Lions one triumph shy of winningest season since 2014

Oct. 16—The Missouri Southern football team is one win away from doing something it hasn't done in seven years.

The feat? A three-win season.

That's right. With a lopsided 52-32 road triumph over Lincoln last weekend in Jefferson City, MSSU moved to 2-4 in the MIAA campaign to pull one victory shy of its winningest season since 2014 when the Lions finished 4-7. No Southern campaign since then has ended with more than two wins.

The good news for Southern is there's still five weeks remaining in the current regular season to get it done. The first opportunity arrives Saturday when the Lions play host to Central Missouri (2-4) at Fred G. Hughes Stadium at 4 p.m.

"It feels good, but the competitor and coach in me is just ready for the next one," first-year MSSU head coach Atiba Bradley said. "I want to make sure that they not just get one game of success but all of a sudden can get two games, three games, four games, and be able to finish this season on a high note."

The MSSU offense rolled last week against the Blue Tigers as it amassed 567 yards of total offense and benefitted from a standout performance by senior wide receiver Brian Boyd Jr., who caught five passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

Boyd became the first MSSU player to record three touchdown receptions in a game since Landon Zerkel did it against Lincoln in 2011. He also tied Glen Watson (1980) for the program's ninth-most receiving yards in a single game.

It was also a big day for redshirt freshman quarterback Dawson Herl, who who completed 12 of 20 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first MSSU freshman to record three touchdowns through the air since Adam Hinspeter accomplished the feat in 2005.

"I think the thing that's improving with him is just his decision-making," Bradley said of Herl. "He extended plays by running and picking up first downs. He extended plays by moving out of the pocket and throwing the football. So he does continue to make some decisions that give us a better chance to win."

The Lions scored the first 24 points of the game and held a 38-12 lead by halftime.

"The biggest thing you're starting to see is we're finishing drives," Bradley said. "Two weeks ago you saw a whole slew of field goals and a couple of touchdowns. Now we're seeing touchdowns and a couple of field goals. So we just have to continue that trend and we'll be just fine."

For the season, Southern is averaging 20 points per game while surrendering 27.2 ppg to its opponents.

Herl has completed 62.2% of his passes for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception, while Boyd has hauled in 24 passes for a team-high 408 yards and five touchdowns. Joplin product Nathan Glades, a true freshman, is the team's leading rusher with 430 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries.

The Lions' defense is led in tackles its linebacker trio of Richard Jordan Jr., Carthage native Colton Winder and Coleman Booker, who have 61, 52 and 42 tackles, respectively. Jordan also has a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss, while redshirt freshman defensive lineman Nick Kruse leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

Sophomore defensive back Dylan Bolden is one of just two players in NCAA Division II with two interceptions returned for touchdowns this season. He's also third in the nation in total interceptions with five and 15th in passes defended.

MSSU is set to take on a UCM team that has won two games in a row since dropping its first four contests of the season against the current top four teams in the MIAA (Northwest Missouri, Nebraska-Kearney, Pittsburg State and Washburn). The Mules picked up a 41-10 win over Northeastern State in Week 5 and then a 45-38 win over Emporia State last Saturday.

Central is averaging 309 passing yards and 116 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Logan Twehous has thrown for 1,369 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Cameron Saunders had hauled in 33 passes for 663 yards and tour touchdowns. Koby Wilkerson leads the team in rushing with 304 yards and three touchdowns on 74 carries.

Southern is seeking its first win over UCM since 2013. The Mules have won the last six meetings in the series, including a 71-42 triumph in Joplin in 2019.

Contact Jared Porter on Twitter at @JaredRyanPorter.