ST. LOUIS – There was an eerily similar storyline for Missouri Baptist in its second home football game of the year on Saturday against MSFA Mideast League opponent Siena Heights University. It was excessively hot and humid, both teams were making stops on defense, and the Spartans were unable to muster up enough offense to overtake the visitors and start out conference play with a 'W'.
 
After a 7-7 deadlock heading into the final period, MBU ran out of gas and momentum and surrendered 14 fourth-quarter points to the Saints in a 21-7 loss.
 
Early on in the game, the Spartan defense and special teams put the team in a position to succeed. The Spartans made a big stop in the redzone and forced a Saints' turnover on downs. On the next SHU drive, senior cornerback D.J. Johnson pulled down an interception and had the Spartans starting at their own 44-yard line. The next Siena Heights drive? A fumble recovery by defensive lineman LaMarcus Goodwin. On each of the Spartans' ensuing drives, the offense sputtered.
 
The Saints were the first to break through in the second quarter as quarterback Tyler Knecht connected with Damon Wright Jr. for a 13-yard TD pass with 5:04 left before the break. In need of an answer, senior Cam Cosey darted for a 56-yard kickoff return to the SHU 32. Missouri Baptist nearly scored on a fade to Isaiah King in the endzone but the junior receiver was unable to get a foot in bounds after making the grab. Ethan Metzler attempted a 44-yard field goal and missed wide left to end the promising drive.
 
At halftime, the Spartans trailed 7-0 and were averaging just 2.54 yards per play on offense. Defensively, MBU forced two turnovers and nearly came up with another two on fumbles that the Saints were able to fall on.
 
Both teams had a 3-and-out to begin the third quarter, and without missing a beat, the Spartan defense picked up where it left off. Sophomore linebacker Kenyon Perkins was in the right place at the right time and got in on the turnover action, intercepting a Tyler Knecht pass at MBU's 40-yard line.
 
This time around, the Spartans cashed in on the takeaway. Dual-sport athlete Roosevelt Henderson (football/baseball) picked up a big first down on 3^rd and 15 with a 20-yard catch and his first collegiate reception. On 4^th and 5 in the redzone, Chase Brown converted another big-time play with his tight end group completing an 11-yard pass to Anthony Taele. JUCO transfer running back Chris Baldwin punched it in from four yards out to tie the game and give the Spartans some hope.
 
Unfortunately, SHU acquired a short field to work with on its first two drives of the fourth quarter and both translated into touchdowns.
 
Quarterback Chase Brown threw for 113 yards on Saturday on 15-of-27 (.555) passing. Chris Baldwin got the lion's share of carries on the ground finishing with 60 yards on 16 attempts. Anthony Taele led the team in receptions (5) and receiving yards (40).
 
On defense, D.J. Johnson had a game-high 11 tackles (5 solo) to go along with his first-half interception. Some of MBU's other top defenders on Saturday included  Kenyon Perkins (8 tackles, 1 INT) and LaMarcus Goodwin (5 solo tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR).
 
Up Next
Next week, the Spartans will hit the road for the first time this season as they head to No. 6-ranked Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Ill. Gametime for the Sept. 8 game is set for 6 p.m.