SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State scored the game's first 10 points and kept SMU off the scoreboard on its first five possessions before the visiting Mustangs rallied to a 28-10 victory here Saturday in MSU's first FBS home game.
 
MoState QB Jacob Clark finished 23-of-37 for 275 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Dash Luke hauled in five catches for a game-high 80 yards. The maroon and white accounted for 328 yards of total offense and 19 first downs.
 
The 91-degree temperatures at game time marked the hottest home opener for MoState since 2013, but the faithful and raucous crowd of 15,027 at Plaster Stadium helped the Bears (1-2) set the pace out of the gates.
 
J.J. O'Neal snagged an interception for the Bears just four plays into the game. His pick of a Kevin Jennings pass on the game's opening drive set up a 38-yard field goal by Yousef Obeid seven plays later to give the Bears an early 3-0 lead.
 
Later in the opening quarter, Clark engineered Missouri State's only touchdown drive of the afternoon, covering 74 yards in six plays before a leaping end zone reception by Luke made it a 10-0 game. The drive included 28 ground yards on three carries from tailback Shomari Lawrence after Clark connected 32 yards to Tristian Gardner to start the series.
 
The second quarter belonged to the visitors who got on the board first with a six-yard TD carry by Dramekco Green to cap a grind-it-out march by SMU. The last 31 yards of the drive were on the ground with Green, T.J. Harden and Chris Johnson Jr., sharing the load to make it a 10-7 game with 7:36 left in the half.
 
After a 20-yard pass completion from Clark to Jmariyae Robinson on MSU's ensuing drive, the Bears stalled at the SMU 45 and punted it back to the Mustangs with 1:52 left in the second quarter. But Jennings then went to work for SMU, using a hectic pace and a series of short plays to keep the chains moving before a Bears personal foul took the visitors into the red zone. From there, Harden carried twice to find paydirt and give SMU a 14-10 lead at the intermission.
 
The Bears managed just 126 yards in the second half but had opportunities to stay in the race. MSU's opening possession of the third quarter got the home club all the way down to the SMU six-yard-line before the potential go-ahead drive stalled there on a Clark interception on third-and-goal.
 
Later in the third, after the Mustangs extended their lead to 21-10, the Bears turned the ball over on downs at the SMU 49 with an officials' measurement nullifying what initially appeared to be a first down. Five plays later, the seismic momentum shift carried the visitors to another score with R.J. Maryland's seven-yard reception from Jennings making it a 28-10 game.
 
Jennings finished the game 24-of-36 for 281 yards and a TD, including five completions to Jalen Cooper for 68 yards. Harden finished with a game-high 96 rushing yards on 15 carries and a pair of scores for the ACC squad from Dallas.
 
SMU held the Bears to 0-for-12 on third down situations and amassed 448 total yards of its own on the afternoon, despite being flagged for 130 yards in penalties.

Christian Ford was one of several defensive standouts for the Bears, registering seven solo tackles, while Dylan Dixson (6) and Thomas Anderson (5) combined for 11 individual stops, with Anderson recovering a key first-quarter fumble.
 
The Bears continue a three-game home stand next Saturday at Robert W. Plaster Stadium when they entertain UT Martin at 6 p.m. on Family Weekend. Tickets for the game are available online at MissouriStateBears.com or at the Missouri State Box office at Great Southern Bank Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular box office hours (10-5, M-F).