ROLLA, Mo. – Finding themselves in deep trouble in the latter stages of the game Saturday, Missouri S&T put together a rally from a 14-point deficit with under three minutes to play to force overtime – then got a 20-yard field goal from Joe Drahos (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) in the extra period to come away with a 38-35 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.

Drahos' field goal, which was the second game-winning kick of his career at S&T, gave the Miners their only lead in a game that they spent most of trying to overcome deficits. The Miners trailed four different times during the game and were down by 14 after Quadarius Wallace returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown with 8:15 to play in the game.

S&T's Mark Hopkins (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) – who had a 96-yard interception return for a score in the Miners' win last year over the Panthers – brought a punt back 76 yards for a touchdown with 2:43 remaining to draw the Miners to within seven. After the Miner defense got a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:41 to go, S&T put together a 69-yard scoring drive to even the score.

The Miners faced a fourth-and-two on its own 39, but Curterris Golden (Chicago, Ill./John Hope) picked up 14 yards to keep the drive going. Moments later, the Miners got another first down on a completion from Steve Watson (Berkeley, Ill./Walther Lutheran) to Chad Shockley (St. James, Mo./John F. Hodge), then Watson threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game with 33 seconds left when Kevin Dillon (Plano, Texas/Plano East) got behind the defense to haul in his throw in the front of the end zone.

The Panthers elected to take the ball first in overtime and drove to the S&T five-yard line, but Matt Wilson's 22-yard field goal attempt went off the right upright. S&T got a 15-yard run from Smook Thomas (Quincy, Fla./East Gadsden) to move down to the four-yard line. The Miners ended up at the three and Drahos came on to nail the game-winner from 20 yards away.

Kentucky Wesleyan grabbed the early lead on its opening possession, as Chris Owen connected with Vincent Lalonde on a 15-yard touchdown pass. S&T tied it later in the first quarter when Watson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Chad Shockley (St. James, Mo./John F. Hodge) – the seventh consecutive offensive touchdown scored by the senior wideout.

The Panthers moved back in front when Owen threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to DaMarcus Ganaway, but thanks to a 78-yard punt return by Hopkins to reach the Panthers' 10-yard line in the closing seconds of the half, the Miners were able to tie it again at 14 when Watson hit Thomas on a five-yard scoring pass with 11 seconds to go.

KWC reclaimed the lead with a three-play 82-yard drive late in the third quarter. Owen opened the drive with a 52-yard pass to Lalonde, then fired a 24-yard scoring pass to Derek Brown to give the Panthers the lead. The Miners answered that score after Brindin Jordan (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit West) got a piece of Sean Maguire's punt to give the ball to S&T at the Panther 33, as Shockley made a catch-and-run of a pass from Watson to score on the next play.

Lalonde put the Panther back in the lead when he made a diving catch in the end zone of Owen's fourth scoring pass of the afternoon, a 24-yard play with 10:32 left. S&T moved quickly back into Panther territory, but Wallace jumped in front of a Watson pass and brought it back 68 yards to extend the KWC lead to 35-21 with just over eight minutes to go and set the stage for the Miners' late comeback.

The Miners finished with 441 yards of total offense in the contest, as Watson completed 26-of-50 passes for 274 yards and the four scores. Shockley caught 10 passes for 119 yards – moving into second place on the all-time receptions list at S&T in the process – while Dillon and Thomas had six catches apiece including one for a score.

S&T also had a season-high 167 yards on the ground with Golden recording 67 to lead the way. Hopkins, who finished with a team-high nine tackles, also set a school record in the game with his 167 yards in punt returns as he had 231 all-purpose yards.  

The 167 punt return yards broke a mark that had stood since 1952 and is the most by any player in a game at the NCAA Division II level this season as well as tying the high mark at any NCAA player at all levels in 2010 prior to the weekend.

Owen had a huge day throwing the ball for the Panthers (3-4), completing 30-of-57 throws for 408 yards. Lalonde caught nine passes for 157 yards, while Ganaway had eight catches for 139 yards for KWC.

Missouri S&T, now 2-5 on the year, will take on the NAIA's eighth-ranked team, Saint Francis (Ind.), next Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind. Game time will be at 11 a.m. Central time. Saint Francis improved to 6-0 on the year by beating Trinity International 33-6 Saturday.

Listen to the final 2:53 and OT of the game