ST. JOSEPH – Lindenwood (4-7) scored 21 unanswered points in the final five minutes and 20 seconds of its final game as football member of the MIAA conference to come back and spoil Griffon Football’s shot at a seven-win season.
The visiting Lions defeated Missouri Western 27-23 in the final game of the regular season. Missouri Western finished the regular season 6-5, the first winning season since going 6-5 in 2015.
NOTABLES
- Missouri Western led 23-6 after a 21-yard Donnell Hawkins touchdown with 8:03 left in the game
- Lindenwood made it 23-13 with a seven-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 left
- A failed attempt at an onside kick by Lindenwood gave the Griffons the ball at the Lindenwood 41 with 5:20 left, but Missouri Western took a little over a minute off the clock and gained just one yard before Dom Marino punted to the Lindenwood one-yard line
- The Lions rattled off an 11-play, 99-yard drive to pull within three with 2:14 left in the game
- Lindenwood the had a successful onside kick that gave them the ball at the 50
- The Lions had to convert a 4th and five at the MWSU-45 to keep what ended up being the game-winning drive alive. They scored three plays later to take their first lead since early in the second quarter.
- Missouri Western still had a chance with the ball, 36 seconds left and one timeout.
- Three complete passes got the ball from the Missouri Western-25 to the Lindenwood-29
- With one second remaining, Dom Marino completed a pass to Joe Horn Jr. who lateraled to Keylan Mack. Mack was tackled at the three with no time on the clock, leaving the Griffons three yards short of a seventh win on the season.
- Missouri Western had 291 yards of total offense while allowing Lindenwood 424 yards.
- The Griffons were +2 on turnovers with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Lindenwood picked off Marino once
- It was the final home game and regular season game for 16 Griffon seniors who were honored before the game
LEADERS
- Donnell Hawkins led a balanced Griffon rushing attack with 41 yards on four carries, averaging 10.2 per rush
- Marino finished 12-of-34 for 144 yards and an interception
- Kyle Berry had a team-high three catches
- Keylan Mack led the Griffs with 39 receiving yards
- Luke Theis averaged 44.2 yards on five punts
- Tyler Basch was 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, scoring all the Griffons’ points until Hawkins touchdown run in the fourth quarter
- James Huskey led the team with 12 total tackles. Anthony Williams had 11
— MWSU Athletics —