ROLLA, Mo. – Truman State jumped out to a three-touchdown lead and held off Missouri S&T to defeat the Miners 24-14 Saturday afternoon in S&T's season finale at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.
The Bulldogs (9-2, 5-2 Great Lakes Valley Conference) took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, then added to its lead on a 17-yard fumble return for a score by Jack Weltha as it earned a share of second place with McKendree in the final conference standings. S&T finished in fourth place – matching the pre-season prediction in the coaches poll – with a 4-3 conference mark and ended the season at 4-7 overall.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Bulldogs opened a drive at the S&T 28-yard line after a punt and scored three plays later as quarterback Nolan Hair ran 16 yards for the score.
Truman scored the next time it got the ball, driving from its own 11 to got up by two scores. Mason Huskey had a 39-yard run to the Miner 10-yard line to set up a 13-yard scoring pass from Hair to Christopher Kerr in the back of the end zone to make it 14-0 late in the first half.
Both teams punted to open the second half, then the Bulldogs added to their advantage when on a third down play, Weltha got through the line and stripped the ball away from S&T quarterback
Tyler Gioia (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) and took it 17 yards for a touchdown.
The Miners got on the scoreboard on the final play of the third quarter. Two plays after a scoring pass to
CJ Wiggins (Yuma, AZ/Gila Ridge) was called back due to a penalty, S&T reached the end zone on a 27-yard completion to
Reid Weber (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell).
Truman got a 38-yard field goal from Grant Ross early in the fourth quarter before the Miners closed out the scoring in the final minute of play when Gioia connected with
Blaize Klossner (Rolla, MO/Rolla) on a 16-yard scoring pass.
The Bulldogs outgained the Miners 303-234 in the contest and ran for 175 of those yards, getting 88 from Huskey and 58 more from Hair.
Gunnar Palacios (Canyon, TX/Canyon) completed 10-of-11 passes for 56 yards before having to leave the game due to an injury, while Gioia was 15-of-23 for 147 yards and the two scoring passes. Klossner had five receptions for 57 yards, while Wiggins, CJ Jarmon and Braden also had five catches apiece.
Carson Prenger (Jefferson City, MO/Blair Oaks) led the Miners defense with 10 tackles and
Derrick Thomas (Dallas, TX/South Oak Cliff) finished with eight, while
Paulvin Horton (Raleigh, NC/Garner HS) had three pass breakups to go along with his four tackles.
