Watch Missouri State athletic director Patrick Ransdell address media
Missouri State introduced Patrick Ransdell as its next athletic director. Watch him address the media following his introduction on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Missouri State football had a shot at pulling off a major upset in its season opener but couldn’t pull off a game-winning drive before falling 29-24 to FCS No. 3 Montana.
The Bears had the ball, down five, with 1:38 to go but went four-and-out and took three-straight sacks to end their potential game-winning drive.
Penalties and injuries plagued the Bears throughout a night that could have seen them tie their highest-ranked win in program history.
Here’s how we graded Missouri State’s offense, defense, special teams and coaches after its opening-night contest in Montana:
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Offense: C
It’s difficult to grade because Missouri State had two starting offensive linemen in addition to the one it was already missing entering the night. Starting quarterback Jacob Clark, in his first game after missing the final eight of last season with season-ending shoulder surgery, was solid while throwing for 257 yards and one interception against one of the subdivision’s best secondaries.
Defense: C
Montana scored on its final three drives of the game when one stop could have turned into a different result. MSU went into the game needing to limit big plays but allowed six runs of over 10 yards of more and five passes of 15 yards or more.
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Special teams: B
New kicker Yousef Obeid nailed a 33-yard field goal and all of his extra points but a pooch kick late in the game went out of bounds, giving Montana good field position. Connor Lair’s special teams tackle, in his first game after beating cancer, was one of the highlights of the night.
Coaches: C-
Offensive coordinator Nick Petrino was fantastic with his play-calling, going up against one of the best defenses in the FCS while playing with a banged-up offensive line. Some questionable late situations, penalties and the lack of discipline, however, fall on the coaches.
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Overall: C+
Not many thought Missouri State would be this competitive against one of the best FCS teams in the country. There is plenty of reason for optimism for the Bears heading into the remainder of their final FCS season but there were plenty of missed opportunities that maybe should have led to a win.
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Publish date : 2024-08-31 22:03:00
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