Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team rushed for a teason-high 332 yards and recorded five sacks to upset Central Missouri, 24-18, Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
This was the first meeting between the Lopers and Mules in 39 years. The series in now tied at two apiece.
 
UNK (2-7, 2-7) has won two straight while the Mules (5-4, 5-4) fall for the second straight Saturday. An established MIAA power, they are the only team to beat 5th-ranked NW Missouri State (8-1) this year.
 
All game long, the Lopers relied on its run game to move the ball while UCM turned to junior QB Colter Smith, who went 32 of 50 in the air for 341 yards.
 
Due to those five sacks, the Mules were held to -31 rushing yards on 19 carries. That ties the school record for fewest rushing yards by a Loper opponent; Midland Lutheran had the same total in September of 1959.
 
Central Missouri's first three drives in the second half resulted in 12 total yards and three punts. However, Smith directed a 12 play, 65-yard drive that tied the game at 18 early in the fourth quarter.
 
The 6-5, 240 lbs., Smith tossed a four-yard scoring pass to receiver Kyson Ginavan and then converted a two-point conversion with a pass to tight end David Cannon.
 
UNK's fourth quarterback of the season, junior receiver Matt Berry (McCook), returned to action today after missing the last 3 ½ games due to injury. The southpaw led the Lopers on an 11 play, 75-march that featured two key third down conversions and made the score 24-18 with 5:36 to play.

Berry ran seven yards on 3rd and 4 from the Loper 31and then threw an eight-yard pass to junior tight end Brett Klein (Scottsbluff) on 3rd and 7 from the UCM 43.
 
Sophomore running back Ricky Trinidad (Trinity, Fla.) finished the drive with three straight runs, the last coming from 12 yards out. The Mules did block the PAT. In the third quarter, UNK failed to convert a two-point attempt.
 
UCM's ensuing drive ended when defensive tackles Justin Thiel (Adams Central H.S.) and Sandi Stanback (Boys Town H.S.) sacked Smiyh for a 10 yard loss on 3rd and 12.
 
The Lopers pretty much salted things away when Trinidad ran for seven yards on 3rd and 6 from the Kearney 24. That first down allowed UNK to run the clock down and UCM got the ball back with five seconds left on its own 32.
 
After an incomplete pass, Smith was sacked by Thiel for a 17 yard loss on the final play.
 
Trinidad did yeoman's work for a third straight week, carrying the ball 34 times for 217 yards and the game winning score. His long carry went for 21 yards and he also caught one of Berry's six completions.
 
Over the last three Saturday's, the true sophomore has 101 carries for 592 yards (197.3 avg.) and three scores. Trinidad now has four straight 100 yard games, going over 200 yards the past two weeks.
 
Berry was busy as well, carrying the ball 29 times for 104 yards and two scores. His TD runs covered four and 10 yards with his second score coming on 3rd and 8 from the UCM ten. That helped UNK go ahead 18-10 with 6:04 left in the third quarter.
 
In the pass game, Berry went 6 of 13 for 25 yards and was sacked three times. Senior WR Justin Drudik (Adams Central H.S.), who started the past two weeks at QB, was 0 for 1. Klein was the favorite target, catching three balls for 16 yards.

The Loper defense got 12 tackles, three PBU's and a blocked field goal from junior corner Ryan Lendrum (Carlsbad, Calif.), a combined 17 stops from senior box safety Pete Kropp (Grand Island) and junior corner Kenny Hill (San Diego, Calif.) and Sam Kuck's (Central City) ninth career INT.
 
Thiel was one of six UNK players to record at least a half a sack. His 1.5 sacks totaled a loss of 22 yards and were part of a five tackle day.
 
At the midway point of the second quarter, and after freshman Drew Farlee (Norfolk Catholic) made a 22-yard field goal, senior ILB Rashard King (Miami Beach, Fla.) and redshirt freshman OLB Dillon Loschen (Columbus) sacked Smith for one yard loss and a safety.
 
Aaron Jamieson allowed UCM to go into the locker room up 10-5 when he made a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. That capped a 61-yard drive that began after Farlee just missed a 42-yard field goal.

UNK got the lead back the first time it touched the ball in the second half as they went 81 yards in 11 plays. The 11 straight runs included gallops of 12, 15 and 21 yards by Trinidad with Berry running for six yards on 4th and 5 from the Mule 29. He then capped things with a four-yard scoring run.
 
Kearney plays South Dakota Mines (2-6), a Division II independent, next Saturday. The Hardrockers fell to Fort Hays State, 41-27, at home on Saturday.