Box score | Season stats

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. --  The SBU Bearcats' late rally came up short, as the Cats fell 33-30 to the Truman State Bulldogs. Steve Gachette threw for 299 yards on 28 of 44 passing and tossed two touchdowns while rushing for two other scores but it wasn't enough as the Bearcats fell to 0-2 on the season.

Anthony Wiggins intercepted TSU quarterback Phil Davis in the first quarter and later SBU broke on top on a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Gachette, but the PAT was blocked. Truman cut the margin to 6-3 on a 23-yard field goal by Derek Koon. SBU later drove to the the Truman one-yard line, but gave up the ball on a fumble.

The Bearcats extended their lead in the early second quarter, on a strike from Gachette to Charles Johnson from 23 yards out, making the score 13-3. Harnish Ayora scored from two yards out for the Dogs and cut the SBU lead to three points. SBU added a 39-yard field goal from Andrew Kocurek to move to a six point edge. TSU tied the game with 25 seconds left in the quarter, with a six-yard touchdown from Davis to Donald Harvey, though the extra point failed, leaving the halftime score 16-16.

Truman gained the lead in the third quarter on a one-yard run by Ayora with five minutes gone. Later a 29-yard field goal by Koon gave the Bulldogs a 26-16 with five minutes remaining in the third. With just 21 seconds left in the quarter, Gachette rushed for his second touchdown, this time for 26 yards, cutting the lead to three points.

In the early fourth, SBU appeared poised to grab the lead, but Gachette was intercepted in the endzone by TSU's Dennis Walls. Two plays later, the Dogs' Anton Bernard sprinted 76 yards for a touchdown, putting Truman up 33-23 with 11:15 left in the game. The Bearcats took just two minutes to respond, when Gachette hit D.A. Allen for a 35-yard TD pass.

SBU got the ball back with 2:06 remaining, and drove to the Truman 48-yard line, but was unable to convert on fourth down as Truman held on for the three-point win.

Johnson caught eight passes for 88 yards and a touchdown while Allen also had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Justin Duhaney carried 15 times for 73 yards while Thad Everson rushed 13 times for 78 yards. Shaquille Shedd and Austin Otwell led the defense with 12 tackles each, while Ivan Hodges had 11 stops for SBU. Otwell led with eight solos.

Davis passed for 168 yards for Truman (2-0) and rushed for 95 more. Ayora also had 74 yards rushing on 17 carries. Kendrick Blue caught six passes for 97 yards for TSU.

The Bearcats fell to 0-11 all-time at Stokes Stadium in Kirksville.

SBU returns home next Saturday, September 11 when they host Bacone (Okla.) College beginning at 1:30 p.m. from Plaster Stadium.