ST. JOSEPH — The Missouri Southern football team outplayed Missouri Western in nearly every aspect of the game, but couldn’t complete the fourth-quarter comeback as the Lions fell 43-34 on the road today against the Griffons.
Southern (1-5, 1-5 MIAA) out gained Western (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) 597-457 and ran 95 plays to the Griffons’ 61. The Lions nearly tied the single-game record for plays in a game, coming just two plays short of the record of 97 set in 2004. Southern went 11-of-17 on third down and 2-of-4 on fourth down in the game and held a time of possession advantage of nine minutes.
Charles West tied a single-game record for receptions by a running back as he had ten for 92 yards. He also picked up 137 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, including a long run of 44 yards in the game. Josh Mercer ran for 61 yards in the game, while Benjamin Phillips caught five passes for 108 yards. Brian Boyd Jr. had five catches for 73 yards.
Jacob Park went 29-of-48 for 398 yards and he added 29 yards on the on the ground and two touchdowns.
Loren Young had a pair of sacks for a loss of 17 yards, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. It is the first time since 2015 a player has had multiple sacks in a game for the Lions. Tyler Evans had nine tackles and a pass break up, while John Ejizu, Malachi Broadnax and Richard Jordan Jr had six tackles each.
Southern got on the board first when West capped off an 18-play, 87-yard drive near the end of the first quarter with a five-yard score.
The Griffons answered right back and the score after one was tied at seven.
After Western went up 13-7, Park finished off a nine-play drive this time with a six-yard plunge into the endzone to tie the game at 13 with 5:24 left in the second.
The Griffons added two more scores in the second, a touchdown and a field goal to go up 23-13 at halftime.
Southern got within three (23-20) after West’s second touchdown of the game with just under ten to go in the third and after another Western field goal, the Lions went ahead on West’s third touchdown of the game, this time from four yards out to cap an eight play, 77-yard drive, putting the Lions up 27-26 with 5:29 to go in the third.
Western added two more scores, a field goal and a touchdown, before Park capped another long drive (six plays, 75 yards) with a one-yard score to get the Lions within two (36-34) with 11:16 to go in the fourth, but a score from the Griffons on the next possession proved to be the game-winner.
The Lions will be back in action next week as Southern plays host to Washburn for its annual Hall of Fame game. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium is slated for 4 pm.
