Box Score

GOODWELL, Okla. – Missouri S&T took advantage of some mistakes in the punting game to build a 31-point lead in its season opener Saturday night, then held on to come away with a 34-23 victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State for its first season-opening win in six years.

The Miners blocked two punts – recovering both inside the Aggies' five-yard line – and scored touchdowns on both occasions, while also turning a fumbled snap into another touchdown in the opening half of play.

The fumbled snap on the Aggies' second possession of the night was recovered by redshirt freshman linebacker Zach Melber (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) and he returned it 25 yards for the first score of the evening. On OPSU's next possession, another redshirt freshman, Dawan Ferguson (St. Louis, Mo./Riverview Gardens) blocked Sean Livengood's punt and recovered the ball on the Aggie three-yard line.

Adam Clark (Inglewood, Calif./University) went into the end zone on the next play to increase the Miner lead to 14-0.

OPSU got its first good scoring chance in the second quarter when S&T quarterback Josh Firm (Lancaster, Calif./Quartz Hill) fumbled while being sacked, allowing the Aggies to set up shop at the Miner 23-yard line. However, Sean Martin (South Holland, Ill./Seton Academy) ended the drive by intercepting a Kevin Lauchland pass in the end zone.

S&T added to its advantage later in the period when Will Morrison (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) kicked a 43-yard field goal, then John Heineken (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) blocked another OPSU punt and recovered it on the three-yard line with 37 seconds to go in the half. Two plays later, Clark scored from the four.

The Miners led 24-0 at the half despite having just 53 yards of total offense in the first 30 minutes.

S&T added to its lead – and more than doubled its offensive output for the night in the process – when Firm hit freshman wideout Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kan./Southeast HS) down the middle of the field; Taylor took it 72 yards for a touchdown that gave the Miners a 31-0 lead and the game appeared to be headed for a rout.

But on the ensuing kickoff, the momentum began to swing in the Aggies' favor when Darryl Brister returned it to the S&T three-yard line. OPSU got on the scoreboard when Lauchland connected with Justice Paterson on a five-yard touchdown pass on fourth down.

The Aggies would add two more scores in the third period on a 30-yard field goal by Carlos Nieto and a 45-yard scoring run by Travaris Walker to make it 31-17, then after a missed field goal by Morrison that could have pushed the lead to 17, OPSU made it an eight-point game when Lauchland threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Josa Mendoza with 4:59 to play.

After the Miners went three-and-out, the Aggies got the ball back at their own 30 with 2:43 to play, but the Miner defense got sacks from Freddy Dugard (Queens Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and Chris Emesih (Houston, Texas/Westfield) to force OPSU to go on fourth down, where Walker was stopped well short of a first down.

With the Miners facing fourth down with 12 seconds left, Morrison kicked a game-clinching 39-yard field goal for the final margin.

Playing in his first game for the Miners, Firm completed 11-of-21 passes for 159 yards. Smook Thomas (Quincy, Fla./East Gadsden) had five catches for S&T while Taylor had 98 yards on his three receptions. Clark led the S&T ground game with 58 yards.

Defensively, the Miners were led by Emesih with 13 tackles, while Edwin Scott (Alpadena, Calif./LaSalle) and Joe Ridpath (Shelbina, Mo./South Shelby) finished with seven stops apiece.

The Aggies outgained the Miners for the night 312-242.

Missouri S&T, who had not won a season opener since winning at Upper Iowa in 2005, will open its home slate next Saturday when it faces Midwestern State in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.