MISSOURI WESTERN UNANSWERED FOURTH QUARTER POINTS DOWN SBU, 42-28

September 11, 2004

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Bolivar, MO. ... A crippling fourth quarter by Southwest Baptist University (2-1/0-1) gave Missouri Western (2-1/1-0) the edge as the Griffons went on for a 42-28 win over the Bearcats in the MIAA opener. MWSC scored 14 unanswered points in the last six minutes of the game for the victory.

SBU's Robert Clardy led the team in rushing wtih 84 yards and threw for 158 yards. For the second game in a row, freshman Nick Smart was the leading receiver with 79 yards on seven catches. Smart, Marco Kirven, Deon Boykin, and JoJo Rawls each scored for the Bearcats. MWSC quarterback Michael Cooper threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 41 yards. Defensively, Craig Edwards had 10 tackles and one interception to lead SBU. Michael Pearl also had an interception. Brigham Rowe and Josh Trimble shared a sack.

Just over a minute into the fourth quarter, the Bearcats tied the game at 28 on a 14-yard pass to Nick Smart. The Griffons then drove to the SBU 48 but the drive ended in a punt to the SBU 11-yard line. After a SBU first down, the Bearcats stalled on their own 30-yard line. On Bowers 32-yard punt, MWSC returned the ball to the SBU 42-yard line and then a Bearcat face mask added another 15-yards to give the Griffons a first-and-10 just 27-yards away from the Bearcat endzone.

SBU's defense stopped the Griffons on the first three plays to bring a fourth-and-four. On the very next play, MWSC quarterback Michael Cooper was almost sacked but escaped to find Jarrett Brooks in the endzone on a 21-yard pass for the 34-28 advantage. The extra point was missed to only give the Griffons a six-point lead.

The Bearcats went three-and-out to give the Griffons the ball on the SBU 35. Four plays later, MWSC broke the Bearcats back as Nick Richardson rushed for a 15-yard touchdown with 2:34 left to play in the game.

On the opening series of the game, SBU took the ball away from MWSC just three plays in when Ulexis Williams forced a fumble and then returned it 17-yards to SBU the ball just two minutes into the game on the MWSC 17-yard line. Three plays later, Boykin rushed in from eight yards out to give SBU a 7-0 lead.

SBU kept the lead until the 9:25 mark in the second quarter when LaMont Theus punched in a two-yard run to tie the game at seven. Two plays into the next SBU drive, MWSC tipped Clardy's pass at the line and the Griffons' Scoprio Horn came up with the tip for the interception. Just three plays later, Coooper passed for this first of three touchdowns to put MWSC up 14-7.

The Bearcats answered back with their own eight-play, 67-yard drive that ended on a Kirven two-yard run. A Clardy 30-yard pass to Smart on a third-and-two kept the drive going and then on another third down Clardy hit DeWitt Johnson to give SBU a first and goal.

On the ensuing kickoff, Rawls forced MWSC' Greg Carbin to fumble the ball and SBU's Cole Endres recovered the ball on the MWSC 28-yard line and gave SBU the chance to retake the lead. Freshman JoJo Rawls then took over the drive as he had one catch for a yard and three rushes for 26 yards and the go ahead td run from two-yards out.

After MWSC returned the kickoff to their own 36-yard line, the Griffons had two big plays in a row to set up a first-and-goal from the five-yard line. On second and goal, Cooper found Schoonover to tie the game at 21.

Starting the third quarter with the ball, SBU drove to the MWSC six-yard line but could not find the goal line. Ryan Smith came on to attempt a 22-yard field goal but the Griffons broke through to block the kick and keep the score knotted at 21.

After stopping MWSC on the next drive at the SBU 22, SBU didn't do anything on their next drive but recovered a fumble on Bowers' punt as Schoonover fumble the ball at the SBU 47-yard line. Two plays later, SBU handed the ball back to the Griffons on a Kirven fumble at the SBU 48. MWSC took advantage of the situation and four plays later Nick Richardson dove in from nine-yards out for a 28-21 lead.

With 13:44 to go in the game, Smart caught a 14-yard Clardy pass to tie the game at 28 before MWSC scored 14 unanswered points.

SBU forced three fumbles from MWSC and recovered all three but the Bearcats also gave up two fumbles. SBU also recorded two interceptions.

The Bearcats will now face #4 Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, on Saturday, September 18, at 2 p.m.