CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – No. 18 Missouri State’s thunder-and-lightning tandem of Jacardia Wright and Jayden Becks combined for 253 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead Missouri State to a 49-42 victory over Northern Iowa here Saturday.
The Bears (6-2, 4-0 MVFC) picked up their sixth straight win by racking up a season-high 575 yards of total offense to go with 28 first downs on the afternoon. MSU scored seven touchdowns on 11 offensive possessions, including their first four drives of the second half.
Jacob Clark finished 20-of-29 through the air for 275 yards and three passing touchdowns in addition to his career-high 47 rushing yards on five carries. Clark was not sacked on the day, and the Bears did not turn the ball over.
For its part, UNI (2-6, 0-4 MVFC) matched the Bears punch-for-punch in the first half and early in the third quarter, tying the game four different times, before a three-and-out defensive stop by MoState changed the game’s trajectory. On the ensuing possession, Wright’s 13-yard touchdown rush capped a quick, six-play scoring blitz by the visitors to give them some breathing room for the first time in the game, 42-28.
The Panthers, who finished with 485 yards of total offense, were never able to catch Missouri State again, and the Bears picked up their sixth straight victory for the first time since a split-season win streak from Oct. 27, 2001 to Sept. 7, 2002.
Wright finished with 145 yards on 17 carries with a pair of touchdowns, while Becks tallied 108 yards on just seven touches, also with two touchdowns. Becks averaged 15.4 yards per carry, including a career-long 54-yard score in the opening half.
After the Bears and Panthers went into the intermission tied at 21, Clark’s 30-yard TD pass to Dash Luke broke the deadlock just two-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter. UNI responded with a 30-yard scoring pass from Matthew Shecklman to Sergio Morancy to square things up, 28-28.
But it was back-to-back touchdowns by Wright later in the quarter, the first from six yards out, and the latter from 13, that made it a 42-28 contest with 3:09 remaining in the third period.
The Bears added a one-yard touchdown pass from Clark to Connor Lair on their first drive of the fourth quarter that extended the MSU lead to 49-35 at the time.
UNI’s Shecklman finished 20-of-30 for 270 yards and three second-half touchdown passes. His final TD strike of the contest came with 44 seconds left in the final quarter, a 27-yard strike to Tysen Kershaw on a fourth-and-goal play from the 27. Kershaw finished with five receptions for a game-high 96 yards.
The ensuing on-side kick by the Panthers cleared the MSU front line but caromed out of bounds at the Missouri State 39, and the Bears took a knee to close out their fourth win in the last five meetings against the Panthers.
Missouri State’s offensive outburst marked its highest-point production ever against the Panthers.
Hunter Wood led MSU’s receiving corps with six catches for 74 yards.
J.J. O’Neal’s 10 total tackles, including seven credited solo stops, led all defenders with Tahj Chambers contributing seven total stops for MSU’s defense.
In the first half, Missouri State never trailed, but UNI matched every Bears’ score to tie things up, 21-21, at the game’s halfway point. MoState outgained the Panthers, 292-234, thanks in part to 142 combined rushing yards from Wright and Becks.
An even first quarter saw the Bears strike first on an eight-yard touchdown carry by Becks on MSU’s first possession of the afternoon. His second rushing score of the campaign capped an 88-yard scoring drive that included a fourth-and-short conversion on MSU’s 34 that Clark kept for a three-yard gain. A 37-yard carry by Wright and a nine-yard pass to Wood set up the early MSU score.
UNI retaliated on its next possession, converting a fourth-and-one at the one-yard line with a carry by Amauri Pesek-Hickson that knotted things up, 7-7, with 3:31 to go in the opening period.
Becks put the Bears back on top early in the second period with a 53-yard touchdown rush, his longest carry of the season. Becks’ second score of the game was set up on a 25-yard completion to Lance Mason which helped the Bears execute a quick, three-play, 79-yard scoring drive.
UNI bounced back again, bringing the UNI-Dome gathering to its feet with Pesek-Hickson’s second score of the game, four-and-a-half minutes later. His nine-yard carry made it a 14-14 contest at the 7:38 mark of the second period.
Clark’s first TD pass of the game returned the lead to the Bears with a five-yard strike to James BlackStrain that was deflected off D’vontae Key. A 26-yard catch-and-run by Connor Lair on third-and-one at the MSU 41 extended the drive before a nifty catch by Wood for 28 yards to the UNI five set up the go-ahead score that made it 21-14 at the 3:19 mark of the second.
UNI used six rushing plays on its ensuing seven-play scoring drive to knot things up for the third time. Tye Edwards’ three-yard touchdown carry put the finishing touches on the possession as he found paydirt with 33 seconds left in the period.
The Bears return home next Saturday (Nov. 2) to square off with long-time rival Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. on Hosting Heroes Day. All veterans, first responders, and active servicemen and servicewomen receive free admission with a service ID.
