Missouri State overcame an early double-digit deficit behind a dominant second-quarter, reeling off 35 unanswered points en route to a 52-24 home-opening victory over Lincoln University Thursday afternoon at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. The Bears defense paved the way to MSU’s first victory of the season, putting points on the board with a fumble return for a score, while recording seven sacks and permitting just 59 rushing yards on the day.
Peyton Huslig led the Bears’ comeback, finishing his day with completions on his last 11 passing attempts as part of a 12-for-14, 235-yard performance. In all, three MSU quarterbacks combined for 330 passing yards, giving the Bears (1-1) their best single-game showing through the air since their 2017 season opener at Missouri. Additionally, the offense topped the 500-yard mark in total offense—tallying 177 yards on the ground—and none of its eight scoring drives extended beyond the three-minute mark in duration.