SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For the second time this season, Indiana State took a fourth quarter lead over a Gateway Football Conference opponent, but for the second time they came up short as Missouri State scored with 28 seconds remaining to take a 31-27 victory over the Sycamores. ISU falls to 0-9, 0-5 GFC while the Bears improved to 4-4, 2-3 GFC.

Junior wide receiver Sam Logan tied his own school record with 55 catches on the season in the game’s first quarter. The record-tying catch was a 40-yard pass from senior quarterback Blayne Baggett for a touchdown which gave the Sycamores a 7-0 cushion with 7:07 left in the game’s first quarter. Logan would break the record with his 56^th catch of the season on a three-yard reception in the second period.

Missouri State answered the early Logan touchdown with a three-yard run by quarterback Scott Carroll at the 1:55 mark of the first quarter. The Sycamore defense had all of Carroll’s options covered, but he found a seam up the middle and scooted into the end zone for the TD which tied the score at seven.

The two teams traded field goals early in the second quarter when Kyle Hooper booted a 27-yarder with 14:51 left in the period before MSU’s Jon Scifres booted a 22-yard field goal of his own to knot the score at 10. The Bears were able to forge ahead with 6:07 left in the first half when backup quarterback A.J. Porter found Michael Sparks on a 13-yard catch-and-run for the score and a 17-10 lead.

ISU was able to move the ball inside the MSU 30-yard line with just over a minute remaining, but an illegal forward pass and a sack of Baggett ended the Sycamores hopes of knotting the score before the half.

Following a defensive stand to begin the second half, the Sycamore offense marched from inside its own one-yard line for a score when Logan caught a 32-yard pass and raced into the end zone to tie the score at 17 with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter. Scifres booted a perfect punt that was downed at the one, but a personal foul on MSU gave ISU improved field position at the 16-yard line. Eleven plays later, Logan caught the scoring pass from Baggett. The score gave Logan the first multi-touchdown game of his career.

ISU took its first second-half lead since the Western Kentucky contest when Baggett found Carl Berman for a six-yard touchdown with 14:51 remaining in the contest. The scoring play gave the Sycamores a 24-17 advantage, with Baggett going over 300 yards passing for the first time this season during the drive.

The Indiana State defense held their ground with the lead, giving the ball back to the Sycamore offense just outside its own 20-yard line. During the drive, Baggett completed a screen pass to Jamie Petrowski, but he fumbled to give the Bears excellent field position.

Porter took advantage of the situation as he reached the end zone on a six-yard TD run to even the score at 24.

ISU marched down the field in putting together a 7-play, 48-yard drive that ended with a 26-yard field goal by Hooper which gave ISU a 27-24 lead with 7:03 remaining in the contest.

On Missouri State’s final drive, Kaya Farris made an amazing over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone on a pass from A.J. Porter to take the final lead, 31-27. The score came with 28 seconds remaining. ISU could not muster a first down on their final drive as ISU dropped its 15^th consecutive contest.

Baggett hit 32-of-48 passes for a school-record 396 yards and three touchdowns. Logan finished the game with 13 receptions for 194 yards and two scores.

Next week Indiana State will compete in the regular season home finale when they host Western Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 5. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. (EST).

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