RELEASE – MACOMB, Ill. – A 22-yard touchdown pass from Jaden Johnson to Isaac Smith with 6:39 to play gave visiting Missouri State the lead for good and sealed a 30-24 comeback victory for the Bears over Western Illinois here Saturday in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams.
Smith’s grab capped the game-winning, 92-yard scoring drive for MSU (1-3, 1-0 MVFC) and came on the heels of a 74-yard strike from Johnson to Damoriea Vick one play earlier that took the visitors from the shadow of their own goal line all the way to the WIU 22.
The Bears tacked on a 33-yard field goal by Jose Pizano less than three minutes later to give them a six-point cushion down the stretch. Pizano’s third field goal of the afternoon came after a momentum-shifting interception by Kevin Ellis moments earlier.
Ellis closed out the game with a forced fumble on a sack of WIU quarterback Henry Ogala and the ensuing fumble was recovered by Eric Johnson in the game’s closing moments. Ellis also finished the contest with 6 total tackles and a pair of sacks.
Bears quarterback Johnson finished the afternoon 18-of-28 passing for 278 yards and his first career passing touchdown. Vick was his favorite target on the day, as he reeled in 6 receptions for a career-high 138 yards. Smith added a pair of pass receptions for 48 yards in the winning cause.
The verdict was in jeopardy at the game’s midway point with Missouri State squandering an early 14-0 advantage, and Western Illinois turning three MSU second-quarter turnovers into 17 points to take a three-point lead at the intermission.
But in the third quarter, coach Bobby Petrino’s squad pinned WIU deep in its own territory and held the Leathernecks to 6 total yards on 9 plays in the period. Meanwhile, Pizano’s 37-yard field goal on Missouri State’s opening drive of the second half tied the game, and his 43-yarder to open the fourth gave the Bears a 20-17 lead.
Midway through the fourth, Western Illinois found a foot hold and capitalized on three huge third-down conversions to retake the lead. Two key third-down penalties on the Bears extended the drive before Tony Tate gave WIU a 24-20 lead with 7:56 to play on a two-yard carry.
On Missouri State’s next drive, the two game-changing passes from Johnson to Vick and Smith erased the brief advantage for the home side and helped cement the victory for Missouri State.
On the afternoon, the Bears out-gained Western Illinois by a 433-329 margin and racked up 21 first downs, including 11 through the air.
The Bears defense surrendered just 48 rushing yards on 30 carries – 1.6 yards per carry – and gave up just one rushing first down.
In his first start, Celdon Manning was MSU’s top rusher, gaining 69 yards on 16 touches, while Jeremiah Wilson carried much of the load in the second half, finishing with 54 yards on 10 carries.
Western Illinois quarterback Connor Sampson completed 34-of-46 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown with Dennis Houston reeling in 9 catches for 71 yards for the home side. Tate also caught 6 passes for 69 yards for WIU.
In an action-packed first half, the Bears used their ground game to jump out to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter with back-to-back touchdown drives.
Missouri State took a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard touchdown run by Manning to cap a 79-yard march just over 10 minutes into the game. The score was set up with a 29-yard pass completion from Johnson to Jordan Murray to the WIU 34. Manning carried 20 yards on the next play to the 14, and a subsequent roughing the passer penalty pushed the Bears to a first and goal to set up Manning’s score.
Murray’s catch extended his streak to 24 consecutive games with a pass reception.
On the Bears next possession, Wilson’s 11-yard touchdown run gave the visitors a two-score lead to cap an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive. A 26-yard completion from Johnson to Smith helped set up the score that made it 14-0 with just 10 seconds left in the opening period.
The momentum shifted in the second quarter with WIU capitalizing on three Missouri State turnovers to take a 17-14 lead into the intermission. Two Johnson interceptions and a self-inflicted Bears fumble got the home team back into the game. The Leathernecks scored on a 6-yard TD pass to Houston, a 70-yard “scoop and score” fumble return by Greg Benton, Jr., and a 45-yard field goal by Mason Laramie all in the span of less than 11 minutes to give the Leathernecks a three-point lead at the break.
Missouri State’s victory was the first for Petrino as Bears head coach and the team’s first since a thrilling 37-31 triple-overtime win in Macomb on Oct. 5, 2019.
Missouri State returns to Robert W. Plaster Stadium next Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff against No. 1-ranked North Dakota State. Tickets for the NDSU game are available at MissouriStateBears.com or by visiting the Old Missouri Bank Box Office at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular box office hours.
