Nov. 1, 2014 Final Stats | Quotes Season Stats | Season Stats 
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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - A 38-yard field goal by Indiana State's Eric Heidorn with just six seconds left in the game secured an improbable 20-18 comeback for the No. 19-ranked Sycamores (6-3, 3-2) over visiting Missouri State (4-5, 1-4) here Saturday afternoon in thrilling Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
The game-winning kick by the left-footed sophomore hooked through the uprights left to right through a 15 mph crosswind and squelched a Missouri State celebration that began moments earlier when the Bears got a last-minute field goal of their own.
Marcelo Bonani gave Missouri State an 18-17 lead with 42 seconds remaining on a 41-yard kick into the wind to cap a 10-play, 47-yard scoring drive. The go-ahead drive was extended on a clutch 23-yard reception on fourth-and-10 by Eric Christophel that pushed the Bears into Indiana State territory. MSU quarterback Kierra Harris and Christophel later connected on a six-yard completion to the Sycamores' 34 that pushed the drive closer. And after a 2-yard carry by Harris, Phoenix Johnson got MSU to the Indiana State 25 to get the ball in Bonani's range.
On the ensuing squib kick, Indiana State gathered around Aaron Killebrew at the 30, and then broke out in different directions. With MSU's kick coverage unit unsure who had the ball, Killebrew broke one tackle and raced down the Indiana State sideline to the Missouri State 38. A pair of pass completions by Mike Perish got ISU to the Bears' 20-yard line where Heidorn eventually converted the game-winner.
Harris finished with a game-high 256 yards of total offense as he rushed for a career-high 97 yards on 19 carries for the Bears and completed 16-of-25 passes for 159 yards and a pair of scores. Christophel had a team-best 4 receptions for 40 yards with Julian Burton extending his streak to 29 consecutive games with a reception with 3 catches for 17 yards for the Bears.
Missouri State outgained the home club by a 323-288 margin, and its 15 first downs was two more than the Sycamores.
ISU's Perish passed for 144 yards on 13-for-38 attempts, while LaMonte Booker posted a game-high 116 rushing yards on 12 carries.
In a game that saw 13 punts through the first three quarters, the fourth quarter turned into a welcomed shootout with the two teams combining for five field goal attempts in the final quarter to decide the day. After Bonani gave Missouri State a 15-14 lead with 13:28 to go, Heidorn couldn't capitalize on good field position and missed a 37 yarder with just under five-and-a-half minutes remaining.
On the ensuing drive, one of Harris' few mistakes on the day saw the senior picked off by Travis Starks at the MSU 37. Starks returned to the Bears' only turnover of the day to the Missouri State 12. MSU's defense did not yield a yard on the drive, but Heidorn was close enough to boot through a 30-yarder to make it a 17-15 contest with just 2:06 left.
The Bears then took over on their own 28 and eventually set up the go-ahead kick by Bonani on fourth-and-one at the Sycamores 25. The junior.overcame two Indiana State timeout attempts to freeze him, and looked to have his second game-winning kick of the season when he drilled the kick through with 42 ticks to go.
"We did everything right," said MSU head coach Terry Allen. "We kept our composure and got the go-ahead field goal. We did just what we wanted to do as far as the squib kick, but they did a nice job from the scatter. We had a guy there to tackle him (Killebrew), and he just ripped through his arms. And they didn't have far to go and put themselves in a good position to kick the winning field goal."
After trailing 14-12 at the intermission and punting on three of their first four possessions in the second half, Missouri State regained momentum with 13:28 left in the game when Bonani converted a short, 18-yard field goal try to give the Bears their first lead since the opening quarter. The 3-pointer capped an 11-play, 37-yard scoring drive that came on the heels of a short Sycamores' punt into the wind that Burton fair caught in traffic. MSU eventually got to the 1-yard line on a third-down carry by Phoenix Johnson, be reconsidered going for it after an Indiana State timeout call. Coming out of the timeout, Allen sent Bonani on for the kick. The junior, who suffered an apparent leg injury late in the first half, converted the kick to make it 15-14 and give MSU its first lead since the first quarter.
In the early going, the Bears struck first, with Harris finding Zac Hoover from 37 yards out to cap a quick, 41-yard scoring drive at the 11:07 mark of the first period. A 22-yard punt return by Burton put the visitors in good field position to start the two-play possession and set MSU up to take a 6-0 lead after the extra Bonani's extra-point kick failed.
Less than three minutes later, however, Perish pushed the Sycamores ahead on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan that was set up by an 87-yard run from scrimmage by LaMonte Booker three players earlier. Vashon Landers saved a touchdown on Booker's run by catching him at the MSU 9, but Perish found Tonyan in the corner of the end zone on third-and-goal to capitalize on Booker's career-long carry.
The 7-6 Indiana State lead held until early in the second quarter when a roughing the passer penalty took away an interception from MSU's Dylan Cole and extended a pivotal ISU Drive. A one-yard touchdown run by Dimitri Taylor capped the drive six plays later to finish off the 50-yard series for the home club and made it a 14-6 contest with 9:13 left in the half.
But Allen's troops bounced off the canvas with a counter-strike three minutes later, this time capitalizing on an ISU personal foul to set up a 20-yard scoring pass from Harris to Gannon Sinclair. The tight end's sixth TD reception of the season put the finishing touches on an efficient scoring drive that took just six plays to complete. Harris was 3-for-3 on the drive with completions to three different receivers to help MSU cover the 60 yards in exactly three minutes.
Missouri State's two-point conversion attempt after Harris' 17th TD pass of the season was snuffed out by the ISU defense and came up two yards short, keeping it a 14-12 game at the intermission.
Cole led all MSU defenders with 8 tackles, 6 solo stops, a sack, 2 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries. Caleb Schaffitzel broke up a career-high 5 passes and finished with 7 tackles, including 6 solos.
The Bears return to Robert W. Plaster Stadium next Saturday as they continue MVFC action against Southern Illinois (5-4, 2-3), at 2 p.m., as part of a Salute to America's Hero celebration on the Springfield campus. Tickets for the SIU game are on sale by calling (417) 836-7678 or stopping by the Missouri State Athletics Box Office at JQH Arena during regular box office hours, and on-line at MissouriStateBears.com/tickets.
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