SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State racked up 597 yards of total offense and scored on its first 10 possessions of the game to rout visiting Western Illinois, 64-14, here Saturday.
It marked the most points scored by the Bears in a game since 1992 (vs. Washburn) and the most against a Division I foe since 1991 (vs. Indiana State).
Bears quarterback Jason Shelley passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score. He finished with 346 yards of total offense to help MSU snap a five-game losing streak and capture a homecoming win for the second straight year.
Missouri State’s defense also forced three turnovers and held the Leathernecks to 229 total yards, including 14 rushing yards on 22 carries.
“We did a nice job of executing,” said Bears head coach Bobby Petrino. “I’m proud of our team and the way we bounced back. It was much needed. Our guys practiced hard, had a great attitude and played with a lot of confidence. It was fun to watch.”
The Bears nearly broke a school record in the opening half, rolling up 409 yards to lead 45-7 at the midway point. It marked the second-most points in an opening half in school history – just shy of the club record of 47 points vs. Indiana State in 1992.
Just over five minutes into the game, Jose Pizano’s 22-yard field goal gave Missouri State a lead it would never relinquish. The Bears would then score touchdowns on their next seven possessions before Pizano tacked on field goals of 39 and 25 yards to make it 58-7 early in the final quarter.
Pizano would finish with a school-record 16 points, including seven extra points, extending another school record to 63 consecutive PATs made.
Shelley’s 17th career 200-yard passing game moved him into second place on the school’s all-time list, just one behind Jeremy Hoog (1994-97) for the club record. He also moved into second place on the school’s career TD pass list (38), matching Peyton Huslig (2017-19) in the No. 2 position.
For the game, Shelley had TD passes of 14 (Jahod Booker), 25 (Hunter Wood) and 5 yards (Lance Mason) while adding a two-yard ground touchdown to his collection. Jacardia Wright also rushed for a pair of touchdowns and finished with 82 yards on 16 carries. Andrew Cunningham and Trae Thompson also contributed to MSU’s five rushing touchdowns on the afternoon.
For its part, Western Illinois (0-8) got 207 passing yards from Clay Bruno, including a 48-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Naseim Brantley. Brantley posted a game-high 6 catches for 120 yards.
The Leathernecks also scored on a fake field goal attempt in the second quarter to break up MSU’s early 17-0 run. An eight-yard TD pass from Jack Buelke to Nathan Karsjens caught the Bears off guard and capped an 81-yard WIU scoring drive – the longest drive by yardage for either team.
Defensively, MSU scored 17 points off three takeaways, first with a fumble recovery by Kevin Ellis off a Jalen Williams strip in the second quarter that set MSU up at the WIU 36. Just before the half, Jamal McMurrin snagged his first career interception and set up the Bears at the Leathernecks’ 40-yard line, setting up Shelley and the offense for a score two plays later.
McMurrin finished with three pass break-ups in addition to his interception.
Tahj Chambers and P.J. Hall teamed up for another MSU takeaway in the third quarter, which ultimately resulted in Pizano’s third field goal of the contest.
Kilifi Leaaetoa paced MSU’s defense with 6 total stops, while Todric McGee tacked on 5 solo tackles, and Von Young contributed 4 tackles, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
On the heels of their first Missouri Valley Football Conference win of the season, Missouri State is back on the road next week with a 1 p.m. kickoff at South Dakota.
The Bears return home on Nov. 12 when they host Youngstown State for senior day.
