In a game that featured 1285 yards of total offense, only three punts, 12 touchdowns, and eight lead changes, Steve Hall and the Lindenwood Lions eventually prevailed on Homecoming weekend against the Western Illinois Leathernecks.
Hall had a career game, as the freshman running back had 13 carries for an otherworldly 259 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Hall finished 12 yards shy of the school record for single-game rushing yards, currently held by DeDe Dorsey who had 271 yards in 2005 vs Graceland. Dorsey also had a 246-yard game in 2005 vs Evangel. Quarterback Nate Glantz, for the Lions, played well against Western Illinois. His stats may not reflect it, as he only finished 11 for 16 for 183 yards and two passing touchdowns, but he ran for 47 yards and a touchdown didn’t turn the ball over and consistently made good decisions throughout the game when the ball was in his hands to pass.
Seven different Lions caught passes, led by Abe Haerr who only had one catch but it was a huge catch for 57 yards that set up one of Steve Hall’s touchdowns. John Anthony led the team in receptions with four for 25 yards, and his first touchdown of the season. Darrin Fugitt hauled in the other touchdown pass from Glantz on a huge 35-yard catch early in the fourth quarter.
The Lindenwood defense allowed Leathernecks quarterback Nathan Lamb to throw for a school-record 564 yards, while also throwing for five touchdowns. Still, when it mattered most, the Lindenwood defense forced three fourth-quarter fumbles to seal the victory with a bend-but-don’t-break style of defense when the team needed them to step up most. Matthew Henry hauled in 15 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown for Western Illinois that also included a couple of highlight-reel one-handed catches. Elijah Aragon had nine catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns for the Leathernecks but they weren’t able to overcome the three fumbles to beat the Lions.
The game started fast with both teams scoring on their first two drives to quickly find the game tied at 14-14 at the beginning of the first quarter. Lindenwood’s touchdown drives were capped off by a nine-yard run by Steve Hall and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Glantz to John Anthony. Lindenwood might’ve started to get deja vu as last week against Gardner Webb also started with both teams trading early scores. Following those early scores, each team’s defense would find stops on the next drives forcing two of the three punts in the game. Lindenwood would then get the ball back with 4:13 to play in the first half and drive 87 yards in nine plays capped off by a Glantz 30-yard touchdown run to put Lindenwood up 21-14. Western Illinois would respond, however, kicking a field goal to cut their deficit to 21-17 heading into the halftime break.
Coming out of the second half the Leathernecks started as fast as they ended the half marching 75 yards in 12 plays to take their first lead of the game 24-21. However, the Lions would only need one play to respond as on the first play of their opening drive of the second half, Hall took the handoff and weaved and accelerated his way to a 75-yard rushing touchdown giving Lindenwood back a 28-24 lead. Western Illinois would also respond by leaning heavily on senior running back Cameren Smith, who finished with 67 rushing yards as well as six receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns, to re-grab the lead at 31-28. Lindenwood, though would just not quit as on the next drive after Glantz found Haerr for a 57 yard catch and run down the sideline, Steve Hall would cap off the four-play drive with his third touchdown of the game from nine yards out putting the Lions back ahead 35-31.
Western Illinois would keep the scoring barrage going entering the fourth quarter capping off a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a Elijiah Aragon 15-yard receiving touchdown. Glantz, though, would not let his team bow to the Leathernecks. He led the Lions on another touchdown drive capped off by a 35-yard touchdown pass to Fugitt with 9:43 left giving Lindenwood a 42-38 lead that they would not relinquish. Lindenwood’s defense would step up for the rest of the game as the Leathernecks threatened to reclaim the lead as they held the ball at the Lindenwood 48 facing a 4th and 6 when Nathan Lamb found Brandon Lanier at the Lindenwood 32 yard line when he had the ball ripped from his hands and the ball was recovered by Lindenwood’s Taylen Blaylock.
Lindenwood would drain another three minutes off the clock before having to punt the ball back to the Leathernecks but the Lions defense was up for the challenge yet again. With the Leathernecks again driving following a 40-yard pass from Lamb to receiver Christian Anaya, Western Illinois found themselves with 1st and goal from the Lions 17-yard line when Lamb tried to step in the pocket and scramble when he was hit and the ball came loose recovered by Eric Gant giving Lindenwood the ball back with a chance to ice the game. Ice it they did, as Hall took the first handoff and appeared to be stopped running right when he cut it back left and found all sorts of open space outrunning the Leathernecks all the way to the end zone capping off a thrilling 93-yard touchdown run, his fourth of the game, sending Hunter stadium into a frenzy, moving the game score to 49-38. The Leathernecks would try and mount one last attempt, again getting the ball down to the Lions five-yard line. However, the next play Jesse Smith came at Lamb as a free rusher and blasted him, causing a forced fumble which was pounced on by Maika Finau and capping a thrilling homecoming win for Lindenwood.
The Lions will be back on the road next week traveling down to Cookeville, Tennessee to face off against Tennessee Tech before returning home on Nov. 9 to face the #8 ranked SEMO in the MRV Banks Game Ball Brawl.