Lindenwood Shuts Down St. Joseph's College

ST. CHARLES - The football team has always been known for its offensive prowess.

But this season, the Lions defense is stealing a little bit of the spotlight.

The Lindenwood defenders turned in another impressive performance on Saturday by shutting down St. Joseph's College 55-14 in a non-conference contest at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium.

The Lions improved to 3-0 and have allowed just 44 points including 20 to

"The defense did another great job," said Lindenwood coach Patrick Ross. "All the way around, it was good team win. Everybody did their part."

The Lindenwood offense scored 67 points in a Week Two win over Graceland and averaged a whopping 54 points per game last season.

The high-octane offense is still in high gear. But this season the defense has made its presence felt too. Lindenwood limited Graceland to just 101 total yards on Sept. 10 - the second-lowest total in school history.

Junior cornerback Justin Broome led the way against St. Joseph's (0-3). He picked off a pair of passes and ran one back 94 yards for a touchdown. Broome's score, with 1:11 left in the second quarter, essentially put the game away and gave the Lions a 27-0 cushion.

"I knew that they were running hitch (routes) because of all the scouting and preparation that we did," said Broome. "I knew it was coming. He threw it right to me and I started running. There was a lot of green out there - plenty of space."

The Mission Hills, CA native stepped in front of a pass from Billy VandeMerkt and rambled untouched into the end zone. He also picked off a pass minutes later to halt a St. Joseph's drive.

"When you play your role on defense, good things are going to happen," said Ross. "(Broome) has been doing that all year."

All told, the Lions held St. Joseph's, an NCAA Division II school, scoreless through the first two-plus quarters when the game was decided. The Pumas scored twice in the third quarter after trailing 34-0. They managed just 32 yards on the ground.

Lindenwood senior defensive back Christian Golder led the way with six solo tackles---seven overall. Chris Howard, Brock Reed, Kellen Dreyer, Jon McComb and Joe Day added a sack each.

Golder really shined in the first half.

"We're aggressive, we just run to the ball," Golder said. "That's what our defense is about--running to the ball."

Golder doesn't mind the fact that the defenders have toiled in anonymity the last few seasons.

"We're a family," he said. "We stick together. Offense, defense, we're both getting the job done."

The Lindenwood offense put on its usual fireworks show. Junior quarterback John Uribe threw for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Therman McGowan ran for 104 yards and two scores. He became the workhorse after standout Denodus O'Bryant went out with an ankle injury on the first play from scrimmage and never returned.

The Lindenwood special teams also got into the act. Senior Mike Bunton, a Parkway North grad from Chesterfield, scored on a 90-yard punt return early in the third quarter.

Lindenwood, which has won 23 successive regular-season home games, blew the contest open scoring on its first three possessions. Uribe hit Alex Robinson on a 13-yard scoring toss just over two minutes into the contest. McGowan finished the second drive with a 12-yard TD scamper.

The Lions capped off a near-perfect first half when Uribe connected with Terance Jackson on a 29-yard fly pattern down the sideline on fourth down.

Lindenwood is off to a 3-0 start for third year in a row.

"We've still got a lot of work to do," said Ross. "But, I like what I'm seeing so far."
 
NOTES FROM THE LIONS DEN:

• Ross is 69-20 in his eight seasons at Lindenwood.

• Lindenwood is in its second year of NCAA Division II candidacy. The school has dropped its NAIA affiliation and is currently considered an independent. The Lions will not compete in the post-season and will not be eligible for NCAA rankings or polls.

• Lindenwood will hit the road for its next three games including an Oct. 1 meeting at South Dakota State, an FCS school that defeated Minnesota last season.

• The Lions are 122-113-2 all time.