By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
Just when Missouri Southern appeared to gain some momentum, Zach Miller silenced the Lions and the 5,516 fans at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
Both late in the second quarter and again early in the fourth period.
Miller, Nebraska-Omaha’s multiple-threat quarterback, accounted for 338 yards and five touchdowns as the No. 5 Mavericks decked the Lions 40-21.
Miller, 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior, tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass and scored twice in the last 4:40 of the first half as the Mavericks (3-0, 2-0 MIAA) opened a 30-7 halftime advantage.
The Lions (2-2, 0-2) converted two UNO fumbles early in the second half into short touchdown runs, slicing the deficit to 30-21 with 6:06 left in the third period.
But Miller orchestrated drives that produced a 30-yard field goal and a 30-yard touchdown pass for a 40-21 advantage with 7:46 left.
Miller, the conference leader in total offense and pass efficiency rating, ran for a career-best 195 yards on 16 carries, including touchdowns of 5, 65 and 16 yards. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 143 yards and TD tosses of 50 and 30 yards to Kelvin Nesbit.
Miller also had a 47-yard touchdown run and a two-yard TD pass called back by penalties.
“He’s a great player,” Lions head coach Bart Tatum said. “He’s a lot like (Neal) Philpot (former Pittsburg State quarterback) was, probably a better passer though and every bit as good of a runner. People around here have seen that type of guy before. He’s that good.”
Tailback Brian McNeill contributed 126 yards on 25 rushes as the Mavericks rolled up 385 rushing yards on 48 attempts and finished with 528 total yards.
“Our defense played OK early,” Tatum said. “I really expected us to do more like that the whole game. I didn’t have any illusions about shutting UNO down, but the last three quarters or so, they pretty much did what they wanted to do on offense.”
The Lions had 215 total yards on 71 snaps, and all three MSSU scores came after UNO fumbles, two of them on special teams.
Ian Harrison, who averaged 37.4 yards on nine punts, had a short punt hit a UNO blocker in the back, and Zach McFerren recovered for the Lions at the UNO 23.
Adam Hinspeter, who hit 17 of 18 passes for 135 yards and became the MIAA’s career completions leader, found Mark Henderson with a 21-yard pass to the 2. After three plays gained zero yards, Hinspeter and Henderson hooked up again on fourth down for the touchdown, pulling the Lions within 10-7 with 4:56 left in the first half.
But in almost no time, the Mavericks broke away.
Keith Eloi returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards to midfield, and on first down, Miller, stepping up in the pocket to avoid the rush, found wide receiver Nesbit down the middle for a touchdown with 4:40 left in the half.
Less than three minutes later, on third-and-2 from the 35, Miller cut upfield quickly on a keeper off the left side and scored on a 65-yard burst, breaking away from a would-be tackler at the 25.
Then the backbreaker for the Lions came in the last minute of the half.
Starting at the 14 with 41 seconds left, the Mavericks covered 86 yards in just four plays and 30 seconds and scored on Miller’s 16-yard quarterback draw for a 30-7 halftime lead.
“They didn’t do anything that surprised us,” Tatum said. “Just a better football team. We were completely outclassed.”
A fired-up Lions team began the second half with a special teams takeaway as Josh Woodard forced a fumble that Ismael Underdown recovered at the UNO 33.
Renard Johnson had runs of 12 and 11 yards — surpassing the Lions’ first-half total of 16 yards rushing — to help move the ball to the 1, and Hinspeter jumped over the line for a touchdown.
Two minutes later linebacker Jared Brawner, who led the Lions with 11 tackles, forced a McNeill fumble and Skyler Vandiver recovered at the 42.
Toderick Hunt had 10- and 21-yard runs during the 10-play, 58-yard march capped by Henderson’s five-yard reverse.
“We had some short fields. They were on their heels a little bit,” Tatum said. “But we were much more effective running the ball the second half.”
After an exchange of punts, the Mavericks widened their lead on Greg Zuerlein’s 42-yard field goal and Miller’s 30-yard strike to Nesbit.
