ST. CHARLES, MO. – Charleston Southern fell to Lindenwood on the road on Saturday by a final score of 29-14 A pair of defensive touchdowns for the Buccaneers at the end of the first half highlighted the team's day.
Lindenwood was able to get on the scoreboard first with the run game moving the Lions down the field and getting a 34-yard field goal to make it 3-0. On the Bucs' opening drive, a high throw by CSU on third down bounced off the hands of a player into the arms of a Lindenwood defensive back inside the redzone. The Lions were able to use the short field and run into the endzone, expanding their lead to 10-0 with 6:55 remaining in the first quarter.
Lindenwood was able to continue to keep the pressure up on the Buccaneers, doubling their lead in the second quarter. They knocked in a 21-yard field goal with 7:19 left and had Cortezz Jones punch it in from two yards out with 1:54 remaining.
On the ensuing possession, the Buccaneers went three and out with the Lions calling timeouts to preserve the clock. On the first play of their drive, Charleston Southern's
Trayson Fowler broke on the pass and was able to intercept it and return it to the endzone for a pick six and the first defensive touchdown of the year for the squad with 1:19 on the clock.
Lindenwood got the ball back and on the third play of the drive CSU's
Dylan Manuel knocked the ball loose from the Lions' quarterback Nate Glantz on a designed run.
Ja'Kobe North scooped the ball off the turf and brought it all the way to the endzone for the Bucs' second score in seconds and back within a single possession with the score at 20-14 going into the halftime break.
The Lions were the only team that was able to score in the second half with them knocking in field goals from 37 yards out in the third quarter and 22 and 27 yards out in the fourth quarter to bring the score to 29-14.
The Buccaneers turned the ball to
Kaleb Jackson in the fourth quarter to switch up the player under center and later went back to McCoy on the final two drives.
Autavius Ison led the team in the running game with 14 carries for 79 yards. Rob McCoy finished the day going 14-23 for 98 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Noah Jennings hauled in five passes for 33 yards while
Chris Rhone had four catches for 46 yards. Steve Zayachowsky and
Justin Waters were the leading tacklers with eight on the day and
Darrius Bell added seven.
Charleston Southern returns home for their next game which will be against one of the top teams in the conference and nation in #11/9 Southeast Missouri State. The kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. inside Buccaneer Field with the game to also mark the Athletics Hall of Fame weekend for the university. They will be inducting four former CSU student-athletes in this year's class with the group including Anthony Ellis (football), Bobby Ison (baseball), Jana Matthews-Chitters (softball) and Roger Nielsen (baseball/benefactor).
