JOPLIN, Mo. -- Missouri Southern's David Bethune returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to help spark the Lions to a 23-13 victory over Pittsburg State University Saturday (Oct. 31) at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
The Gorillas (3-6, 3-4 MIAA) had taken a 13-9 lead on running back
P.J. Wallace's one-yard scoring plunge with 13:02 to play in the game, but Bethune countered with his huge special teams play 17 seconds later to put the Lions (3-6, 2-5 MIAA) in front.
Pitt State, which saw its modest two-game winning streak snapped in the contest, missed a potential game-tying 53-yard field goal with 9:58 remaining; and the Lions then delivered a lethal blow by driving 64 yards in eight plans. MSSU's Alan Mitchell punctuated the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run for the game's final 10-point margin.
Quarterback
Bobby Bacon completed 18 of 28 passes for 196 yards with an interception in the rain-soaked contest. Wallace rushed 16 times for 62 yards, while
Diego Cearns added 12 rushes for 23 yards, including a two-yard run that staked Pitt State to a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Gorillas missed a pair of second half field goals and were held on downs on their final possession. Pitt State was flagged 10 times for 80 yards on the afternoon. Linebacker
Zach Coenen made a team-leading 10 tackles for the Gorillas, while defensive end
Kiros Martin posted three stops behind the line of scrimmage, including a quarterback sack. Safety
Jorian Guinn Jr. also recorded an interception.
The Lions claimed their first win in the Miner's Bowl series since 2013, just MSSU's 10th all-time win against Pitt State in 58 overall match-ups.
The Gorillas will return home to play host to the University of Central Missouri next Saturday (Nov. 7) at Carnie Smith Stadium.
