Talk about a retired player’s comeback power! Nobody expected it. All that Southern Illinois was looking for was someone to step in as their signal caller after their QB room was “decimated by injuries.” But in this time of adversity rose a knight who came out of his retirement shell to assist Nick Hill and co. Little did anyone know that Michael Lindauer would surpass all the QBs this season and all those before them. 

Even in retirement, Michael Lindauer swooped in to rescue the Salukis from the shame of a QB deficit. ESPN College Football made a YouTube post on November 27 to laud the epic comeback of the graduate assistant with the post, “Graduate assistant unretires, starts at QB on Senior Day, and set a school record for passing TDs.” He threw for a whopping seven touchdowns in their clean 62-0 final season game victory against Murray State. 

What could be worse than a 4-8 record? QB dilemma! In addition to their lackluster record, Southern Illinois may have one of the most severe QB issues this season. They ran out of quarterbacks! The Salukis used their first and second string QBs as they saw three different players start in ten games. Michael Lindauer made his first season appearance in the previous game against FCS powerhouse South Dakota State where they lost 41-10. But it was on Senior Day at Salukis Stadium that displayed the hidden talent of this player.

The intrigue is that Michael Lindauer retired from college football last spring. The reason is that he never attempted a collegiate pass. But the last game showed that football just might be his niche. With his seven TDs, he broke the records of former SIU QBs Mark Iannotti and Sherard Poteete who both recorded six TDs. We gotta raise our glasses to this unseeming hero.

Michael Lindauer becomes a hero overnight 

Michael Lindauer joined the SIU coaching staff heading into 2024. But he was also the backup to true freshman Jake Curry who started four games before going out due to a hamstring injury in Week 10. The Evansville native earned respect in the second quarter against Murray State hyping up the Salukis fans as he recorded four TDs, including an impressive 65-yard TD pass beautifully received by Keontez Lewis. 

Lindauer finished with a completion rate of 60.6%, completing 20 of 33 passes for 283 yards, seven TDs, and zero interceptions in his first and last career start. Following this record-breaking performance, he was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week. With a 4-8 record, they won’t be seeing the playoffs as they call off their 2024 regular season with Saturday’s game. But we can be certain that Lindauer will continue to be in the news.