SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – In a dominant home performance, Missouri State quarterback Henry Belin IV delivered 184 passing yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bears to a 24-3 victory over Sam Houston on Tuesday night.
Belin connected early with Isaiah Myers for a 32‑yard touchdown catch with 4:09 left in the first quarter, putting the Bears ahead. The drive set the tone for a game in which Missouri State never looked back.
Second‑half surge
Late in the fourth quarter, Jmariyae Robinson broke free for a 37‑yard touchdown reception, stiff‑arming defender Jace Arnold twice on the play. The score extended the lead to 17‑3 and effectively sealed the outcome.
Sam Houston’s special teams faltered when a punt return fumble gave Missouri State excellent field position. Connor Lair capitalized, punching in a 1‑yard rushing touchdown with 3:44 remaining. The Bears’ defense then held firm, breaking up a fourth‑down pass with just over a minute left to keep the Bearkats out of the end zone.
Statistical highlights
Robinson finished with seven catches for 102 yards, while Myers added three receptions for 77 yards. Lair contributed 75 rushing yards on the ground. For Sam Houston, quarterback DJ Bailey completed 20 of 35 passes for 258 yards, but the Bearkats could not translate the yardage into points.
The win improves Missouri State’s record to 3‑5 overall and 2‑2 in Conference USA, while Sam Houston falls to 1‑7 overall and 0‑4 in conference play.
Looking ahead
Both programs have upcoming road games on Nov. 7. Sam Houston will travel to Jacksonville State, while Missouri State heads to Florida International for its next matchup.
The contest marked the first conference meeting between the two schools and the first encounter since 2006, when both programs were still competing at the FCS level.
Original reporting: KY3 Springfield (local) — read the source article.
