Box Score

URBANA, Ohio – A 94-yard interception return to close the first half swung the tide of a tight contest in favor of Urbana, as the Blue Knights ended Missouri S&T's three-game winning streak Saturday with a 42- 7 victory.

The Miners started a possession in Blue Knight territory in the final minute of the first half after Jon Vance (Marshalltown, Iowa/Marshalltown) blocked a punt, but with time running out in the first half, Juan McKeever jumped in front of a Josh Firm (Lancaster, Calif./Quartz Hill) pass heading to the end zone and look it back along the sideline nearly the length of the field to give Urbana a 21-7 lead at the intermission.

S&T took the football to open the game and took an early gamble on a fourth-and-two from the Urbana 40-yard line, but was stopped short of the first down.  The Blue Knights took advantage by driving 59 yards for the first score of the contest, with quarterback D.J. Mendenhall scoring on a seven-yard run.

Urbana added to its lead on its next possession, as Brandon Jackson's five-yard scoring run capped a 65-yard drive that gave the Blue Knights a 14-0 lead as the first quarter ended.

With the wind at its back in the second quarter, S&T got on the scoreboard at the 11:48 mark as Firm – under pressure – completed a 46-yard scoring pass to a well-covered Joseph Hyman (Los Angeles, Calif./Palisades).  The Miner receiver made the catch, then wrestled away from the defenders to get into the end zone.

S&T was unable to mount a significant drive into Urbana territory over the balance of the first half after the Hyman touchdown until getting the ball at the Blue Knight 36 after the blocked punt.  Firm completed a pass to the 23 to Kevin Dillon (Plano, Texas/Plano East), but threw the fateful interception three plays later.

After the interception return by McKeever, the Blue Knights added to their lead on a two-yard scoring run by David Hill, a touchdown set up by a 34-yard pass from Mendenhall to Matt Hightower on a third-and-eight play.

The Miners drove into Urbana territory after a 23-yard run by Curterris Golden (Chicago, Ill./John Hope) when they got the ball back and eventually got to the Blue Knight 17-yard line.  However, an eight-yard loss on third down forced S&T to settle for a field goal attempt, then a low snap forced the Miners to abort that effort and lose possession.  Mendenhall proceeded to throw a 61-yard scoring pass to Joe Webb on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 35-7.

Urbana added one more score before the game concluded on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Evan Gehlert to Marc Johnson.

Missouri S&T finished the afternoon with 291 yards of total offense to the Blue Knight's 448, but had just 70 on the ground after running for over 100 as a team for five consecutive weeks.  Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) led S&T with 46 yards on 11 carries.

Firm completed 15-of-28 passes on the day for 180 yards, with Hyman catching a team-high five passes for 84 yards and the touchdown.

Mendenhall accounted for 251 yards of offense for the Blue Knights, throwing for 211 as he was 12-of-17 through the air.

The Miners, who dropped to 5-4 with the loss, will play their final home game of the season next Saturday when they host Saint Joseph's in a 1 p.m. at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.