MARSHALL, Mo. — Missouri Baptist University football earned its first conference win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Missouri Valley College 9–7 at Gregg-Mitchell Field behind a dominant defensive performance and three field goals from Ian Zohner.

Quarterback Jacob Jones led the Spartans (2–5, 1–2 Heart) with 177 passing yards and 41 rushing yards on six carries.

Senior running back Lionel Banks powered the ground game with 130 yards on 24 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Nick Watkins was the top receiver with seven catches for 101 yards, while Calvin Griffin and Shane Becker combined for five receptions.

Defensively, Jacob Raines and Nick Stepney each posted seven tackles, and Kenner Bye added half a sack and six stops. Jayden Roling and Jaden Woods chipped in with sacks as the Spartans limited Missouri Valley to just 80 rushing yards and 266 total yards of offense.

Zohner, now a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals this season, propelled the Spartans offensively and accounted for all nine points in the victory.

First Quarter

Missouri Baptist opened the game with an impressive 12-play, 72-yard drive that reached the Missouri Valley 7-yard line before a fumble halted the series inside the red zone. Both defenses controlled the early action, as the quarter ended scoreless.

Second Quarter

Missouri Valley broke through early in the second, capping a 16-play, 97-yard march with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Tomele Staples to Eddie Strong for a 7–0 lead.

MBU quickly responded, putting together back-to-back scoring drives. Zohner connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal midway through the quarter to make it 7–3, then added a 29-yarder just before halftime to pull the Spartans within one at 7–6.

Third Quarter

The defensive struggle continued after the break, with both teams trading punts throughout the period. MBU's defensive front—led by Bye, Roling, and Brady Davis—recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss, keeping the Vikings pinned deep in their own territory.

Fourth Quarter

Early in the final quarter, Zohner gave the Spartans their first lead of the afternoon, drilling a 25-yard field goal to make it 9–7 with 11:05 remaining. Missouri Valley threatened late, driving inside the Spartan 5-yard line, but the MBU defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs to seal the victory.

Up Next

Missouri Baptist returns home to host Baker University on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. at Spartan Field.