Box Score Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University football team completed a great comeback against Missouri Southern on Saturday evening in Bolivar. SBU found themselves down 20 in the second quarter, but would erase the deficit and claim a 38-33 victory.

Missouri Southern used a strong ground game to take an early lead in the contest. Missouri Southern would take a 7-0 lead after the first quarter of play off of Michael Nelson touchdown run. Southern would add 13 more points, and a fumbled snap of an extra point, would give the Lions a 20-0 lead.

Southwest Baptist would get on the scoreboard with 9:50 to go in the first half when Willie Tindal hit Derwyn Lauderdale with a 10 yard pass to cut the lead to 20-7. Missouri Southern added another touchdown before the Bearcats found the endzone for a second time on the evening. With 6:05 left in the half, Tindal hit Evan Ray with an 86 yard bomb to pull SBU within 13 at 27-14.

In the second half the Bearcats came out in dominating fashion. The defense came up with big stop after big stop, holding Missouri Southern scoreless in the second half until the final minute of play. The Bearcats started to chip away the lead when ViaVia Manuma punched in a touchdown from 1 yard out to pull SBU back within 6. SBU continued to push when Tindal found Nathan Mourik across the middle of the field for a 50 yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Bearcats their first lead of the game at 28-27.

SBU added to their lead with a 23 yard field goal, going up 31-27. On the following kickoff, the Bearcats would recover an onside kick and finish off their drive with a Robert McWright 5 yard touchdown run to give the Bearcats their biggest lead of the evening at 38-27. Missouri Southern would add another touchdown with 1:03 to go in the game, but SBU would recover the attempted onside kick to seal the 38-33 victory.

Willie Tindal had a tremendous second half, throwing for 227 yards and a score, while finishing the game with 399 passing yards with 3 touchdowns. Derwyn Lauderdale and Evan Ray both went over the century mark in receiving yards, with Lauderdale hauling in a game high 130 yards and Ray picking up 122 yards, and both receivers also found the endzone. ViaVia Manuma broke a couple of big runs off for SBU and ended the day with 81 rushing yards on 12 carries and a score.

Defensively Shaquille Shedd and Johnathan Drury both led SBU with 9 tackles a piece, while Ivan Hodges had 8 tackles. Drury also added the lone Bearcat sack, while Evan Ray had two pass breakups.

"One thing about our team is this: they have a great heart," head coach Craig Schuler commented after the victory. "We have showed the ability to come from behind and not get down. That is all heart. The team has the same toughness as the quarterback. Willie Tindal throws three picks in the first half and gets sacked five times, but he never stopped competing and still threw for 399 yards and three td's. What a great kid. Our defense was so good in the second half that they pitched a shutout for 29 minutes against a great rushing team. Coach Klund and Coach Hunley made the adjustment at halftime and the players decided to get mean and get it done."

The Bearcats are set to host the Ichabods of Washburn on Saturday, October 5 for SBU Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. from Plaster Stadium in Bolivar.