Just as Mizzou alumni answered the Call of the Columns, running back Ahmad Hardy answered the call of the end zone, running for three touchdowns in his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game as the Tigers ran all over the Massachusetts Minutemen 42-6 on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Faurot Field in Mizzou’s 114th Homecoming game.

Hardy’s rushing touchdowns of five, one, and 16 yards allowed Mizzou to pull away from UMass. Jamal Roberts scored Mizzou’s first touchdown from nine yards out. UMass got within one with their score late in the first quarter, but the point-after attempt failed, and they would get no closer.

Beau Pribula set a pair of school records in the game, completing 21 consecutive passes en route to a record 26-for-29 mark, throwing for 241 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Nearly half of his completions were to Kevin Coleman Junior, who hauled in 12 passes for 108 yards. Pribula’s touchdown throw came late in the third quarter to Brett Norfleet. Tavorus Jones had Mizzou’s final score as the Tigers improved to 5-0 on the season.

Mizzou offense was as balanced as it was dominant, with the Tigers’ 521 yards split between 268 on the ground and 253 in the air. By comparison, UMass only had 124 yards of total offense.

The win also helped Mizzou move to 19th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Tigers will have a week off to prepare for Alabama, as the Crimson Tide picked up a critical road win Saturday at Georgia and will host Vanderbilt this weekend. Kickoff on October 11th is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Other NCAA Scores from Saturday
Western Kentucky 27, at Missouri State 22
at Miami (Ohio) 34, Lindenwood 0
at Tennessee-Martin 34, Southeast Missouri 10

at Central Missouri 62, Missouri Southern 10
at Fort Hays State 31, Missouri Western 23
at McKendree 40, William Jewell 24
at Northwest Missouri 38, Central Oklahoma 16
Missouri S&T 42, at Southwest Baptist 40
Indianapolis 30, at Truman State 20
at Upper Iowa 31, Lincoln 10

Missouri Valley Struggle To Keep Up With Baker

The Missouri Valley Vikings trailed through much of the Family Weekend matchup against the Baker Wildcats, ultimately falling 38-28 at Volney C Ashford Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27 for Baker’s first win of the season.

Baker scored first with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter with a field goal, then added a touchdown pass early in the second frame. Bruno Kincaid’s 48-yard field goal got the Vikings on the board, but they were unable to tie the game as the two teams exchanged scores the rest of the game. The Vikings closed the gap to three late in the third quarter with Silas Morton’s four-yard run and a two-point conversion hauled in by DJ Holly. However, the Wildcats were able to grind away at the clock on the next drive, taking nearly nine minutes to go 14 plays and 64 yards for their final score.

Tomele Staples went 15-for-28 with 172 passing yards, claiming one touchdown pass but throwing two interceptions. Staples also had 55 yards on the ground to supplement Morton’s 80 yards on 16 carries. Two Baker players led their rushing attack: Gabe Martin with 19 carries for 87 yards and two scores, while Gavin Fellingham had 11 totes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings fall to 2-2 on the season. They will next host St Ambrose on Saturday at 1 p.m.; kickoff will be at 12:45 p.m. on KMMO AM 1300.

Other Heart of America scores from Saturday
Central Methodist 52, at William Woods 24
at Benedictine 70, Peru State 30
William Penn 48, at Culver-Stockton 21
Clarke 37, at Graceland 30
at Grand View 63, St Ambrose 3
at MidAmerica Nazarene 41, Missouri Baptist 39