The Lindenwood football team came out swinging against the University of St. Thomas, winning by a score of 64-0 to earn their first win of the 2024 season. The win moves the team to 1-3 on the season.
The offensive onslaught kicked off to a slow start for Lindenwood, only scoring seven in the first quarter. Defensive back Luke Cook blocked a St. Thomas punt in their own endzone to score a touchdown, which was capped off by a successful point after kick attempt by Logan Seibert.
However, it would be the second quarter that the Lions offense truly started clicking. The team put up 35 points in the 15 minute frame, good for five touchdowns. The first score of the quarter came within the first 10 seconds of play, as Cortezz Jones ran for a 51-yard touchdown to make the score 14-0. Less than four minutes later, quarterback Nate Glantz would score on a rushing touchdown of his own, a 16-yard run to increase the score to 21-0. Jones wouldn’t be done with lengthy runs, however, as three minutes after Glantz scored, the Lions put the ball back in his hands and he delivered. Jones ran for a 48-yard touchdown, his second of the quarter after only seven minutes of play, increasing the score to 28-0. After a five minute scoring lull, the Lions found the endzone once again, this time for their first score in the air. Glantz found Jeff Caldwell, who ran down field for a 93-yard touchdown with three minutes left in the quarter, making the score 35-0. With a mere seven seconds left in play in the first half, the Lions scored one final time, as Glantz put up seven points on a short two yard rush, making the score 42-0 at halftime.
While the third quarter was not as full of scoring as the second, but the Lions were still able to put up 16 points. Seibert was able to notch the first points of the quarter on a 42-yard field goal in the opening five minutes of play. Four minutes later, Glantz and Caldwell hooked up once again for a touchdown in the air, this time for a 29-yard completion, making the score 52-0. The final score of the quarter came on a Robert Giaimo 19-yard rush, but with a missed extra point, making the score 58-0 headed into the final quarter of play.
In that final quarter, the Lions only scored twice, both coming on successful field goals by Seibert. The first was made within the first 40 seconds of the quarter, and found the uprights from 32 yards away. The Lions then endured another scoring lull of sorts, with their final score coming with five minutes left in play, as Seibert drilled a 46-yard field goal, his longest of the game, to make the score 64-0.
As a team, the Lions put up 264 passing yards in the win. Glantz was responsible for 228 of them, and backup Tyler Kubat added on 36 of his own. On the receiving end down field, Caldwell led the way with 153 yards gained. Jalen Smith and Reece Thomas each put up 30 yards, with Smith adding 35, and Thomas having 32. On the ground, Lindenwood was able to total 299 yards, led by Jones who tallied 152 of those. Giaimo was able to put up 67 of those, with Glantz putting up 38 rushing yards, and Jared Rhodes adding an additional 37 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Lindenwood kept the Tommies to only eight completed pass attempts throughout the game, good for 41 yards. St. Thomas’ rushing game wasn’t much better, as they tallied only 120 yards, giving them 161 yards gained throughout the entirety of the loss. The Lions were able to add two sacks in the effort, as both Maika Finau and Donnie Wingate brought down the quarterback in the win. Finau’s was for a loss of three yards, while Wingates was for a loss of two. The team also recorded two interceptions, as Jayden Patrick and Jackson Hetzel both picked off Tommies quarterback Michael Rostberg. Hetzel was also responsible for a forced fumble in the win.
Next week, the Lions head to Eastern Illinois University to play an away game, with kickoff slated for 2 p.m on Saturday, Sept. 28. That game can be watched on ESPN+ with a subscription to the service. The team returns home the following Saturday, Oct. 5, to play Tennessee State University, with kickoff for that game set for 1 p.m.
