Box Score ROLLA, Mo. – A thrilling season opener ended in heartbreaking fashion for Missouri S&T Thursday night, as 20^th-ranked Chadron State got a game-ending 79-yard interception return for a touchdown from Lane Haller in the second overtime period to hand the Miners a 40-34 defeat at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.

The back-and-forth affair saw the two teams post just over 1,000 yards of total offense, with the Miners rallying three times from deficits during the course of the night as three players making their first starts in S&T uniforms had huge nights on the offensive side of the ball.

Chadron State got on the scoreboard first after Haller blocked a punt to end the Miners' initial possession.  Glen Clinton scored the first of his three touchdowns on a one-yard run two plays later to give the Eagles the lead.

S&T tied the score in the final minute of the opening quarter when Reed Brown (Rogers, Ark./Heritage HS) fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to Melvin Stovall (Los Angeles, Calif./Lancaster), then took the lead right before the end of the half when Adam Peden (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) connected on a 37-yard field goal.

The Miners extended that lead with just under six minutes remaining in the second quarter with their second scoring drive that covered at least 80 yards, which ended with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Ben Matthews (Platte City, Mo./Platte County).  But an unsportsmanlike conduct on S&T after the touchdown pushed the kickoff back to the 20-yard line – propelling the Eagles on a spurt that allow them to regain the lead.

Starting from their own 36, the Eagles moved 64 yards in a little over three minutes to cut the lead to four when Clinton scored from the three.  On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, the snap went over Brown's head and was recovered by Chadron State; Clinton scored on a two-yard run immediately afterwards to put the Eagles back in front 20-17.

Peden's 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter knotted the score at 20, then the Miners had a chance to take the lead back as they drove to the Eagles' four after Brown completed a 24-yard pass to Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kan./Southeast HS).  However, on the next play, Haller picked off a pass in the end zone to halt S&T's scoring opportunity.

But moments later, the Miners got another chance after forcing a three-and-out and then a low snap on the punt forced Zach Smith to try to run for the first down, but he was brought down at the Chadron State 14 to give the ball back to S&T.

The Miners stayed on the ground, getting a three-yard run by Brown and three straight runs from Zenel Hudson (Bayshore, N.Y./Milford Academy), the last a two-yard scoring run to put the Miners up by seven with 2:57 to play.

Chadron State got a first down to start the next possession, but an illegal forward pass on the play that followed created a second-and-23 situation.  But on the next snap, Clinton darted through the S&T defense for a 55-yard gain that moved CSC to the Miners' 24-yard line.

After another first down, Jonn McLain threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Cody Roes to tie the game with 44 seconds remaining.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Stovall gave the Miners great field position with a 42-yard return to the Eagles' 46.  S&T got to the 29 with six seconds to play, but Peden missed a 46-yard attempt wide to the left to send the game into overtime.

The Eagles got the first possession in overtime and needed only three plays to score as McLain threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Roes.  But the Miners answered right back with a four-play scoring drive, as a 19-yard pass to Stovall set up a one-yard touchdown run by Hudson to even things at 34 apiece.

S&T took possession to open the second overtime and on the second play, Haller jumped in front of a Brown pass and ran down the sidelines 79 yards for the game-ending score.

The Miners finished the night with 504 yards of total offense to 500 for the Eagles.  Brown completed 27-of-40 through the air for 365 yards and ran for another 49; nine of his completions went to Stovall for 150 yards and six more to Taylor for 93.  Hudson finished the night with 126 all-purpose yards, including 96 on the ground and the two scores.

McLain was 37-of-58 for Chadron State for 341 yards, while Clinton finished the evening with 140 yards on the ground.

Junior linebacker Zach Melber (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) finished with a game-high 14 tackles, while Sean Martin (South Holland, Ill./Seton Academy) recorded 10 from his cornerback position.  S&T's defense finished the night with eight pass breakups.

S&T will head to the road for the first time to face sixth-ranked Missouri Western in a 6 p.m. game next Saturday in St. Joseph, Mo.   The Griffons pulled out a 26-23 road win Thursday in their season opener at Central Missouri.