Box Score ROLLA, Mo. – In a game of momentum swings, a critical one early in the second half proved to be decisive for Missouri S&T as it reached the .500 mark for the first time this season by knocking off McKendree 31-21 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.

Leading 10-7 as the second half began, McKendree's Branden Walker returned the kickoff 87 yards to the Miners' seven-yard line.  But the Miner defense got a stand, stopping quarterback Isaac Fisher short of the goal line on fourth down to give the ball to S&T.

From there, the Miners embarked on a 99-yard scoring drive – which concluded with Peter Simpson (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh)'s 26-yard scoring pass to Melvin Stovall (Los Angeles, Calif./Lancaster) to start a 21-0 run by the Miners to start the second half and give them an insurmountable 31-7 lead.

The Bearcats struck first in the contest, taking advantage of an interception by Jabaree Winston that he returned to the Miner 29.  On the first play of the second quarter, Fisher connected with Zac Dixon for a 23-yard touchdown pass to put McKendree in front.

S&T answered right back, as Simpson completed a fourth down pass to Leon Moody (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit HS) to keep the drive going and overcame a bad snap on a second down play at the McKendree two-yard line to get into the end zone on the play that followed, a 10-yard scoring toss from Simpson to tight end Jake Giljum (St. Louis, Mo./Bishop DuBourg).

The Miners took the lead in the final minute of the first half when Zach Melber (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) picked off a Fisher pass in McKendree territory, leading to a 21-yard field goal by Adam Peden (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) that gave S&T its 10-7 halftime lead.

When the Miners got the ball after the goal line stand, they used the running game to get out of the shadows of their own goal posts with runs on four of the first five plays.  Simpson then completed three straight passes – two to Stovall and one to Leon Moody (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit HS) – to cover the final 73 yards of the drive to reach the end zone.

Following the Stovall touchdown reception, the Miner defense made another big play as Nick Kruse (Cuba, Mo./Cuba HS) forced a fumble on a sack of Fisher and Melber returned the loose ball 43 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 24-7.  Then after an S&T fumble on a punt return, the Miners got the ball right back on an interception by Sean Martin (South Holland, Ill./Seton Academy) that started a 39-yar drive that concluded with a Simpson touchdown run from the five.

McKendree clawed back into contention with a pair of scoring drives, one that ended with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Nick Jones and the other on a seven-yard scoring pass  to Rueben Bowlby, but the Miner defense buckled down on the next possession with a sack on second down that led to a punt.

The Bearcats' last chance reached the S&T 22, but Steven O'Block missed a 39-yard field goal with 1:31 to go that would have cut the lead to one possession.

Missouri S&T finished the game with 354 yards of total offense to 338 for McKendree.  Simpson completed 20-of-30 passes for 235 yards and the two touchdown passes, with eight of the passes going to Stovall for 100 yards.  The Miners had 119 yards on the ground as DeSoto Dickson (Florissant, Mo./Trinity Catholic) and Chris Kennard (Plano, Texas/Parish Episcopal) finished with 49 yards apiece.

Chris Emesih (Houston, Texas/Westfield) finished with 12 tackles to lead the S&T defense that also recorded five sacks to go with the two interceptions.

Fisher was 23-of-38 through the air for the Bearcats (3-6, 2-4 GLVC) for 242 yards.

The Miners, now 5-5 overall and 4-2 in the GLVC, will close the 2013 season next Saturday when they host Quincy in a 1 p.m. game at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.  Next week's game will be Fort Leonard Wood/Military Appreciation Day at Missouri S&T and the Miner seniors will be honored prior to the game.