A pair of teams with very different agendas hit the field at Lindenwood University Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as 5th-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene and LU square off in what could have been the Game of the Year in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Prior to this season, amateur prognosticators—and Heart coaches—figured these to be the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the league. The Pioneers have held up at 6-1 in HAAC play, battling the very rugged conference schedule by winning the close ones (much like the Lions of 2004), winning in overtime two weeks ago at Baker, then pulling out a 20-16 win at home against Culver-Stockton last week.

The Lions have been up and down in wild fashion this fall, beating the only three nationally-ranked teams they have played (Graceland, Benedictine and Missouri Valley), while losing to some teams they probably should have beaten. A dramatic double-overtime win on the road last week at Valley pulled LU back to 4-4 on the season, and their agenda this weekend is simple—the Lions want to finish strong heading into a very important offseason, knock off yet another highly-ranked opponent, and throw the Heart title race into even further disarray.

In preparation, LU players and coaches are approaching this game as their national playoff game for 2005, and you can be assured that they would like nothing better than to take the Pioneers’ playoff destiny from their hands with a huge win on Saturday in front of the home fans.

MidAmerica, meanwhile, is in the driver’s seat in regard to the Heart title race. They have a tough finishing lap, to be sure—on the Lions’ home turf this afternoon, then at home against Benedictine, and a finale on the road at Graceland.

If they can navigate that stretch without blowing a tire, they’re in the national playoffs. One loss, though, could be costly, and two would be disastrous. The Pioneers, as always, are extremely well-coached, fast and physical on defense, and they’re led by senior quarterback Jimmy Werbin and a fine cast of receivers on offense.

If Werbin is the present, Lindenwood head coach Patrick Ross and his staff may be looking at the future of the Heart quarterback position over this season’s second half.

After a hugely disappointing loss at Evangel three weeks ago, when three Lions QB’s played at a less than stellar level, LU turned to prized freshman signal caller Ben Kisner. Injured early in the season, and subsequently pegged to redshirt, the talented 6’1, 185-lb. Kisner has come on to engineer two wins in a row for the Lions. The rookie has relied heavily on star senior tailback De De Dorsey and a surging defense for support, but his poise and presence alone have made a difference for LU.

Junior safety Marcus Klund was a monster last weekend at Valley, winning NAIA National Player of the Week honors after a 16-tackle performance which included a variety of massive hits. The Lions seem to have come together on defense over the last few weeks, after a puzzling slow start, and it will be interesting to see how Klund and his mates fare today against a good MNU offense. Some very tough seniors in that LU defensive huddle would sorely love to make a statement as the season ends.

Dorsey was held largely in check by a good Viking defense last week, but he found a way to score two big TD’s in the 15-12 win—early on a 49-yard run, and then later on a clutch grab-and-run of a third quarter Kisner pass. The senior from Oklahoma is leading the nation in all-purpose yardage per game, ranks second nationally in rushing yards with 1,257 on the year, and continues to draw the weekly attention of teams that play on Sunday.

This Saturday is all that matters now, though, and the Lions need a big one from Dorsey, Klund and their Lion brothers this afternoon to knock off a Pioneer team which is most likely headed to the playoffs. It won’t be the same as a win in December, but it would surely make some guys wearing black smile on Saturday night.