Joplin, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University football team played a tough game against Missouri Southern on Saturday afternoon, but ultimately came up short, losing the game 68-28. The Bearcats continue to put up points, but came up short in the shootout.

The Bearcats found themselves down 7-0 early in the first quarter until quarterback Dan Connors had a nice 8 yard touchdown run to pull even with the Lions 7-7. Missouri Southern went on to score 23 straight points, to take a 30-7 lead halfway through the second quarter.

However, the Bearcats wouldn't go away, and turned to Connors to air it out to pull them back. With 7:23 left in the second quarter, Connors hit Charles Johnson with a nice 52 yard pass, resulting in Johnson breaking a tackle and pulling SBU within 16 at 30-14.

The Southwest Baptist defense came up big with a key interception, and blocked field goal, leading to another Bearcat score. After the blocked field goal, Connors hit Marcus Sullivan with a 28 yard pass down the sideline for another SBU touchdown, bringing the score to 30-21. Missouri Southern would add a field goal before the half ended, giving Missouri Southern a 33-21 halftime lead.

After three Missouri Southern scores in the third quarter, the Bearcats found themselves down 54-21. After forcing the Lions to punt, Clayton Davis picked up the poor punt and ran it back 35 yards for a Bearcat touchdown, making the score 54-28. However, Missouri Southern returned the following kickoff for a touchdown, extending their lead to 61-28. The Lions would ultimately go on to win the game 68-28.

The Bearcat offense was lead by Connors who was 15-23 for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also a rushing touchdown. Charles Johnson was once again the leading receiver, pulling in 4 receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown. Thad Everson was the leading rusher for the Bearcats, collecting 42 yards on 11 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, Zach Moore was once again the leading tackler for the Bearcats with 9 tackles and 1 interception, while Austin Otwell also recorded 9 tackles.

The Bearcats will be back in action next Saturday, October 29, when they host Missouri Western for SBU Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. from Plaster Stadium.

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Southwest Baptist University is a four-year evangelical Christian university that was established in 1878. The main campus is located about 30 minutes north of Springfield, Missouri, in Bolivar, a town of approximately 10,000 people.

DHS alum Glen Johnson is a defensive lineman for the Bearcats.

For more information on SBU Bearcat Athletics, visit sbubearcats.com.