Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 6th-ranked Missouri Western State football team scored 24 first half points and then used a fake punt in the fourth quarter to hold off Nebraska-Kearney, 31-19, Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium.
 
The defending MIAA champions, Western improves to 3-0 (2-0) while the Lopers fall to 0-3 (0-3). UNK still leads the all-time series, 16-8, but the Griffons have now won the last five meetings between the two.
 
A Homecoming crowd saw the Lopers fall behind 24-6 by halftime. Led by the running of sophomore QB Bronson Marsh (Millard South H.S.), UNK not only got back into the game but seemingly had a chance to take the lead.
 
Late in the third quarter, Marsh scrambled 19 yards for a score on 4th and 11. He already has crossed the goal line, running from nine yards out in the second quarter. 
 
After senior end Elhadji Ndiaye (Brooklyn, N.Y.) sacked Western QB Travis Partridge for a 13-yard loss, the Lopers got the ball back to start the final 15 minutes. Going for it on 4th and 1 from their own 48-yard line, UNK saw Marsh go up the gut on a designed run and race 52 yards for a score.
 
Kearney tried to make it a one possession game by going for a two-point conversion. However, a pass fell incomplete. The Lopers were chasing points as they had a PAT blocked in the first half.
 
Western responded to Marsh's third TD run by marching 73 yards in 12 plays. The nearly five minute drive featured All-MIAA tight end Reggie Jordan taking a direct snap on a fake punt and running for nine yards on 4th and 8 from the Loper 44-yard line.
 
Four plays later, Partridge tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to receiver Stephon Weaver. A 2012 All-American, Partridge finished 22 of 35 for 277 yards, two TD's and no INT's.
 
UNK came back once again, taking the ball 57 yards down the field. However, senior back Stephan Rush (Merna) was stopped on 4th and 1 from the Western 26-yard line. Early in the second quarter, the Griffons held on another 4^th and 1 from their own 26.
 
Marsh ended the day with 18 carries for 194 yards and those three scores. The rushing total is the second most by a Loper signal caller, trailing only the 288 yards Jake Spitzlberger ran for in the 2011 opener at Wayne State.
 
He also was 21 of 37 in the air for 241 yards and three INT's. Two of those picks came as the result of tipped balls.
 
Tallying 507 yards, UNK saw nine different players catch a pass, led by McCook senior Matt Berry with five for 35 yards. The versatile southpaw also had four carries and threw a pass.
 
Western had 487 total yards with 352 of that coming in the first half. Running back Raphael Spencer carried the ball 27 times for 171 yards with Weaver having six catches for 50 yards and two scores. Two other Griffons had four receptions, including Jordan.
 
Defensively, senior ILB Kellen Werner (Grand Island) had 15 tackles with fellow inside backer Tyke Kozeal (Sargent) at 11. Next, Ndiaye had two tackles for loss while senior OLB Drew Wagner (Madison) had seven stops.
 
UNK is at No. 3 NW Missouri State next Saturday. The Bearcats (3-0) won at Fort Hays State tonight, 49-14.