Michael Lindauer passed for a school-record seven touchdowns Saturday in Carbondale in SIU’s 62-0 victory against Murray State. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
In his final game – and first career start — in a Southern Illinois uniform, Michael Lindauer had one of the best days by a quarterback in school history Saturday.
The Salukis’ sixth-year QB turned graduate assistant coach turned QB again threw for a single-game school record seven touchdowns in a 62-0 season-ending victory against Murray State.
“I know I’m going to have to send (former SIU QB) Nic Baker a text here shortly,” Lindauer joked. “To be able to have a finish like that is pretty fun.”
The Salukis ended the season with a 4-8 overall record (2-6 Missouri Valley Football Conference) and two victories in their last three games. Murray State fell to 1-11, 0-8.
Lindauer was the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for SIU. He took every rep in practice this week, according to SIU head coach Nick Hill, in relief of injured true freshman Jake Curry.
Lindauer, who appeared in only one game over the past three seasons in Carbondale, chose to leave the team over the summer for a graduate assistant role on the SIU football staff.
When D.J. Williams and Hunter Simmons both got injured earlier this season, that pressed Lindauer into service.
“That’s a story we’re always going to remember,” Hill said. “That will be a hard record to beat.”
Lindauer’s seven TDs surpassed the record of six in a game set by Mark Iannotti in 2014 and Sherard Poteete in 1999.
Lindauer threw five first-half TDs, including two each to receivers Bradley Clark and Nah’Shawn Hezekiah. Fellow receiver Keontez Lewis also finished with two TD catches.
Lindauer wasn’t the only newcomer to shine Saturday as redshirt freshman wide receiver Allen Middleton, playing running back against Murray, carried the ball 15 times for 124 yards.
Game changers
1:34, 1st quarter: Lindauer connected on a 35-yard scoring pass to Clark for a 13-0 lead.
9:21, 2nd quarter: Linebacker Chris Presto intercepted Murray QB Jayden Johannsen at the Murray 38. Three plays later, SIU scored to go ahead 27-0.
3:11, 3rd quarter: Lindauer broke the school record for TD passes in a single game with his seventh – a 1-yard toss to Jay Jones.
What it means
SIU ends the season with a 4-8 record and won two of its last three games of the season.
Top Dawgs
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Lindauer, QB: The QB turned graduate assistant coach turned QB threw seven TDs.
Middleton, RB: A wide receiver on the roster, Middleton led the Salukis in rushing.
Lewis, WR: He led the Salukis with 104 receiving yards and five catches.
What’s next?
The Salukis are scheduled to open the season Sept. 6, 2025 at Purdue, according to FBSchedules.com.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
Prairie State Pigskin 
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