INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Spartans lost their first game of the 2021 campaign on Saturday afternoon, falling 49-0 to the eighth-ranked Marian University Knights.

Defense had the upper hand early on, as both squads shut down each other's opening two drives. The Knights finally punched one in late in the first quarter on a 26-yard rush from Baron Huebler.

Marian added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to put them ahead 22-0 at halftime.

The Spartan offense continued to have trouble against a tough Knights defense in the second half, opening the door to more scoring chances for the home team. Marian took full advantage of those opportunities, putting up 27 more points to earn a 49-0 victory.

All-American safety Jaylen Cowley posted his best performance of the season so far, collecting 12 tackles (seven solo), while Kohl Williams picked up nine with three tackles for a loss. On offense, Tyler Ball led the receiving corps with four catches for 35 yards. Quarterback Josh Munn led the team in rushing yards with 29 yards on 13 attempts and paired it with 10 completions.

Next up for Missouri Baptist football is their first MFSA Midwest matchup against the University of St. Francis (Ill.) on Saturday, October 2. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Joliet, Illinois.