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Lions travel to MNU in hopes of finishing '06 on a roll
Lindenwood vs. MidAmerica Nazarene
Oct. 28, 2006 - Pioneer Stadium
Olathe, KS
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It will be a large Pioneer gathering on Saturday afternoon in Olathe, Kan., as the Lions will travel to their second straight road game as a Homecoming date, this time taking on first-year head coach Jed Stugart's MidAmerica Nazarene team.
The Pioneers are 5-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, and overall, and Stugart's team could still slip into the national playoff picture by winning it's last three. They are just outside the top 25 in the national rankings going into this weekend, so this will be a critical game for MNU.
The Lions, now 4-3 in the Heart, were eliminated from the conference title and playoff chase last weekend after a 31-21 loss to 6th-ranked and unbeaten Missouri Valley, but this game remains vitally important to a very young LU team on many fronts.
For starters, because the Lions have struggled on the road in 2006, this game presents a chance to beat a quality opponent on their field, in a game MNU must win. A victory would also build a two-game road winning streak, as the Lions dropped Central Methodist, 34-21, in their last road outing. As LU's many freshman and sophomore stars become upperclassmen, it will be important to have a history of playing well and winning in enemy territory.
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MidAmerica has enjoyed a largely successful transition to a new staff and new scheme this fall, after longtime head coach Mike Cochran left for Southern Nazarene last winter. The Pioneers have prospered behind junior transfer QB Matt Schneider, who has thrown for over 1500 yards, tossing 15 TD's and only five picks. He has two of the Heart's top receivers in junior James Perry and senior Mark Moore, and an emerging back in senior Deshaun Goldsmith - there is no doubt that the new look MNU offense is going to be a load for the young Lions to handle.
Defensive coordinator Shawn Nagel's unit has been getting star quality play from senior noseguard David Gladney and sophomore LB Logen Wright all season, and that will have to continue on Saturday if the Lions are to pull off the upset on the road. The loss of senior All-American safety Marcus Klund was definitely a blow last week against Missouri Valley, and it would be nice to have a head hunter like Klund in the secondary against the throw first, run second Pioneers.
He's out though, so it might be that the Lions will have to play some defense with their offense - Schneider and his mates will be much less damaging while they're over on the sideline talking to Pioneer offensive coordinator Lance Beeson. The LU running game couldn't get untracked against the Valley front seven - currently leading the known universe in rushing defense - will absolutely have to play well for the game to come out the way Lion head coach Patrick Ross wants it to.
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Sophomore inside linebacker Logen Wright (9) continued to shine for the Lions on defense against Missouri Valley, racking up 18 tackles (giving him 35 the last two weeks), and scoring a defensive TD - this one a 62-yd. fumble return - for the second straight game. |
The Lions are proud of their record in the Heart since Ross and his staff arrived in St. Charles prior to the 2004 season, posting a mark of 21-6 during that span. The Pioneers have lost two straight to Ross-led Lion teams, both of them nail biters, so it's likely they would dearly love to put HAAC loss No. 7 on the Lions.
That combination of Lion pride and Pioneer want-to should make for an exciting match up on Saturday - without question, Lindenwood is a team of the future, battling to get wins in the present in the face of injuries and inexperience. The Pioneers, on the other hand, can make their present a whole lot like their rich past with three wins down the stretch ... so it could just come down to which team wants it more on Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 at Pioneer Stadium.
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