ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's football team will make its first appearance of the season at Allgood-Bailey Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Miners will take on Arkansas Baptist in a 1 p.m. contest.

The Miners are looking to bounce back from a 34-31 loss last Thursday at South Dakota School of Mines, as a furious rally in the fourth quarter came up short.  The Miners cut 21 points off a 24-point deficit in the final 15 minutes, but ran out of time when they got the ball back deep in their own territory with under a minute to play.

Mistakes were a key element in the setback, as the Hardrockers scored twice directly off of turnovers and also blocked a punt that set up another score.  S&T's defense had a solid showing, allowing just 376 total yards and holding Mines to a completion percentage mark of under 50 percent.

Ben Straatmann (Washington, MO/Washington) had 12 tackles and two for a loss to lead the defensive effort, while Justin Onwugbufor (Wichita, KS/Northwest) recorded 11 stops in the game.  Onwugbufor enters Saturday's game just 15 tackles away from 10^th place on the Miners' all-time tackle list as he has made 239 in his Miner career.

Last week's loss spoiled a pair of huge performances by the Miners on an individual basis.  Breon Michel (Colorado Springs, CO/Vista Ridge) hauled in nine passes for 169 yards – both career highs – and became the first Miner ever to make three touchdown receptions in a season opener.  Meanwhile, Aaron Moya (Canutillo, TX/Canutillo) had his fourth 100-yard game in succession with 128 yards on the ground, which included a 47-yard touchdown run as part of the fourth quarter comeback effort.

Quarterback Brennan Simms (Punta Gorda, FL/Charlotte) completed 22-of-41 passes for 317 yards and the three scores as he continues to move up the career passing lists at Missouri S&T.

ABOUT ARKANSAS BAPTIST:  The Buffaloes are in their first season as a four-year football program – playing as a member of the NAIA – and dropped its opening game on August 28 at Tabor 29-14.  Arkansas Baptist was held off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, when it drew to within eight on a pair of touchdown passes from Laron Rosboro to Jamar Guy before the Blue Jays scored a late touchdown to pull away.

Rosboro, who shared the quarterbacking duties with Gabriel Winston in the game, completed 10-of-22 passes for 196 yards and the two scores, but was also sacked seven times.  He connected on a 75-yard scoring pass to Guy for the first score, then threw a 43-yard pass to Jakob Park to set up the second touchdown throw.  Arkansas Baptist finished the game with 232 yards of total offense, 199 of which came through the air.  Dez Newton had 59 yards to lead the Buffaloes.

Despite spending most of the game on its side of the 50-yard line, Arkansas Baptist held Tabor to just 265 total yards in the game and forced the Blue Jays to attempt eight field goals.  Linebacker Sammy Hawthorne had 11 stops to lead the way, while defensive end Jaylon Sanders had 2.5 tackles for a loss among his seven stops.

In the loss to Tabor, the five of every seven Blue Jay plays were ran in Arkansas Baptist territory and the Buffaloes did not punt at any point in the contest.  Arkansas Baptist converted five times in 13 tries on fourth down, but was just one-of-16 on third down.