Sometimes, a ten-point spread at the end of a football game can mean it was actually closer than that, with the victor pulling away at the end. Other times, as was the case in the 2006 Valley-Lindenwood game, it can be misleading in the other direction.

"We made some plays that kept us in the game up until very late," said Lion head coach Patrick Ross. "But the reality is, they were just better than us on Saturday. Our young kids played hard, and it was physical out there, but their front seven on both sides of the football are very good."

Missouri Valley made the plays it needed to, and preserved its’ No. 6 national ranking, along with its’ unbeaten record, with a 31-21 win over Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon in Saint Charles. Valley, now 8-0 on the season, dominated the game with the NAIA's top rushing defense, led by sophomore DE Larry Wentzel, who racked up four tackles in the LU backfield, plus a QB sack.

The Lions tied the game at 7-7 early in the second period, when sophomore linebacker Logen Wright, who was outstanding again with 18 tackles for Lindenwood, picked up a Robert Holmes fumble and rolled in for a 62-yd. touchdown. The Vikings answered with an 8-yd. scoring pass from Shoulders to Eric Brown later in the period, and it appeared the game would go to the half at 14-7.

Valley added that critical late score before intermission, though, on a 48-yd. pass from Shoulders to to Michael Wilder, who snuck behind the LU secondary on a third and long play with only 40 seconds left before the half. The Vikings then posted the only score of the third quarter, on a 3-yd. run by freshman tailback David Allen, making it 28-7.

"The score right before halftime was a killer," said Ross, whose career record dropped to 36-17. "If we go in down only 14-7, getting the ball first in the second half, that's a whole different deal at halftime. We had a chance to get a first down and run out the clock, but didn't take advantage."

The Lions drove 78 yards in ten plays to answer Allen’s TD, scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter on a fourth down, 6-yd. pass from sophomore quarterback Ben Kisner to senior flanker Steven Kennedy. That made it 28-14, and amazingly enough, that would be the last offensive play run by the Lions in the game.

Valley moved 42 yards in 12 plays after Kennedy’s score, finally getting a 19-yd. Joe Park field goal to make it 31-14. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman tailback McCray Harris exploded for a 97-yd. kickoff return for a TD, and the Lions were back within 10 with over nine minutes remaining.

They would not get the football back, however, as the Vikings held the rock for the rest of the game on a 13-play drive – converting two fourth downs - that ended deep in Lion territory as the clock ran out.

"They did what they had to do in the fourth quarter after things tightened up a bit, which was run clock," said Ross. "Coach Troth does a great job teaching their scheme, and they keep it simple. We just couldn't get them off the field in the fourth quarter."

Missouri Valley is now 7-0 in the HAAC, and 8-0 overall; the Lions are 4-5 overall and 4-3 in league play. Lindenwood will travel to MidAmerica Nazarene for a 1:30 kickoff against the Pioneers next Saturday.