final quarter of the game, Seibert again came up big for the Lions, draining his third field goal of the game, the last of which being from 41 yards away, capping off a six-play drive. After the kick, the score moved to 23-0, and neither team scored for the remainder of the game.
For the game, the Lions threw for 143 passing yards, 78 from Davis, and 65 from Cole Dugger. Running backs Justin Williams and Jared Rhodes led the team in rushing yards, with 28 yards and 27 yards gained respectively. Redd led the team in receiving yards with 52, his only catch of the game.
On the defensive side of the ball, lineman Kobe McClendon and linebacker Brenden Dye each led the team in tackles with seven. As a whole, the defensive line combined for six sacks, three of which were recorded by McClendon. Elsewhere, defensive back Taylon Blaylock had four tackles of his own and turned in the Lion’s lone interception of the game.
The next time the Lions take to the field, it’ll be against Charleston Southern University, in South Carolina next Saturday, Oct. 14. Kick-off for that game is scheduled for 3 p.m., and ESPN+ will carry a video stream.
“We know that the road games this year have been very challenging for us to start fast and efficiently,” Redd said. “I believe that we have a good groove going and are ready to go take on these challenges on the road with our heads held high and confident and make our mark as the team that is going to fight hard to win these next few games,”
The Lion’s next home game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4, against Eastern Illinois University, as the first of two back-to-back home games wrapping up the 2023 season. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
