Breaking down Missouri State's huge win over Lindenwood
· Yahoo Sports
SPRINGFIELD — It was an emphatic home opening win for Missouri State (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Bears took down in-state foe Lindenwood 48-14.
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From the start, Missouri State’s speed, physicality, and playmaking ability were on complete display.
Here are some takeaways from Missouri State's big win:
Isaiah Myers enjoys career night
A few weeks ago, Casey Woods shared that wide receiver Isaiah Myers had the best spring camp out of the entire wide receiver room.
The Western Kentucky transfer showed off his offseason work for a career night against the Lions. Myers caught five passes for 155 yards and one touchdown.
He scored a 72-yard touchdown via a flea-flicker in the first half. He broke away from Lindenwold’s secondary, and quarterback Skyler Locklear hit him in stride for the easy touchdown.
“I love this offense," Myers said. "It's a lot of explosive, downfield shots. I feel comfortable here. I feel comfortable that they are going to put me in the right position to make a play."
Myers also scored the opening touchdown of the game via a backward pass from Locklear. Due to the backward pass, the touchdown was credited as a rushing score. Myers was able to break a few tackles before plunging into the end zone.
“He wasn't a starter day one, and he did the right things for a long time," Woods said. "When you have unselfish, talented players, the ball seems to find its way to them."
While Myers shined, the rushing attack also damaged Lindenwood's defense. Ramone Green Jr. rushed for a team-high 80 yards and two touchdowns. This was his first multi-score game in his college career. Breezy Dubar added 77 yards and a touchdown, too. Connor Lair also added a short rushing touchdown.
Skyler Locklear much more comfortable against Lindenwood
Missouri State’s starting quarterback wanted to forget about last week’s performance against No. 8 Texas A&M quickly.
Against Lindenwood, Locklear showcased why he is the team’s starting signal caller. After securing less than 70 total yards last week, Missouri State erupted for over 584 yards of offense.
"We came out, and we wanted to be aggressive," Woods said. "He (Locklear) came out hunting. I was really proud of him."
Locklear threw for 258 yards on 17-for-20 passing and one touchdown, the flea flicker to Myers. This was the seventh time in Locklear’s career that he eclipsed 200 yards passing. This was also his best passing performance in a win since 2024.
Locklear found six different wide receivers as he played until midway through the third quarter. While Locklear is known for his speed and throwing on the move, he excelled at passing inside the pocket. The offensive line protected their quarterback extremely well.
“That is what this offense is capable of doing," Woods said.
Locklear had eight completions of 10 yards or more.
For the final 20 minutes of the game, backup quarterback Henry Belin IV featured. Belin scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown. He also threw for 55 yards on 3-for-4 passing.
Missouri State's defense puts on a clinic
Missouri State’s defense was on the mark in key situations throughout the game. The Bears surrendered just 50 yards of offense to the Lions in the first half.
The Bears attacked the line of scrimmage well, while they also forced errant throws from Lindenwood’s mobile quarterback, Pops Battle. The defense swarmed Lindenwood’s ball carriers with multiple tacklers at a time.
“That’s a part of our defensive identity. Relentless effort and violent tackles,” linebacker Jashawn Cooper said. “Everybody to the ball. That’s how we play football here at Missouri State.”
Lindenwood went 2-for-13 on third-down for the full game. The Lions finished with 223 total yards of offense. Both of Lindenwood’s touchdowns came in the second half.
Just before halftime, Cooper snagged an interception from Battle. It was one of the highlight-reel plays for the Bears, besides the team’s three sacks.
“We took a step forward today,” Cooper said. “We still have a lot to clean up, but we definitely took a step forward today.”
Joel Kpassou also forced a fumble recovered by Stratton Shufelt in the third quarter. Missouri State claimed the turnover battle, as the offense did not turn the ball over.
Casey Woods' first head coaching win
Plaster Stadium erupted with a packed student section and fireworks before the game. First-year head coach Casey Woods sprinted with his team across the field before the start of the game.
The entire stadium welcomed their new leader, but one person in particular greeted Woods first.
Woods' son, Sawyer, stood at the 50-yard line and high-fived his dad.
"Some people use family as a buzzword; some people's kids are high-fiving you pregame," Woods said. "It was an awesome moment for him."
This was Woods' first win as a head coach with 12,138 in attendance.
Since taking over, he's tried to build a program around family values. Little moments like being with his son minutes before kickoff show how these values are taking root in the football program.
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Breaking down Missouri State's huge win over Lindenwood