COLUMBIA, Ky. – For a second time this season, the Lindsey Wilson football team defeated an NAIA Top 10 opponent at Parnell Family Stadium with a 52-24 victory over No. 8 St. Thomas (Fla.) on Saturday.
The Blue Raiders improve to 3-0 for the first time since the 2022 season. Lindsey Wilson scored over 50 points for the first time since a 57-7 victory over Point (Ga.) in 2023. The Blue Raiders out-gained St. Thomas (1-1) 520 to 445. This marks the first time the Blue Raiders have surpassed 500 yards since September 14, 2024. On the ground, Lindsey Wilson tallied 315 yards on 32 carries in the victory. The Blue Raiders surpassed 300 rushing yards for the first time since October 5, 2024.
Davontaye Saunders and
Stevin Mack led the Lindsey Wilson rushing attack with 161 and 128 yards, respectively. Saunders found the endzone twice in the victory. This marks the first time since November 6, 2021 that two Blue Raiders have rushed for over 100 yards in a game.
For a second consecutive week,
Tate Rice threw four touchdowns. Rice completed 11 of his 20 passes for 205 yards and also had one interception.
Max Gainey caught three passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Khia Sherrard caught four passes for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Mack also added a touchdown reception.
Cameron Rankins led the Blue Raider defense tallying a game-high 11 tackles. Rankins also added 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Khaleb Bridges added eight tackles while
Howie Gant and
Jamarques Frank each had seven.
Ronald Carr recorded a pick-six while Frank forced a fumble.
Lindsey Wilson got the ball to start the game and went 82 yards in 10 plays capped off by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rice to Saunders to take a 7-0 lead. Saunders increased the Lindsey Wilson lead to 14-0 with 5:45 to play in the first quarter on a 75-yard touchdown run. The Bobcats responded with an eight-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a 28-yard field goal from Zach Alvarez.
On the next drive, Saunders recorded his second rushing touchdown going 55 yards to increase the Blue Raider lead to 21-3 with 14:43 remaining in the half. Following a Rice interception, the Lindsey Wilson defense stopped St. Thomas on a fourth down on the Blue Raider 30. Lindsey Wilson capitalized on the stop going 70 yards in nine plays with a 15-yard pass from Rice to Mack to increase the Blue Raider advantage to 31-3 with 23 seconds left before halftime.
On the Bobcats first possession of the second half, Carr picked off the Keely Watson pass taking it 16 yards to the endzone to make it 38-3. St. Thomas responded on the next possession with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Watson to Jaden Fox-Harrington making it 38-10. On the next Blue Raider drive, Rice found Sherrard for 27 yards increasing the lead to 45-10 with 5:03 left in the third quarter. AJ Felton scored from two-yards out to cut the Bobcat deficit to 45-17 with 36 seconds left in the third.
On St. Thomas' first drive of the fourth quarter, Frank forced a fumble at the Lindsey 38 that was recovered by
Jayden Walker. After stopping the Bobcats on fourth down at the Blue Raider 28, Rice found Gainey for 67 yards on the first play of the drive. The Bobcats scored their final points on the next drive on a seven-yard pass from Watson to David Hayes.
The Blue Raiders are back in action next week heading to Waleska, Georgia to take on (RV) Reinhardt (Ga.) at 1 p.m. CT.
