Box Score | Season Stats

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Quarterback Steven Gachette passed for just 287 yards, but delivered four touchdown passes and ran for three more, as the SBU Bearcats held off the Lincoln Blue Tigers, 62-38. The Blue Tigers hung close after the 'Cats took an early 20-7 lead in the first quarter, but SBU controlled the second half on their way to a school-record fifth consecutive victory.

The Bearcats offense took charge on the opening drive, with a six-play, 69 yard series that ended in Gachette hooking up with senior receiver D.A. Allen for the first of their three touchdown passes. After the SBU defense held Lincoln to a three-and-out, Gachette found Allen again, and the Bearcats held a 13-0 lead.

Lincoln answered quickly after SBU's second strike, returning the kickoff 92 yards for the score. Gachette would lead the offense down again, highlighted by a 16 yard pass to Sean Kelley that put the ball on the Lincoln 1-yard line. The 'Cats would punch it in on the next play, and SBU would close out the first quarter with a 20-7 lead.

The closest the Blue Tigers came to a lead the whole day was early in the second quarter. After finishing an 11-play drive with a touchdown from A.J. Springer, The Lincoln defense forced a punt that was blocked by Andre Coleman and returned 32 yards for the potentially tying score. Lincoln kicker Josh Blanton missed the extra point, however, and SBU held a one point advantage, 20-19.

The Bearcats added seven more with Gachette's touchdown run from the one-yard line, but Lincoln's Joseph Snell broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining in the half. With a 27-25 score, Lincoln went for the tie on the two-point conversion, but the pass attempt was no good. SBU would tack on one more score before the half, on Allen's third touchdown catch, a 42-yard score on the longest reception of the day. With the catch, Allen ties teammate Charles Johnson with three TD catches in a single game. Johnson pulled off the feat last season against Northeastern State. SBU went into the locker rooms at halftime with a 34-25 advantage.

SBU took advantage of a Lincoln personal foul penalty on the opening drive of the second half, and sophomore linebacker Andre Hicks brought down the Blue Tigers signal-caller for a 17-yard sack. Two plays later, after a Lincoln punt, Gachette rushed for the second of his three touchdowns, a 73-yard run that put the Bearcats up 41-25.

Lincoln would score late in the third quarter, cutting the SBU lead to ten, but that would be as close as they would get. Bearcat receiver Charles Johnson caught a 28-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, extending his streak of seven straight games with a touchdown catch, and ties Johnnie King (2008) and Nick Smart (2007) with nine touchdown receptions in a single season. Quarterback Justin French also saw some playing time, throwing his first touchdown pass of the year to Chuck Mason in the final minutes of the game, making the score 62-38.

Linebacker Shaquille Shedd led the Bearcat defense with 13 total tackles, while Austin Otwell had a game-high 1.5 sacks. Shedd and Otwell also recorded an interception, giving Otwell three picks on the year.

Running back Thad Everson rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries, his second straight 100-yard performance.

With the win, SBU moves to 5-2 on the year, just one win shy of clinching back-to-back winning seasons, something the Bearcat football program hasn't done since 1986-87. Head coach Keith Allen also moves just one victory away from tying Garry Brandt for second on SBU's all-time wins list.

The Bearcats will enjoy the upcoming bye week, then are back in action on Saturday, October 23rd, when Central State (Ohio) comes to Bolivar for a homecoming matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.