Here is the N&D wrap-up of another upsetting performance by Missouri Southern last Saturday vs. Lindenwood.
SUMMARY:
In the second quarter, MSSU got something going on offense for the first time in what felt like a LONG time. But a nightmarish stretch of less than two minutes on the game clock saw the game go from 20-13 to 41-13 in favor of Lindenwood and Southern never recovered.
WHEN IT WAS OVER:
In the third quarter. With 6:01 remaining, Lindenwood extended their halftime lead to 27-13. Then, Southern QB Sean Kelly threw a pick six to make it 34-13. Then, MSSU fumbled on second down of the ensuing possession and Lindenwood made it 41-13 two snaps later.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
JUCO transfer RB Caleb Batie was a welcome bright spot for MSSU. The Mississippi-native ran for 151 yards on just 19 carries. That was the most for a Missouri Southern player since quarterback Jay McDowell ran for 225 yards vs Central Missouri on October 5, 2013.
BEST PLAY (MSSU):
Batie took a handoff up the middle, made one man miss and exploded for a 53-yard gain in the second quarter. He was pushed out of bounds inside the 10-yard line and two plays later, Kelly scored the first touchdown of the year for Southern on a QB sneak.
KEY STATS:
Missouri Southern- 33 passing yards. After showing some promise in the passing game vs UNK but, being hampered by drops from receivers, Kelly was off target for most of the night against Lindenwood. Kelly completed just 11-of-24 passes and his longest completion was 12 yards. Cole Dunbar led the home team with four receptions….. for five yards.
Lindenwood- +3 turnover margin. Lindenwood ended up blowing the doors off of this game in the third quarter. But, it won’t be lost on the coaching staffs that this was a highly competitive game until the turnover bug bit Southern.
RESTLESS NATIVES:
Denver Johnson is in his fourth season as the Missouri Southern head football coach. Granted, he was put in a VERY difficult situation in year one after taking over the team in April. But, we have now seen three full recruiting classes and very few players on the field were coached or brought in to Southern by Johnson’s predecessor. That said, it’s getting hard for fans to remain positive and optimistic (see link below) after seeing MSSU drop their first two games by a combined score of 96-13 against two lower-tier MIAA schools. September is not kind to the Lions as they take on three straight nationally-ranked teams to close out the month, starting with No. 5 Northwest Missouri State on the road this Saturday.
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UP NEXT:
The Lions travel to Maryville on Saturday to take on perennial championship contender Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats are 2-0 after handling Washburn, 38-17 last Thursday. Northwest is starting redshirt freshman Braden Wright at QB but, their offense hasn’t missed a beat as they are averaging 438.5 yards per game.
Newman & Duquesne 