ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University football fell 52–21 to No. 3-ranked Benedictine College on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field.

The Spartans struck first but were unable to slow the Ravens' balanced attack, as Benedictine rolled up 464 yards of total offense and converted all eight red-zone opportunities in the Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup.

Quarterback Jacob Jones led MBU (1–4, 0–2 Heart) with three total touchdowns, rushing for 75 yards and two scores while throwing for 152 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-16 passing. Gavin Claud hauled in three receptions for 81 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown strike midway through the third quarter. Lionel Banks and Calvin Griffin combined for 61 rushing yards, while Zae Jones added 40 receiving yards on two catches.

Defensively, Evan DeWilde anchored the unit with a career-high 16 tackles, followed by Justin Lehn with 12 and Nick Stepney with 11. Jaylon Williamson recorded seven tackles and a pass breakup, and Javon Huff added two breakups of his own.

First Quarter

Missouri Baptist struck first with a 9-yard touchdown run from Jones, capping an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive that consumed nearly six minutes. Benedictine answered late in the period when quarterback Jackson Dooley punched in a 1-yard score to even the game at 7–7.

Second Quarter

The Ravens took control in the second quarter, scoring on three straight possessions — a 2-yard run by Xavier Ugorji, a 21-yard touchdown pass from Dooley to Kameron Dover, and a 25-yard field goal from Christian Klobe — to take a 24–7 lead into halftime.

Third Quarter

After another Ugorji touchdown extended Benedictine's lead to 31–7, the Spartans responded quickly. Jones found Claud deep down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 31–14. The Ravens countered with a short touchdown pass from Dooley to Tyler Watson to make it 38–14 entering the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Benedictine opened the fourth with a 19-yard rushing touchdown from JJ Jackson, but Jones powered in from a yard out on MBU's next possession to pull within 45–21. The Ravens added a final score with a 3-yard run by Derrick Overstreet to seal the 52–21 result.

Up Next

Missouri Baptist enters its bye week before returning to action Oct. 18 against No. 20-ranked William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.