COLUMBIA, Ky. – The No. 7-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team hosts No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan in the Second Round of the NAIA Football Championship Series Saturday at Noon CT at Parnell Family Stadium.
The Blue Raiders (9-1) earned the Mid-South Conference's automatic bid into the NAIA FCS after capturing the regular season championship with a 5-1 record. Lindsey Wilson is making its ninth all-time appearance in the FCS with a 12-7 record. The Blue Raiders are 10-2 all-time in the FCS at Parnell Family Stadium.
Indiana Wesleyan went 9-2 in the regular season, capturing the Mid-States Football Association MidEast Division title, going 5-0. The Wildcats are making their fifth appearance in the FCS. Indiana Wesleyan is 4-4 all-time in the FCS and 0-2 in road FCS games.
Saturday's game features two of the top-10 highest-scoring offenses in the NAIA. The Wildcats average 50.5 points per game, ranking fourth, while the Blue Raiders average 43.6 to rank 10th. Indiana Wesleyan ranks fourth in the NAIA, averaging 528.5 yards per game, while Lindsey Wilson is 14th with 456.1.
The Blue Raiders enter Saturday's matchup with the seventh-best rushing offense, averaging 223.5 rushing yards per game. MSC Offensive Player of the Year
Davontaye Saunders leads the Lindsey Wilson ground game with 1,464 yards on 167 carries and 17 touchdowns. Saunders' 146.4 rushing yards per game rank second in the NAIA, while his touchdowns rank fifth.
Indiana Wesleyan boasts the second-best passing offense in the NAIA with 350.6 yards per game. Quarterback Arjun Lothe was named the MSFA MidEast Most Valuable Player. Lothe leads the Wildcat passing attack with 3,704 yards while completing 60.6 percent of his passes (220-363). He has thrown for 38 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions. Lothe ranks second in the NAIA, averaging 336.7 passing yards per game, and ranks third in touchdowns.
Saturday's matchup is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
This Saturday's match-up will kick off at Noon CT from Parnell Family Stadium. Fans can also tune in to WAIN 101.9 FM or the Lindsey Wilson Sports Network for the live broadcast.
