The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the 16 teams that made the 2010 Football Championship Series and the first-round matchups. The # 5 Lindenwood football team made the field for the fourth straight season and will host # 10 Saint Francis (Ind.) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles.
The game is rematch of a 2007 first-round matchup in the NAIA Football Championship Series. The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead in that game but Saint Francis’ running game was too much as the Cougars finished with 274 rushing yards in a 35-14 victory.
One big difference this year is that the game will be played in St. Charles, Mo. where the Lions have won 24 straight games and have not lost since the 2006 season.
Lindenwood enters the contest with a 9-1 overall record, with its lone loss being by six points to # 4 MidAmerica Nazarene. The Lions lead the NAIA with 53.9 points and 559.1 total yards of offense a game. Defensively, the Lions are in the top 25 nationally by allowing 18.4 points and 305.2 yards a game.
Saint Francis also enters the postseason with a 9-1 overall record and its only setback was by a 30-6 margin to No. 3 Saint Xavier. The Cougars are in the top 10 in the NAIA in scoring defense, allowing just over 16 points a game. Saint Francis is allowing just 106.2 rushing yards a game, nearly half the amount which Lindenwood averages a contest. Offensively, the Cougars are putting up 34.8 points a game and they are rushing for 211.2 yards a contest.
Lindenwood is in the national field for the sixth time in school history. It has made the national semifinals the last two seasons and advanced to the championship game last year. Saint Francis is in the Football Championship Series for the 12th time, which includes every year from 1999-2008. The Cougars were in the finals in 2004, 2005, and 2006, but have never won a national championship.
Story courtesy of Lindenwood University.