ROLLA, Mo. – A pair of momentum-shifting plays late in the first half swung the tide Saturday night as Truman State knocked off Missouri S&T 44-20 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener for both teams at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.

After falling behind 10-0 after one period of play, the Miners took the lead on a pair of Tyler Swart (Dickinson, TX/Dickinson) touchdown passes, the second to Logan Armontrout (Centralia, MO/Centralia) with 3:31 left in the first half to give S&T a 14-10 lead.

However, Truman's Jordan Salima returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Miners' 15-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Andy Satulla on the very next play that put the Bulldogs back in front.  After the two teams swapped possessions, the Bulldogs backed the Miners to their own one-yard line on a punt in the final minute of the half.

But aided by a roughing the passer penalty and a completion to Braxton Graham (Seneca, MO/Seneca) to the Truman 38, the Miners had a chance to get the advantage back before halftime.  However, Swart's throw to the end zone on the final play of the first half was intercepted by Ben Chaney, who proceeded to dash through the S&T offense for a 97-yard touchdown return to extend the Bulldog lead to 24-14 at the half.

The Miners were held to just 95 yards of total offense in the second half – 81 of which came on their only scoring drive of the half – and the Bulldogs pulled away after the intermission.

Truman started the scoring with a 24-yard field goal by Nick Dolezal after S&T has stopped the Bulldogs three times after they reached the four-yard line on the opening drive of the contest.  Jeremi Ross (Valencia, CA/Hollywood) intercepted a deflected pass to halt Truman's next drive, but the Bulldogs added to their lead by driving 96 yards the next time they got the ball.

That scoring drive included a 60-yard pass by Jaden Barr to Drew Slager that set up Barr's touchdown run from the two.

After a one-of-four start in the passing department, Swart completed all four of his throws on the Miners' next possession – all four to Braxton Graham (Seneca, MO/Seneca) – to get S&T on the scoreboard early in the second quarter.  Following a 21-yard completion on the first play of the quarter and an 18-yard run by Charles Bournes (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park), Swart hit Graham in the flat and he got the ball across the goal line to cut the lead to three following Ben Styron's extra point.

Two drives later, the Miners used their ground game to move down the field with runs on nine of their first 12 plays of the drive.  The 13^th play was the 12-yard completion to Armontrout that gave S&T its first lead of the evening.

But the scoring pass to Armontrout was followed by Salima's kickoff return that set up Satulla's go-ahead touchdown that gave the lead back to Truman.

Truman extended its lead to 30-14 on a five-yard scoring run by Barr, but the Miners cut the lead back to ten on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Swart to Graham, as Graham made a diving catch at the goal line of a ball that went just over the outstretched arm of D'Anthony Knight.  The Bulldog lead stayed at 10 when the Miners were unable to convert a two-point conversion.

The Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter on a nine-yard touchdown run by Salima and a nine-yard fumble return by Jordan Brown after a punt snap was fumbled.

The Miners, who had the advantage in total offense in the first half with 244 yard to Truman's 204, held a six-yard edge at the end of the night with 339 yards to 333 for the Bulldogs.  Swart threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, connecting 12 times with Graham for 136 yards.  Bournes led the S&T ground game with 40 yards.

Truman (2-1, 1-0 GLVC) ran for 199 yards in the game and scored all four of its offensive touchdowns on the ground.

Nate Brown (Webb City, MO/Webb City) and Landon Compton (Lamar, MO/Lamar) led the Miner defense with 10 tackles apiece; Compton had one of the two sacks recorded by S&T.

Missouri S&T (1-2, 0-1 GLVC) will play Saint Joseph's (2-1, 1-0 GLVC) next Saturday in Rensselear, Ind., in a noon contest.  The Pumas won their conference opener Saturday with a 31-26 victory at William Jewell.