Southern rallies, Pitt falls flat in Saturday football action
What do you think?
Missouri Southern: MSSU 21, Upper Iowa 19
Missouri Southern picked up its first win of the season with an efficient offensive performance and clutch plays late.
The Lions finished with 356 yards and converted 7 of 12 third downs.
Quarterback Tillman Martin threw for 242 yards, while Isaiah Green had a huge night with seven catches for 144 yards and an 80-yard touchdown.
Southern trailed 13-7 in the third quarter before taking advantage of an Upper Iowa turnover and scoring to move ahead 14-13. That sequence helped swing momentum back toward the Lions after they had struggled to consistently control the game.
The biggest play came early in the fourth quarter when Martin connected with Green for the 80-yard score, giving MSSU a 21-13 lead.
Upper Iowa pulled within two late, but the Lions were able to run out the clock and preserve the win.
Southern still has things to clean up, particularly nine penalties for 93 yards and two turnovers.
Still, the biggest positive is that the Lions won a close game by making critical plays on third down, creating a turnover and producing a game-changing touchdown when it needed one.
Pitt State: Emporia State 21, Gorillas 10
Pitt State's 0-2 start is becoming a concern, particularly because the problems Saturday were largely on offense.
The Gorillas fell behind 21-7 by halftime, then shut Emporia State out in the second half. The defense adjusted and gave Pitt State repeated chances to get back into the game, but the offense could not capitalize.
Pitt State finished with 279 yards, went just 4-for-16 on third down and allowed five sacks.
Quarterback Jake Wolff threw for 136 yards with two interceptions.
The Gorillas also left points on the field in the red zone, including a fourth-quarter possession that reached the Emporia State 3-yard line and produced no points.
Freshman Syre Padilla was a bright spot, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown, while T.J. Starks had 102 receiving yards.
The bigger issue is that Pitt State has now scored just 24 points through two games. The opening loss came against #1 Ferris State, so that result was easier to explain.
A home loss to Emporia State, with the defense allowing no second-half points, puts much more attention on the offense.
