ROLLA, Mo. – Big plays in the first half and a couple of missed opportunities proved costly to Missouri S&T Saturday night, as the Miners' rally effort from as much as a 24-point deficit came up short in a 38-35 loss to Wayne State (Neb.) at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.
The Miners (0-4) fell behind 24-0 by the early stages of the second quarter as the Wildcats (3-1) scored on four straight possessions to start the game. After the Miners got on the scoreboard on a one-yard scoring run by
Cameren Smith (Claymont, DE/Concord), Wayne State got another big play score to go back up by 24 and built that margin one more time before the first half ended.
S&T made a run at the Wildcats, trimming the margin to three in the final seconds before Wayne State recovered an onside kick to lock up the victory.
Wayne State, who lost in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs a season ago, settled for a 36-yard field goal from Boston Hensley on the opening possession of the game, then rode the right arm of quarterback Nick Bohn to build their big lead.
Following a missed field goal by the Miners on their initial possession, the Wildcats drove 80 yards and reached the end zone when Bohn connected with running back Dawson Forgy on a 28-yard touchdown pass. Bohn then threw scoring passes of 27 and 39 yards to Jadon Johnson to extend the lead to 24-0 before two minutes had elapsed in the second quarter.
S&T answered back with its first touchdown of the night, which was set up when
Tyler Gioia (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) connected with
Blaize Klossner (Rolla, MO/Rolla) for 18 yards on a third down play and then hit
CJ Wiggins (Yuma, AZ/Gila Ridge) for 23 more on the next play to reach the Wildcat six-yard line. Smith crashed over from the one three plays later to get the Miners on the scoreboard.
However, Wayne State wasted little time answering back as two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Bohn hit Kendrick Watkins-Hogue down the sideline on a 72-yard touchdown pass to restore the WSC 24-point advantage.
The Miners closed the margin to 31-14 following a touchdown pass from Gioia to
Justis Braden (Liberty, MO/Liberty North), then forced a Wayne State punt that was blocked by
David Harris (Maidson, TN/Goodpasture Christian). However, the loose ball was touched by a Miner beyond the line of scrimmage and recovered by the Wildcats at the S&T 23-yard line leading to Bohn's fifth scoring pass of the half when he hit Trevor Marshall for a 23-yard touchdown with 36 seconds to play before the intermission.
S&T opened the second half with an impressive 11-play, 78-yard scoring that took over six minutes and culminated with a 24-yard scoring pass from Gioia to CJ Jarmon. The Miners drove into Wayne State territory again on their next possession and reached the 12-yard line, but Gioia had a pass picked off in the end zone to end that scoring chance.
The next time the Miners got the ball, which came after a Wayne State punt that didn't cross midfield, S&T capitalized on that chance as Gioia and Jarmon connected again on a nine-yard touchdown pass to get the margin down to 10 with 8:11 to play. S&T got the ball back after a shanked punt at the Wayne 45, but Tate Hinrichs picked off a deflected pass to end that threat.
The Miners did reach the end zone again in the final minute, as Smith scored on a one-yard run with 19 seconds to go, but the Wildcats were able to pounce on the onside kick before it reached 10 yards to clinch the win.
S&T finished with a season-high 482 yards of total offense, with GIoia completing 22-of-33 passes for 307 yards.
Reid Weber (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) had six catches totaling 111 yards, while Jarmon and Braden each had five receptions and had all three of the Miner touchdown receptions. Smith, meanwhile, reached the 100-yard mark for the first time this season with 136 yards on 21 carries. The Miners ran for 175 yards in the game.
Matt Brenneisen (Springfield, IL/Sacred Heart Griffin) had eight tackles to lead S&T's defense and
Derrick Thomas (Dallas, TX/South Oak Cliff) finished with seven, but Gioia's counterpart – Bohn – was 19-of-25 for 378 yards and the five touchdowns. Johnson had 153 yards on his five receptions in the game.
The Miners will seek to pick their first win as Great Lakes Valley Conference play begins next Saturday, as S&T will host 16
th-ranked Indianapolis at Allgood-Bailey Stadium. The annual Miner Hall of Fame contest will get underway at 6 p.m.
