ROLLA, Mo. -- Missouri S&T opened the home portion of its 2021 football schedule Saturday afternoon by rolling over Arkansas Baptist at Allgood-Bailey Stadium, racking up 627 yards of total offense and getting touchdowns from seven different players in defeating the Buffaloes 71-0.

Given the opportunity to play a large number of players during Saturday's game, some of those that received extended playing time put up big numbers in the victory.  Freshman running back Josh Sanders (Maize, KS/Maize) led a 392-yard rushing attack by running for 186 yards and three touchdowns, while Gideon Niboh (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) ran for 128 yards that included a 69-yard touchdown run.  Quarterbacks Max Conard (Blue Springs, MO/Blue Springs South) and Luke Hertzler (St. Louis, MO/Parkway North) combined to take all but two of the offensive snaps, going 22-of-32 between them fro 235 yards and four scores.

The Miners (1-1) took any drama out of the game from the outset, running out to a 28-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of action.  S&T scored touchdowns on all four of its first quarter possessions -- a 16-yard touchdown pass from Conard to Josh Brown (Gainesville, FL/North Marion HS), a one-yard scoring run by Aaron Moya (Canutillo, TX/Canutillo), a 24-yard scoring toss from Conard to Gabe Goodwin (Palmyra, MO/Palmyra) one play after the Miner defense recovered a fumble and an eight-yard touchdown reception by Breon Michel (Colorado Springs, CO/Vista Ridge) from Conard.

Sanders recorded the first of his three touchdown runs early in the second quarter when he powered in from the four to give S&T a 35-0 lead that it would take to halftime.

Zach Glaess (Queen Creek, AZ/Queen Creek) kicked three field goals in the third quarter of 49, 39 and 52 yards -- the latter of which was the second-longest in school history -- then the Miners reached the end zone four more times before the contest ended.

Sanders had scoring runs of 20 and 59 yards sandwiched around Niboh's touchdown dash, while the final score came on a nine-yard scoring pass from Hertzler to Rolla native Blaize Klossner (Rolla, MO/Rolla).

S&T's defense, meanwhile, held the Buffaloes (0-2) to just 170 total yards and forced four turnovers, including interceptions from Cameron Clemons (St. Louis, MO/Lutheran North), Carson Prenger (Jefferson City, MO/Blair Oaks) and Peyton Shelton (Ventura, CA/Buena).  Tyris Carr (Huntsville, AL/Johnson) had a team-high five tackles as 31 Miners that saw action recorded at least one tackle in the contest.

Missouri S&T will play at home again next Saturday when it hosts Wayne State (Mich.) in a 1 p.m. contest at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.  Next Saturday's game will be S&T Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day.