Football Wins 28-25 Thriller Over Eastern Illinois

EIU added a field goal to open the second quarter, going up 17-0. Lindenwood’s offense put a drive together midway through the frame. Reece Thomas hauled in a 27-yard catch to move further into EIU territory. A few plays later, Darrin Fuggit made a big play on 4^th and 12 to extend the drive. The Lions had four cracks at the endzone from inside the 10-yard line but were unable to convert. At the half, Eastern Illinois would lead 17-0.

After a pair of punts by each team to begin the second half, Lindenwood once again leaned on Jones to carry the offense. The Lions eventually found the endzone on an 11-yard pop pass from Nate Glantz to Jeff Caldwell, cutting the deficit to 17-7 with 9:34 left in the third. The dense responded with a quick stop and the offense continued the momentum, scoring in 34 seconds on just two plays. Drew Krobath picked up a 36-yard catch, followed by a 22-yard touchdown strike to Caldwell, making the score 17-14 midway through the third. Eastern would put together a solid drive, but the defensive unit stood tall when Jacob Waller made a big stop on 4^th and 1 to get the Lions the ball back. Lindenwood would trail by three heading to the fourth

Lindenwood opened the fourth with an eight-play 74-yard drive that was capped off by a touchdown grab by Caldwell from eight yards out, giving Lindenwood its first lead of the day at 21-17 with 9:15 remaining in the game. After another stop by the defense, the Lions needed just three plays to take a 28-17 lead. Caldwell made a big play once again on the drive, finding the endzone for the fourth time in the half on a 74-yard touchdown grab. The Panthers cut into the lead with a key touchdown, converting a 4^th and 3 with just under three minutes remaining, making the score 28-25 after a two-point conversion.

The Lions had a chance to put the game away on the ensuing drive, but the Eastern defense got a stop. The game shifted to the Lindenwood defense, who bent but didn’t break. The Panthers drove down the field and set up a game-tying 30-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. The kick was wide right and Lindenwood earned a hard-fought 28-25 win on the road.

GAME LEADERS
Jeff Caldwell (four catches, 115 yards, 4 TDs)
Nate Glantz (14-of-19, 283 yards, 4 TDs)
Cortezz Jones (20 carries, 104 yards, 19 receiving yards)

QUOTABLE
“Love a team that loves and believes in each other,”  said head coach Jed Stugart. “We continue to learn the importance of starting fast and not digging holes early, and we’ll continue to drive that home weekly, but they have resolve and never quit.  And you always have a chance with a team that has that mindset”