Bolivar, Mo. - With a roaring crowd at their back the SBU football team began their 2025 season Saturday evening at Plaster Stadium. Battling a former MIAA opponent, the tight battle went the way of the Missouri Southern Lions as SBU fell 31-38. That loss moved the Bearcats to 0-1 to start the season.
On just the first drive of the game, the Bearcats looked strong driving all the way down the five-yard line but were unable to punch the ball in scoring a field goal. The Lions bounced right back scoring 21 unanswered points early on looking like they were going to pull away.
Then a strong drive from the Bearcats ended in a
Kamau Ransom touchdown to make it a two-possession game. 23 seconds later Missouri Southern answered back scoring another TD with just a minute left in the second half. With the momentum shot out of the crowd, graduate student
Omari Oggs reinvigorated the team with a 97-yard kickoff return bringing cheers back to grand crowd.
Heading into the second half Southwest Baptist trailed by 11 but the Lions would receive the ball to start the half putting pressure on the Bearcat defense. They responded well as Oggs put his skills on defense picking off a pass from the Lions quarterback. Just over a minute later the Bearcats made it a four-point game with a touchdown run from
Jobe Smith. The Lions offense went on the score a field goal and touchdown making it a two-possession game again. A second touchdown from Ransom was not enough as the Bearcats fell in their home opener.
SBU's quarterback
Jaron Saunders threw for 213 yards with two touchdown passes. Ransom was his main target with seven receptions for 84 total yards and both touchdowns. Smith and
Shawn Cherry shared the ball from the backfield. Smith went for 80 yards off 15 carries and Cherry went for 75 yards off 19 carries.
Senior
Jed Brandon and junior
Ricky Woodhouse each had nine total tackles on the game, leading the team. Just behind them was junior
Jalonie Moses with eight tackles and half a sack. Redshirt sophomore
Caleb Saner was all over the field with six tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries.
The Bearcats will return to action next Saturday on the road as they head to Chicago, Illinois. There they will take on Roosevelt University at 1:00pm.
