Lindsey Wilson football, looking to build off historic 2019, wins first game in unprecedented season
COLUMBIA, Ky. (BVM) — Things were a bit different for the Lindsey Wilson College football team when they last took the field. Most noticeably changed for the Blue Raiders was the calendar as the team’s season opener was on Feb. 12 instead of the traditional August or September kickoff. Also different was the lack of supporters in the stands as Blue Raider Stadium will usually see a crowd in the thousands rather than the hundreds they had for their home opener against the University of Pikeville. But these are just the way things had to be in a season still impacted by a COVID-19 environment.
“The biggest word that kept coming to mind for me was surreal,” head coach Chris Oliver said. “It had been going on 15 months since we played a game and to just go through the adjusted spring, the fall and into a winter training camp to play in February, I just think the whole thing was very surreal.”
While their surroundings may have been different, the on-field product was just about where the Blue Raiders left off. In their first game in over a calendar year, the Blue Raiders dismantled the Pikeville Bears 49-0 for the program’s eighth straight season-opening win. The shutout victory also marked only the third time in program history the Blue Raiders kept their opponent out of the endzone. Not bad for a team that hadn’t played an official game since Dec. 2019.
“I really don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited about winning an opening game in a season than this time,” Oliver said. “I was just so proud of our guys and how they handled those things. It was elation to be able to get to game day and see our guys go out there and handle it so well. Aside from clinching championships and some of those things it’s probably as exciting a regular season game we’ve had in our program.”
Led once again by 2019 NAIA First Team All-American running back Jaylen Boyd and 2019 Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division Player of the Year and NAIA All-American honorable mention quarterback Cameron Dukes, the Blue Raiders offense was firing on all cylinders. Boyd would continue to find his way to the end zone with two touchdowns on the ground and rushing for 33 yards. Dukes again showed off his strong arm with 221 passing yards and throwing three touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Terrill Cole had a career day with a personal best eight receptions for 125 yards, his second-highest receiving yardage in a game for his time with LWC.
“Obviously when you have experience at the quarterback position that goes a long way for everybody involved,” Oliver said. “We wanted to focus on execution and that’s the name of the game and I thought our guys handled it really and having experience back at some of those spots is certainly an important aspect to playing well right out of the gate.”
The Blue Raiders defense may have been even more impressive than the offense. Holding the Bears to just 80 total yards, the fewest given up in program history, the Blue Raiders were flying around the field led by redshirt freshman Darius Hylick who led the team with eight tackles and added a half sack in his first college game. Sophomore defensive lineman Ben Kalu led the charge for the LWC defensive front, leading the unit with one and a half sacks. In total, the Blue Raiders would record six sacks and 13 tackles for a loss in the dominating effort.
“It’s very exciting and we just played outstanding football on that side of the ball,” Oliver said. “For us to come out and tackle well, pursue really well and really take a lot of the penalties and sloppiness out of the game for the most part was really encouraging.”
The win moved the program to 8-0 against Pikeville, continuing their sting of dominance over the in-state foe. The win also continues the Blue Raiders’ positive momentum as they look to build on a 2019 unit that saw the team make its first NAIA FCS semifinals appearance and finished No. 4 in the NAIA in the league’s Coaches’ Postseason Top-25 Poll, its highest ranking to end a season in program history.
“I think we’ve come a long way and I think we have an expectation in our program after being here a decade that we’re going to compete for a championship at the conference level and the national level,” Oliver said. “I think that is a goal and that’s a realistic goal for us year in and year out. But, you have to make sure that you don’t lose sight of the things that have allowed you to get there in the past.”
Seeking the program’s fourth Mid-South Conference title, the coaches understand that winning the first game is a big step in the right direction.
“I think with the shortened schedule and the adjustments coming up due to weather and potential COVID challenges, I think getting off to a fast start is probably a bit more magnified and important than normal,” Oliver said. “I think being able to go out and start fast and get that first win under our belt is a big plus for us.”
With their first win in an unprecedented campaign, the Blue Raiders will work to keep their on-field product the same even though their surroundings are strange.
“What I do know is, whether it’s us or one of our competing teams, whoever comes out on top of our conference this year and is able to move on to the playoffs has earned it in a lot of different ways,” Oliver said. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves looking ahead. Obviously, we want that to be us, but we’re just going to continue focusing on the next game.”
