CHADRON, Neb. – Missouri S&T was unable to overcome a 21-point first half deficit in its season opener Saturday, as it dropped a 42-25 decision at Chadron State.

The Eagles took a 21-0 lead in the opening half, but behind the play of quarterback Kason Key (Owasso, Okla./Owasso), the Miners made a couple of runs at Chadron State in the second half.  Key threw three scoring passes in the contest and completed 30-of-55 passes for 380 yards – the second-most ever by an S&T quarterback in a season-opening contest.

Missouri S&T forced a turnover on the Eagles' opening possession of the contest, as Will Brown (Hazelwood, Mo./Hazelwood West) picked off a Jonn McLain pass in the end zone.  However, Chadron State got on the scoreboard the next time it got the ball, scoring the game's initial points on a 10-yard scoring pass from McLain to Kyle Vinich and a two-point conversion.

Chadron State drove inside the Miners' 10-yard line on its next possession, but Daleroy Davey (Kansas City, Kan./Turner) blocked a field goal attempt by Alex Ferdinand to thwart that scoring chance.  The Eagles were able to extend the margin early in the second quarter on Patrick O'Boyle's 22-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Rios.

After the Miners were stopped on a fourth-and-two at the Eagles' 14-yard line, CSC embarked on an 86-yard scoring drive to add to the lead.  McLain threw a 35-yard completion to Vinich to move into S&T territory, before Michael Madkins crossed the goal line on a two-yard run to make it 21-0.

S&T got on the board just before halftime with an 80-yard scoring drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass from Key to Melvin Stovall (Los Angeles, Calif./Lancaster).  Key completed five of his six pass attempts on the drive, including a 30-yard completion to Stovall.  The Miners missed the extra point, however, keeping the score at 21-6 at the end of the half.

Cody Paul's three-yard touchdown run extended the Eagles' lead to 28-6 with just over five minutes to go in the third period after the Miners had another drive stall inside the Chadron State 25-yard line.

S&T answered the Paul touchdown with its best drive of the afternoon, a 13-play, 78-yard excursion that cut the Eagle lead to 28-12.  Key completed passes of 21 yards to Leon Moody (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit HS) and 22 to Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kan./Southeast HS) to move deep into CSC territory, then Zenel Hudson (Bayshore, N.Y./Milford Academy) scored on a four-yard run to complete the drive.  S&T missed the two-point conversion that followed.

Early in the fourth quarter, Madkins mishandled a punt a midfield that S&T's Blake Nivelt (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon) recovered.  Two plays after Hudson picked up a first down on a fourth-and-one play, Key hit Stovall along the sideline for a 28-yard scoring pass to cut the lead to 10, after the Miners missed on the two-point conversion attempt.

But right after the ensuing kickoff, O'Boyle re-entered the game at quarterback and ran 45 yards on a keeper to push the lead to 17 with under nine minutes remaining.

The Miners got back in the end zone again with 6:04 to play when Taylor caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Key to make it 35-25, but the Eagles came right back and scored again on Madkins' 17-yard scoring run – moments after O'Boyle had completed a 32-yard pass to Austen Stephens to move deep into S&T territory.

Stovall, who had nine catches for 150 yards in last year's double overtime contest against CSC, had 10 receptions Saturday for 127 yards and the two scores.  Taylor had seven catches for 91 yards and Moody caught eight for 83.  Zenel Hudson (Bayshore, N.Y./Milford Academy) ran for 57 yards to head the S&T ground game.

Vinich had 10 catches for the Eagles for 151 yards as Chadron State outgained the Miners by a 563-to-486 margin. 

Missouri S&T returns to action next Saturday when it faces Midwestern State in a 7 p.m. game in Wichita Falls, Texas.