ROLLA,Mo. -- After leading 13-0 at the half, S&T was outscored 27-7 in the second half, losing to the McKendree Bearcats 27-20.
The defenses held up early in the game, with each team having a three-and-out in the 1st quarter. Late in the first the Miners would claim the first points of the game, scoring a touchdown off a 53-yard pass from
Tyler Gioia (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) to
CJ Wiggins (Yuma, AZ/Gila Ridge). The Bearcats would respond with their most successful drive of the first half, going 64 yards in 13 plays, but failing to convert a 4th and 1 at the S&T1 due to a pass break up by
Paulvin Horton (Raleigh, NC/Garner HS).
The offensive struggles would continue for both teams in the second quarter, with both teams combining for just four first downs in the following six drives. With 1:16 left in the half, the Miners put together a 5 play, 70-yard drive that ended in
Justis Braden (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) breaking a couple of tackles to score. The Miners would miss the extra point try after a false start penalty. The Bearcats would move the ball 47 yards in 22 seconds to attempt a field goal that they would miss wide left, leading to a 13-0 score at halftime in S&T's favor.
The Bearcats received the ball to start the third quarter, driving all the way down to the S&T2 before attempting a short field goal that would be blocked by
David Harris (Maidson, TN/Goodpasture Christian). The ensuing Miner drive would only see one first down before needing to punt the ball away. The Bearcats would get their first points of the day on their next drive, marching down the field and scoring on a short 4-yard touchdown pass.
The Miners would go three-and-out on their next drive, leading to the Bearcats getting the ball back to start the fourth quarter. The Bearcats would score on the fourth play of the drive, with quarterback Ty Michael connecting with Jay Ford for a 60-yard touchdown. McKendree's kicker would hit the upright on the extra point try though, making it a tie game at 13-13 early in the quarter.
Another three-and-out by the Miners would get the McKendree offense back on the field quickly. This time running back Eddie Clark had a 47-yard run to get the ball into the red zone, with Michael running the ball in two plays later to give the Bearcats their first lead of the day, 20-13.
Down a touchdown with less than 10 minutes left, disaster would strike for the Miners on the next drive when Gioia fumbled and McKendree recovered the ball at the S&T19. The Bearcats would fail to pick up a first down and settled for a field goal attempt that would be blocked by Harris, his second field goal block of the day.
S&T would tie the game on the next drive, going 78 yards in just over three and a half minutes to set up a 15-yard touchdown reception for Wiggins. The Bearcats would respond with a 72-yard touchdown on their next drive though, putting the Miners behind again.
The Miners would drive to the MCK48 before failing to convert on a 4th and 1, allowing the Bearcats to take possession and run the clock out for a final score of 27-20.
Gioia threw for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Wiggins had 68-yards and 2 touchdowns on two receptions.
Carson Prenger (Jefferson City, MO/Blair Oaks) led the team in tackles with 12, while
Bentley Hart (Brookland, AR/Brookland) had a solid game on the defensive, recording 2 sacks and a tackle for loss.
What's Next
The Miners start a two-game road slate to end their regular season, beginning with a game against Indianapolis next Saturday at 1pm.
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