From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
OMAHA, Neb. — Quarterback Greg Wunderlich tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Mike Higgins in overtime to give Nebraska-Omaha a 31-28 victory Saturday against Pittsburg State in an MIAA football game.
Pittsburg State had tied the score at 25-25 on a 31-yard field goal by Jared Witter with 8 seconds remaining in regulation, and took a 28-25 lead in overtime on Witter’s 34-yard field goal.
Nebraska-Omaha, 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the MIAA, had taken a 25-22 lead with 2:43 left in the game on a 42-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein.
Running back Terrance Isaac rushed for 172 yards on 29 carries, including all three touchdowns for the Gorillas. Isaac’s 31-yard scoring run in the first quarter gave Pittsburg State its first lead of the game, 7-6 with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.
Isaac scored on a 1-yard run that gave Pittsburg State a 14-9 halftime lead, and tied the score at 22-22 with a 5-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Gorillas’ quarterback John McCoy completed 8 of 15 passes for 103 yards, and Jeff Smith was 5 of 11 passing for 55 yards.
Wunderlich, who completed 16 of 29 passes for 240 yards, tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Higgins in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead and found Higgins again on a 9-yard strike that gave the Mavericks 22-14 lead late in the third quarter.
Levi Terrell, who led Nebraska-Omaha with 207 yards on 28 carries, scored on a 39-yard run that gave the Mavericks a 15-14 lead.
The Mavericks play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Missouri Western, while Pittsburg State, 5-5 and 3-5, plays next at 1 p.m. Saturday at Truman State.
