ST. LOUIS — Missouri Baptist University football (2–5, 1–2 Heart) returns home Saturday to host Baker University (4–3, 4–0 Heart) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference South Division matchup at 1 p.m. inside Spartan Field.
Game Notes | Live Stream | Live Stats
The Matchup
The Spartans enter the contest coming off a 9–7 road win at Missouri Valley, marking their first conference victory of the season and first win in Marshall since joining the Heart.
MBU totaled 364 yards of offense behind quarterback Jacob Jones, who threw for 177 yards and added 41 rushing yards, while running back Lionel Banks powered the ground game with 130 yards on 24 carries.
Defensively, the Spartans limited the Vikings to just 266 total yards and one touchdown, highlighted by Jayden Roling's sack and Kenner Bye and Nick Stepney's eight tackles.
Baker arrives in St. Louis as one of the Heart's hottest teams, riding a four-game winning streak after a 42–3 victory over Central Methodist last Saturday.
The Wildcats average 31.3 points and 337.7 yards per game, led by senior quarterback Truman Juelsgaard, who has thrown for 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 357 yards and eight scores.
Wide receiver Adrion Seals headlines the passing attack with 35 catches for 573 yards and five touchdowns.
By the Numbers
- MBU averages 218.5 passing yards and 146.9 rushing yards per game this season (1,530 passing, 1,028 rushing).
- Jacob Jones continues to lead the offense with 1,515 passing yards, 7 passing touchdowns, 8 rushing touchdowns, and 437 rushing yards, accounting for over 65 percent of MBU's total offense.
- Gavin Claud remains the top target with 33 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns.
- Evan DeWilde anchors the defense with 60 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception.
- Jaylon Williamson leads the secondary with 11 pass breakups and one interception, while the Spartan defense has recorded six interceptions by six different players.
The Series
Saturday marks the third meeting all-time between Missouri Baptist and Baker, with the Wildcats holding a 2–0 series advantage. In last year's matchup in Baldwin City, then-No. 12 Baker earned a 16–8 win in a defensive battle. The Spartans are 0–1 at home and 0–1 on the road in the series and will look to capture their first win against the Wildcats.
From the Sideline
"We appreciate all the support for our athletes," head coach Jason Burianek said. "We're coming off a win, and we have a chance to capitalize on it this week and next week. There are two great opportunities to come out and show this team a lot of support, and we appreciate everything our fans have done so far.
Kickoff Information
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Spartan Field in St. Louis. The game will stream live on the Urban Edge Network.
