LAMONI, IOWA - On the road at Graceland University the Spartans had a tough first half, but eventually overcame a 20-8 deficit with a stellar second half on both sides of the ball to bring home the sixth win of the season, 32-20.
It did not take the Yellowjackets long to get on the scoreboard as Gerald Monroe, Graceland's top receiver, hit a double move up their sideline for a 41-yard touchdown catch and run to make it 6-0 just 16 seconds into the game.
The Spartans responded on their first drive with an 11-play 57-yard drive that was capped off with a 27-yard Jonah Cox field goal that made it 6-3.
Missouri Baptist got back on the scoreboard early in the second quarter with a safety on a bad snap for a punt, and their following drive did not go well as Graceland got the ball back at the MBU 37 yard line. The Yellowjackets punched the ball in the endzone and stretched their lead to eight points.
Cox knocked in another field goal from 29 yards out as time ran out in the first half to make it 13-8 at the break.
Graceland found their way back onto the scoreboard to start the second half as Monroe capped off an 89-yard drive with a touchdown to make it 20-8.
Towards the end of the third quarter the Spartans turned their eight points into 11 off another Cox field goal, this time from 39 yards out. Following the field goal, Cox blasted the kickoff off of a Yellowjacket and the Spartans jumped on the ball giving the offense the ball back.
Jordan Simpson hit Joseph White on the next play for a 54-yard pass leading to a Lionel Banks touchdown rush to make it 20-17 just before the fourth quarter.
Missouri Baptist's defense continued to stand strong in the second half as they forced a three and out, and the offense had the ball to start the fourth quarter.
On just five plays, the Spartans marched 48 yards in two minutes and took the lead as Banks scampered to the left side and cut the ball up the field for a nine yard touchdown run to make it 24-20.
With the lead the defense kept up their tremendous second half performance by forcing a pair of incompletions and Dabrein Moss picked up a sack on third down forcing a fourth and 15 that the Yellowjackets lined up to go for. Graceland had a false start and ended up forcing the Yellowjackets to punt the ball away, and the snap was sent well over the punter's head and out the back of the endzone making it 26-20, and the Spartans got the ball.
With a chance to make it a two possession game the Spartans got the ball into deep field goal range and were forced to try a field goal, but Cox missed it wide right, giving Graceland a chance to tie or take the lead.
The first play on the Yellowjackets' drive was a shot down the field for Monroe that was intercepted by Kaden Lutjen-Williams.
The Spartans moved the ball a bit down the field, but were unable to get into field goal range and were forced to punt.
Graceland got the ball back with just under three and a half minutes left to play, and they started to methodically march the ball down the field, not in a huge rush, and got the ball down to Missouri Baptist's nine yard line with just over a minute left.
On first and goal the Yellowjackets went with a pass play, and looked for a corner route in the back of the endzone, but it was underthrown and Lee Levingston III picked it off and ran it back 100 yards to seal the deal for the Spartans, 32-20.
The Spartans scored 24 unanswered points starting with the Cox field goal late in the third quarter on their way to the 12 point victory at Graceland.
Nick Stepney was all over the field for MBU as he racked up eight tackles on the afternoon, and the Spartans forced a trio of interceptions as Lutjen-Williams got two and Levingston III got the pick-six. As a whole the defense held the Yellowjackets to just 39 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
The Spartans only coughed the ball up once on a fumble that did not end up in points for the Yellowjackets.
Banks rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Simpson passed for 163 yards with Joseph White leading in receiving yards with 67 yards.
The win boosts the Spartans to 6-3 on the season, marking their most wins in program history, and they will be abc in action next week when they take on #15 Baker at their place.
