ST. LOUIS – It took nearly three quarters to break away, but an offensive explosion in the last 16 minutes of the game powered Missouri Baptist football to a convincing 42-14 conference win over Lindenwood University-Belleville (0-6, 0-2 MSFA).
The 28-point victory is the largest margin for the Spartans since defeating the Lynx on their own turf last year, 50-16. Missouri Baptist is now 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the MSFA Mideast League.
After a 1 ½ hour long lightning delay to begin the game, the defensive unit wasted little time getting back in the swing of things with a
Kenyon Perkins interception on the Lynx second offensive play once play eventually resumed. The offense was unable to manufacture points off the turnover and on the ensuing Lynx drive, LU-Belleville scored just its third offensive touchdown of the year on a 20-yard run by Jalen Bogans-Love. It was the first TD on offense in nine quarters for the Lynx and also represented their first lead in eight games.
MBU answered, but in prolonged fashion. The Spartans were bailed out by encroachment penalties on a pair of fourth-down attempts and finished off the 19-play, 77-yard drive that lasted 7 minutes and 45 seconds with a 3-yard TD pass from
Chase Brown to tight end
Roosevelt Henderson. For Henderson, the two-sport star (football/baseball), it marked his first career touchdown reception and showed his prowess once again after having a breakout game at St. Ambrose with five receptions and 42 yards.
Following the Brown-Henderson TD, it became a defensive battle until halftime with the two teams combining for just under 60 yards of total offense in the final 10 minutes of the half.
Within the first two plays out of the break, the Spartan defense was wreaking havoc once again with a
Joey Morones interception, which gave the offense an extremely short field to work with. With a 4
th and 3 at the LU-B 23-yard line,
Chris Baldwin bowled through a host of tacklers for a 15-yard carry and big fourth-down conversion. The Spartans' leading rusher found a hole from six yards out to finish the drive and give MBU its first lead of the game at 14-7.
Lindenwood scored an equalizer on a 14-yard rush by Jaquay Owens and had a chance to gain momentum the next time out, but a key pass breakup on 4
th and 4 by
Collin Thomas squashed those hopes.
The turning point came after the Lynx were pinned back inside their own 5-yard line and yet again, the Spartan defense improved its turnover margin with its third forced turnover of the game.
Jonathan Clements was credited with the fumble recovery after a botched snap and gave the offense a golden opportunity to break open the game. On the second play,
Chase Brown took a quarterback keeper to the edge from five yards out for the score.
The tide turned quickly after a Lindenwood-Belleville 3-and-out when cornerback
Michael Malone weaved in and out of traffic and took an 82-yard punt return to the house. Malone's TD is the longest punt return for touchdown in program history.
Special teams struck again on the following kickoff. With a short kick, a botched return by the Lynx, and an aware
Dre Chandler, the Spartans pounced on the live ball and took possession at the LU-B 34.
Chris Baldwin scored his second touchdown of the day with another 6-yard scamper.
In the matter of five minutes, the game went from a 14-14 deadlock with Lindenwood driving to a 35-14 ballgame in favor of the Spartans.
Freshman QB
Lucas Rockford added a 17-yard touchdown run to pad the lead with six minutes remaining.
Missouri Baptist recorded its third consecutive game with 400+ yards of offense with 422 total yards (181 passing, 241 rushing). Running back
Chris Baldwin (30 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TD) extended his streak of 100+yard rushing games to three.
The Spartan linebackers paced the defense as the group of Dacorey McGee,
Collin Thomas,
Kenyon Perkins,
Joey Morones and
Jonathan Clements combined for 24 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INT and 3 pass breakups.
Up next for the Spartans is No. 14-ranked Concordia University-Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 12 p.m.
