Lindenwood and Culver-Stockton kick off the Heart of America Athletic Conference football season in St. Charles this coming Saturday night in the State Farm Kickoff Classic. The Lions will be looking for some payback, trying to ease a sting which has lingered for 12 months. Last season in Canton, Mo., the Wildcats stunned a fifth-ranked LU team on opening day, taking a 23-6 win and landing a haymaker square on the jaw of Lindenwood’s anticipated title run.

Head coach Patrick Ross and his team opened the 2006 season last weekend at the Wheat Bowl in western Kansas, dropping a physical battle with Northwest Oklahoma State, 14-13. The Lions had a chance to win at the end, with two drives into Ranger territory falling short in the final minutes, but were unable to come up with the big play to finish the deal.

The trip was a great one for the Lion program, despite the close loss—the Wheat Bowl people did things right on every front, and the chance to play against a quality opponent early in the season provided an opening argument as to where this team’s strengths and weaknesses may be.

The massive thorn in Coach Ross’s eye after the game stemmed not so much from the outcome, but more from the ice wrap on sophomore quarterback Ben Kisner’s thigh. The talented youngster played only a little over a quarter against NWOSU, and is doubtful for Saturday's contest. Freshman Stuart Sago came on and did a commendable job in the Wheat Bowl, but he is certainly raw—if Kisner cannot go against Culver, it will be up to Sago to get seasoned in a hurry.

The Wildcats, coached by young second-year mentor Christian Guenther, have presented one of those mysterious matchup problems for LU. Simply put, Culver has been a small boulder in the shoe of the Lion offense over the last two seasons, and in last year’s upset win, the Wildcats pounded the normally merciless LU run defense for over 250 yards rushing.

Culver has a pair of tough junior backs in Ricky Williams and Aaron Bergeson, and you can bet your last dollar the Wildcats will be trying to run the football tonight. Transfer QB Jimmy Peyton takes over the helm of the CSC offense this season, and he has had some success in his past at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College—but that was some time back, and the Lion defense brings pass rush like no other. It will be interesting to see how Peyton responds to his first game action for the Wildcats.

Lindenwood did some things very well in the Wheat Bowl, not the least of which was dominate the special teams side of the ledger. Freshman tailback McCray Harris was a whirlwind of activity, blocking a punt and returning two kickoffs for 67 yards, while sophomore linebacker Eric Heyde blocked two field goal attempts. As evenly matched as the Heart is going to be this season, that advantage in special teams play will be nothing but huge as the year moves along.