Missouri Southern State Holds Off UNK Football, 24-16

The Missouri Southern State Lions got two interceptions from corner RJ Hill, made three stops inside the 22-yard line and got a couple of big plays from veteran back Nathan Glades to hold off Nebraska Kearney, 24-16, Saturday afternoon in Joplin.

The Lions (3-4, 1-4) beat the Lopers (5-3, 3-3) for a third consecutive season and for a second straight fall at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. Due to inclement weather, kickoff was pushed back to a 3 p.m. start with the sun eventually shining late in the game before the clouds returned.

"I tip my hat to them; they found a way to beat us over the last three years. You look at this game … we throw a pick six, get stopped on the one-yard line, we had penalties. The crazy thing is we still had a chance at the end to get it done," said UNK head coach Ryan Held on the KRVN Radio post-game show.

UNK had huge advantages in yards, 430-264, and plays ran, 77-48, but four turnovers and some big gainers by the Lion offense spelled trouble. A redshirt sophomore, Hill had a 70-yard "pick six" with 10 minutes left in the second quarter to make it 10-0. With UNK down 24-7 late in the game and facing 4th & 10 from the Lion 19-yard line, Hill leaped up at the goal line and thwarted another Loper drive.

Late in the third quarter with MSSU up 17-0 it appeared junior back Stone Wilson (Dodge City, Kan.) rumbled in from three yards out. However, the officials didn't agree and ruled he was down at the half yard line. The Lions stopped quarterback Abram Scholting (Pierce) on fourth down. A 12-play, 53-yard drive ended at the MSSU 22-yard in the first half after a missed field goal.

"During the delay, I thought our minds were right and felt good about it. But we just didn't take care of business, and it gets tougher when you're down 10-0, 17-0," said Held. "This one I'm frustrated about because we did a lot of good things at times. I probably should've challenged the third downplay; I thought we were in. But I really felt like we could get it on fourth down. It's a whole different ball game if we score there or convert the field goal in the first half."

The Lopers still had a chance to tie the contest at 24 as they recorded the program's first safety in five years when backer Parker Wise (Kearney) and end Xavier Morrow (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) tackled receiver Harold Trainer in the end zone at the 5:57 mark. The Lopers then marched quickly, getting a 17-yard scoring pass from QB Daron Bryden (Enfield, Conn.) to redshirt freshman receiver Ryker Evans (Elwood) less than two minutes later.

However, Glades helped salt things when he ran for seven yards on 3rd & 3 from midfield with around 2:15 left. The graduate student, with over 2,400 career rushing yards, made it 24-7 early in the fourth after a nifty 39-yard scoring reception on 3rd & 6. He ended with 64 yards on 17 carries and that one catch. Additionally, true freshman QB Tillman Martin had fourth other completions of at least 12 yards.

"Both sides of the ball we didn't get it done today," said Held. "And in our three losses, we're minus a lot in the turnover column."

Bryden finished 30 of 42 for 276 yards, two TD's and three INT's while running six times for 34 yards. Redshirt freshman Jahmez Ross (Omaha Westside) and Wilson combined for 87 yards on 23 carries with junior receiver Jaden Jude (Athens, Ala.) at six grabs for 82 yards. Wilson also had six catches (44 yards) with Evans and junior Dwayne Moorehead (Chicago) at three apiece.

UNK finished 7 of 16 on third down and 2 of 5 on fourth down while committing eight penalties for 85 yards. The Lions were a combined 5 of 11 on third and fourth down, had no turnovers and just four penalties.

Martin was an efficient 10 of 15 for 175 yards and two scores with veteran receiver Draper Parker and senior tight end Travis Willhite combing for 104 yards on only six receptions. Parker had a one-yard scoring grab with Willhite having a 28-yard catch. Finally for the Lions, backers Colton Bass and Zach Bergmann combined for 15 tackles.

Redshirt sophomore safety Saieed Hasan (Peoria, Ariz.) had seven tackles in his second consecutive start with Wise and Morrow and six stops apiece. Morrow as in on an apparent fumble to being the second half but a video challenge overturned the call. Finally, Morrow had the Lopers lone sack of the day (11 yards) with safety CJ Kuehl (Indianola, Ia.) recording five solo tackles.

The Lopers visit nationally-ranked Northwest Missouri (6-1, 5-0) next Saturday. The Bearcats blasted Fort Hays State today, 52-3.