Northwest Missouri State will play host for a NCAA Division II football playoff game for the second consecutive week this Saturday when the Lindenwood Lions travel to Maryville for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
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Northwest hasn’t lost a home playoff game since 2002. The ‘Cats are riding a 23-game home postseason winning streak. The streak includes four years when the Bearcats won the national championship. Northwest holds six national football titles – the most by any DII school – and their 48 playoff victories are the most posted by any school.
Last week’s playoff game against Harding played at Maryville was the Bearcats’ first home playoff game since 2016. The Bearcats lost first round playoff games as visitors the past two seasons, including last year’s defeat by Ferris State University at Big Rapids, MI. The Bulldogs finished runner-up to 2018 national champion Valdosta State in a 49-47 shootout.
The past two weeks the Bearcats defense has excelled. In the regular season finale Northwest faced off against the Central Missouri Mules, boasting the top ranked offense in DII football, with an MIAA title at stake. The Bearcats forced six turnovers, sacked the quarterback eight times, and scored two defensive touchdowns in a convincing 46-23 rout. The 23 points scored was 28 points below the Mules’ average of 51 points per game during the regular season.
Last Saturday the Bearcats won a defensive classic. Northwest scored on its first drive of its playoff game against Harding, going 75 yards on nine plays. A 4-yard Brayden Wright pass to Kyle Raunig scored the touchdown. But Harding contained Northwest throughout the remainder of the game. None of the following 12 Northwest offensive drives tallied more than 35 yards; Harding forced nine punts. Northwest missed one field goal.
Northwest entered the game averaging 46.6 points and 453.6 yards of total offense. Harding’s defense limited the Bearcats to one score and 205 yards. The Bisons had 10 tackles for loss, including five sacks.
But it was Northwest’s defense that determined the 7-6 victory. Harding entered the playoff game averaging 36 points a contest. The ‘Cats choked off the No. 1 rushing team in DII football, holding the Bison triple option to a season low 151 yards. Harding finally assembled a 63-yard drive to score on a 6-yard option pitch with 1:14 left in the game. Then Northwest snuffed yet another option pitch on the attempted 2-point conversion.
Lindenwood next
Lindenwood traveled to Arkadelphia, AR, last Saturday to pull out an exciting 41-38 opening playoff upset over Ouachita Baptist. The Lions kicked the go-ahead 30-yard field goal with 1:24 remaining, overcoming an early 21-10 deficit. There were eight lead changes during the ball game.
Lindenwood University is a private liberal arts institution (enrollment 8,600) located at St. Charles outside St. Louis. The Lions play football in the 7,450-seat Harlen C. Hunter Stadium built in 1976 by the St. Louis Cardinals NFL football team as a training camp location. The stadium opened in 1979 and was renovated in 1988, 2004, and 2009.
Lindenwood football began in 1990 and has posted an overall record of 134-121-2. The Lions joined the Mid-States Football Association (five schools in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio), then the Heart of America Athletic Conference on the NAIA level. Lindenwood won three consecutive HAAC championships (2004-07).
The Lions are not totally unfamiliar to the Bearcats. Lindenwood was a member of the MIAA from 2012 when the league expanded from 12 to 16 schools. In their last meeting, Northwest handed the Lions a 38-17 defeat at St. Charles in 2018. Lindenwood now plays football as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
Lindenwood players who are listed as NFL alumni include DeDe Dorsey (RB for Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals), Brian Schaefering (DE for Cleveland Browns), Pierre Desir (CB for Cleveland Browns), 3-time All American Connor Harris (LB for Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals), and Jonathan Harris (DL for Chicago Bears).
2019 GLVC Football Standings
Lindenwood 7-0 9-3
Indianapolis 6-1 9-2
Truman State 5-2 9-2
Missouri S&T 4-3 7-4
McKendree 3-4 5-6
Quincy 2-5 5-6
SW Baptist 1-6 3-8
William Jewell 0-7 1-10
A Mules-Bearcat rematch?
A rematch between MIAA co-champions Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri is still brewing. If both teams win their games this Saturday, then a ???
UCM won their first playoff game since 2010, defeating the University of Indianapolis 37-27 at Warrensburg. The MIAA Offensive player of the year QB Brook Bolles completed 27 of 37 passes for 377 yards in the victory.
The Mules will travel to Big Rapids, Mich., to challenge No. 1 seed Ferris State next Saturday, Nov. 30. The Bulldogs earned a bye in round one of the playoffs as the top seed of Super Region III.
2nd Round Division II Football Playoffs -– Saturday, Nov. 30
Shepherd (10-2) at Slippery Rock (11-0), 1 p.m.
West Florida (9-2) at Valdosta State (10-0), 1 p.m.
Central Missouri (11-1) at Ferris State (10-0), 1 p.m.
Lindenwood (Mo.) (9-2) at Northwest Missouri State (11-1), 2 p.m.
Colorado St.-Pueblo (11-1) at Minnesota State (11-0), 2 p.m.
Texas A&M-Commerce (10-2) at Colorado School of Mines (12-0), 2 p.m.
Notre Dame (Ohio) (11-1) at Kutztown (11-1), TBA
Carson-Newman (9-2) at Lenoir-Rhyne (12-0), TBA
Quarterfinals – Saturday, Dec. 7
Semifinals – Saturday, Dec. 14
Championship – Saturday, Dec. 21 at McKinney, TX