JOLIET, Ill. – In their last road game of the 2019 season, Missouri Baptist football lost a high-scoring affair to MSFA counterpart, Saint Francis. Despite picking up 205 yards on the ground and 242 yards through the air, the Spartans were not able to stop the Fighting Saints running game and ultimately fell 49-34.
 
The two division rivals began the game by exchanging blows. Dwayne Milton kick-started his huge day for the Saints with a touchdown run that capped a six-play, 96-yard drive. MoBap took possession and drove the field on four plays for a Darian Pollion touchdown.
 
A few minutes later, the home team regained the lead after an 88-yard pass from Major Dedmond put them in the end zone for the second time. Dedmond added another first-quarter passing touchdown with two and a half minutes left to put St. Francis up 21-7.
 
Missouri Baptist mounted a comeback in the second. Three minutes in, John Lux found Anthony Taele for a five-yard touchdown pass. A missed extra point kept the score 21-13. Chris Baldwin put up six more later in the quarter with a five-yard rush to draw the Spartans within one.
 
Both teams came out of the locker rooms in the second half fired up, but only the Saints would put points on the board in the third quarter. They scored two touchdowns to push their lead to 35-20.
 
The Spartans found their offensive spark again early in the fourth on an 11-yard touchdown rush from Baldwin, his second of the game. USF struck two more times before the end of the game to give them 49. With a 1:29 remaining, Jordan Benavides made sure the Spartans would not go down without a fight, returning a kickoff 76 yards to the end zone.
 
Ultimately, MoBap would go on to lose by a 49-34 final.
 
Senior Chris Baldwin had a major bounce-back game on Saturday picking up 91 yards and two touchdowns. Darian Pollion (4 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD) and Anthony Taele (4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD) also had strong days on offense for MBU.
 
Defensively, junior Jaylen Cowley led the team with 14 tackles (eight solos) and a forced fumble. Joey Morones was right on his heels with 13 tackles and DaCorey McGee picked up 12, two tackles for a loss, and a sack.
 
The Spartans are back on the field on Saturday to take on Robert Morris University. This MSFA Midwest battle is scheduled to begin at noon at CBC High School.