Northwest Downs Missouri Southern

No. 4 Northwest Missouri State too much for Lions Box Score JOPLIN -- Missouri Southern freshman quarterback Nathan Emert (Springdale, Ark.) set four more school records, but the No. 4-ranked team in NCAA Division II proved to be too much for the young Missouri Southern football Lions. The Bearcats (7-0, 5-0 MIAA), sporting the nation`s third-ranked rushing defense, outgained MSSU 258-6 on the ground and rolled to a 55-19 win over the Lions (4-3, 3-2) on Saturday at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. Unable to establish the running game, Southen was forced to the air for its offense. Emert, dismantling the Southern record books, continued to shine. He set MSSU records with 35 completions, 55 attempts and 419 passing yards. Now seven games into the season, Emert also became the Lions` single-season completions leader with 204. Emert orchestrated a 10-play, 98-yard drive in the first quarter as Southern took a 7-0 lead on a 16-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Tedaryl Mason. That scored marked the Lions first offensive touchdown vs. Northwest since 1999. But from there, Northwest Missouri capitalized on good field position and turnovers while leaning on senior wide receiver Jamaica Rector. The Bearcats reeled off 31 straight points for a 31-7 halftime lead, including two TD passes from Josh Lamberson to Rector. The last touchdown, following an Emert interception, was a a 50-yard scoring pass to Rector with just four seconds left before halftime. Rector, who finished with 11 catches for 170 yards (including nine for 148 yards in the first half), set the MIAA career (all games) receiving yardage record with 3,949. Southern trimmed the lead to 31-13 on its first series of the third quarter with a 75-yard scoring drive, the shortest of its three successful drives of the night. Sophomore Wentric Williams (Hannibal, Mo.) capped the series with a 1-yard TD run. But the Bearcats put the game away with the big play. E.J. Faulkner caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Lamberson, his fourth scoring pass of the night, as time ran out in the third period. Xavier Omon ripped off a 91-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to make it 48-13. Lamberson completed 24-of-28 passes for 317 yards and was intercepted twice, while Omon put up 184 rushing yards on 14 carries. Mason`s second touchdown of the night, this time on a 10-yard pass from Emert, cut the NWMSU lead to 48-19. Senior DeMarcus Mathes (Dallas, Texas) had nine receptions for 127 yards. His 53 catches this season moved him into third on the Lions single-season list behind only Rod Smith. His 784 receiving yards, the exact amount he had in two seasons entering 2004, is fourth on the single-season chart. Senior cornerback Robert Spinks (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) had two of the three MSSU interceptions. Sophomore Elbert Johnson (Independence, Mo.) led the defense with eight tackles (two for losses), while Dan Jefferson (Muskogee, Okla.) had seven stops including three for loss.