Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Missouri Southern State's option offense churned out 364 rushing yards and the Lions defense held Nebraska-Kearney in check in a 34-17 victory Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.
 
This was the first meeting between the two since 1988. In front of a Homecoming crowd of 4,515, Southern improves to 1-2 while UNK falls to 0-3.
 
Averaging 397 rushing yards per game last year to rank second nationally, the Lions averaged 5.7 yards per carry today with eight different players having at least one tote. Starting quarterback Jay McDowell left early on but backup Scott Lathrop led five second half scoring drives, rushed for 64 yards and threw one TD pass.
 
Junior back Giresse Forchu was tough to stop all day, finishing with team-high in carries (25) and yards (110). He capped a 10-play, 46-yard drive to at the 7:08 mark of the 1st quarter by running in from one yard out.
 
UNK's defense did force the Lions to punt on four straight possessions. Those drives totaled 48 yards and then another drive resulted in a missed 51-yard field goal.
 
Offensively, the Lopers punted the first four times they touched the ball. A 26-yard punt return by junior Cougar Williams (Hanford, Calif.) put the ball in Lions territory midway through the 2nd quarter.
 
Junior running back Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) and junior QB Bronson Marsh (Millard South H.S.) had back-to-back runs of 11 yards to move the ball further down
the field. Freshman Brendan Wentling (Grand Island) then kicked a 32-yard field goal.

 
Having a plus 17 minute advantage in time of possession, Southern wore down UNK in the second half. They had scoring drives of 87, 34, 50, 72 and 24 yards. To gain those yards, the Lions needed 37 plays (7.2 avg.).
 
The scores included a 27-yard run by Chris Jeffries, a 35-yard pass from Lathrop to Anthony Cannon and field goals of 35 and 39 yards by Brock Renken.
 
UNK didn't go away, finishing with scoring drives of 81 and 75 yards, respectively. Marsh threw a 26-yard TD pass to Williams and then tossed a 14-yard scoring pass to Cotton with 1:21 to go.
 
Besides Forchu and Lathrop, Shannon Saunders had 15 carries for 57 yards and one TD. Defensively, the Lions had 15 TFL's, including four sacks.
 
Marsh had 18 carries for 54 yards and was 15 of 27 in the air for 140 yards and those two scores. Cotton had 10 carries for 21 yards with junior Allen Sampson (Tampa, Fla.) having four receptions for 41 yards.
 
Facing a ground and pound attack, the heart of the Loper defense was busy all day. Sophomore ILB Tyke Kozeal (Sargent) was in on 19 tackles, fellow inside backer Josh Papa (David City) had 16 and three others – OLB Devontay Lefore (Omaha Centarl), end Matt Bowman (Kearney Catholic) and tackle Jack Wardyn (Palmer) -- tallied 13 apiece.
 
UNK travels to Central Missouri. The talented Mules are 1-2 after a 37-15 loss to No. 1 NW Missouri State.