Missouri State Earns First Conference USA Win in Thriller Against Kennesaw State
Missouri State takes down Kennesaw State 24-21 on a game-winning field goal from Yousef Obeid.
Missouri State earned its first Conference USA win of the season Wednesday night, defeating Kennesaw State 24-21 on a game-winning field goal from Yousef Obeid after a back-and-forth battle in Springfield.
On what turned out to be a beautiful, rainy fall day to kick off Weekday CUSA in Springfield, the Missouri State Bears faced off against the Kennesaw State Owls, with both teams desperately needing a spark following identical 1-4 starts.
The Bears took first possession after Kennesaw State deferred until the second half. The opening drive started with Henry Belin IV at quarterback after being named the starter heading into tonight. Belin IV started the drive off with a 21-yard pickup to receiver Jmariyae Robinson. The drive continued to be the Robinson show, as he recorded 3 catches for 28 yards, but the Bears were unable to convert at the goal line on a pass to their star receiver and walked away with zero points.
Despite the failed 4th-down attempt, the Bears defense came out strong, allowing just one first down before a near interception forced the Owls to punt on their opening drive.
On the following drive, Belin IV was showing off his arm talent after a 21-yard punt return from Robinson set the Bears up near midfield. However, a disconnect resulted in an interception by Tay’vion Lawson, giving the Owls DB back-to-back games with an interception. Another drive that looked promising ended without points.
The defense continued to ball out in the 1st quarter, forcing Kennesaw State into a 3-and-out as Bears LB Jashawn Cooper made his presence felt early.
Bears head coach Casey Woods remained in his bag as a 29-yard burst from RB Connor Lair put MSU in scoring distance, eventually resulting in a field goal to begin the second quarter.
At the end of the 1st, it was all Missouri State, even with a 0-0 score, as the Bears had run 19 plays for 114 yards compared to the Owls 9 plays for 35 yards. Although the drive ended in a field goal, Robinson set the Bears career receptions record with 151, passing Clay Harbor, whose record had stood since 2009.
The Bears offense continued to be electric, driving down the field with ease, but when it came to getting into the end zone in the first half, Missouri State was allergic. They would end up having to settle for another field goal to give the Bears a 6-0 lead through 3 red zone trips, which could’ve easily been 17-0. The good news was that outside of red zone trips, Belin IV had looked poised in the pocket, making great reads and using his legs when needed.
Ahead of halftime, KSU started to march down the field, getting aggressive with its playcalling, but MSU held strong, forcing the Owls to turn it over on downs at their own 46 after a questionable 4th-down play call resulted in a 3-yard sack by DL Tim Brantley, his first of the season.
However, the Bears once again froze upon entering the red zone, attempting a 4th-down conversion of their own that was stuffed as the Owls continued to keep them out of the end zone.
The Owls quickly capitalized, flying down the field in the final 45 seconds and putting up the game’s first TD as zeros hit the clock. Kennesaw State QB Rickie Collins completed 3 consecutive passes for 53 yards on the drive, finding Owls receiver Dylan Gary, who held on through contact for a 10-yard score.
Even with the Bears leading in almost every important stat, they entered the locker room down by one, looking to make adjustments.
The opening drive of the second half saw the Owls try to keep the momentum, but Bears star LB Jared Lloyd stuffed a 4th-down conversion attempt, turning the ball over on downs.
It was clear Coach Casey Woods’ halftime adjustments worked, as the Bears found the end zone for the first time on the day on a 14-yard catch by Isaiah Myers. Following a successful two-point conversion by Connor Lair, the Bears held a 14-7 lead.
The Owls quickly responded with a touchdown of their own on a 9-yard run by quarterback Rickie Collins, tying the game at 14 in the middle of the 3rd quarter, following two Bears penalties that gave life to what would’ve been a Kennesaw State 3-and-out.
Entering the final quarter, the Owls started with the ball and stayed aggressive on 4th-down attempts, a trend the team followed throughout the night, although the drive stalled on a field goal attempt that missed the uprights by inches.
Isaiah Myers made the most of this matchup with two massive late-game catches, including a 32-yard reception along the sideline in double coverage and a 12-yard touchdown, which gave the Bears the late lead. The drive also marked a career high in passing yards for QB Henry Belin IV, who finished the night with 300 passing yards.
Following several Missouri State penalties, Kennesaw State found itself on the goal line in mere minutes, finishing the drive with a 1-yard TD run up the middle by Boogie Woods III. What started out as a sluggish offensive bout quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle in the second half.
On what ended up being the final drive of the game, like clockwork, Myers continued his streak of acrobatic catches, with another 32-yard pickup that put Missouri State in the red zone, allowing the Bears to run the clock down to the final two minutes and squeak out a game-winning 20-yard field goal from kicker Yousef Obeid.
Nearly taking the final six minutes off the clock, head coach Casey Woods showed excellent game-clock management and left Weekday CUSA with his team’s first conference win of the season.
Following the massive win, Woods entered the postgame press conference fired up, dishing out high-fives to reporters as he celebrated a much-needed program win.
“Obviously a big night for our team. Really excited for them. Really excited for the future of Missouri State,” Woods said, later adding, “If you weren’t here, you missed it. If you weren’t here, you missed the start of something great for this team.”
Despite Kennesaw State entering the matchup with a 1-4 record, Woods made it clear they never overlooked the Owls.
“I don’t care what their record says. They’re a really good football team.”
The Bears will look to carry the momentum into a massive road game matchup against Delaware on October 20th
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