ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Missouri Baptist football dropped their fourth consecutive game on Saturday afternoon to 23rd-ranked Saint Xavier University with a 31-16 final score.

Despite 371 yards of total offense from the Spartans and an outstanding performance from junior wide receiver Tyler Ball, the Cougar defense was able to keep them off the board for most of the game while their offense produced 31 points to earn the win.

MBU received the ball to start the game, but the SXU defense got off the bus ready to play, forcing a quick three-and-out. Cougar running back Amari Venerable then marched his team down the field to set up a Stuart Ross touchdown pass to Mason Gray from seven yards away.

The Spartans were kept quiet for the remainder of the first quarter but had an impressive drive going early in the second quarter. Josh Munn had the offense moving into Saint Xavier territory, all the way down to the 28-yard line. A completion to Tyler Ball picked up five yards on second down, followed by a sack for a loss of five. On fourth down, new kicker Odaine Reid was called upon for a 45-yard field goal attempt that had plenty of leg but missed wide left.

From their own 28, the Cougars handed the ball off to Amari Venerable four times in a row for a total of 28 yards, followed shortly by three straight rushes from Matthew Chavers III. A few minutes later, Venerable completed the 15-play drive with a one-yard touchdown rush to put his team up 14-0.

On the verge of going into halftime down two scores, the Spartans responded in a big way. A pass interference penalty on SXU set the stage for a 33-yard completion to Ball from the MBU 37. The Cougar defense backed the home team up to the 32 to set up a 3rd-and-12. Munn dropped back and found Ball again, up the sideline and into the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point try from Reid was blocked at the line.

Just when the Spartans thought they had done their job to keep pace, Ross had one more play up his sleeve. With one second remaining in the half, he lunged a hail mary pass deep into Spartan territory and found Mason Gray for a 33-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-6.

The Cougars found the endzone again on another scoring drive that took less than two minutes off the clock to begin the third quarter.

 Jason Burianek's squad returned the favor with a touchdown of their own on the next drive. After driving deep into SXU territory, Munn found Shane Becker for a 12-yard gain for his first catch of the season. Two plays later, on 4th-and-7, Becker reeled in another big gain, this time for 25 yards down to the visitor four-yard line. Darius Morrison finished the drive from there, punching it over the goal line with his legs.

Still trailing 28-13 to begin the fourth, the Spartans continued to fight back with a Munn pass caught by Felix Pippenger for a 46-yard gain. A trio of incompletions set up a long field goal attempt for Reid. After breaking the school record for longest field goal last week (48 yards), Reid decided he had more in him and boomed a 53-yard kick through the uprights.

A field goal from the Cougars on their next drive would be all she wrote for the matchup, with the Spartans on the losing end 31-16. The loss drops MBU football to 0-3 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest division and 3-4 overall.

The Spartans hit the road again on October 23 to take on 12th-ranked Olivet Nazarene University as conference play continues. The kickoff is scheduled for noon in Bourbonnais, Illinois.