A cloud of yellow smoke was not enough to stop Northwest Missouri State University head coach Mel Tjeersdma from getting the better of his protégé, Missouri Southern head coach Bart Tatum as the Bearcats (5-0, 3-0) remained undefeated in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play Sept. 30 at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

“We are trying to snap out of this losing streak and come back strong,” said junior running back Freddie Colbert.

The Lions (3-2, 1-2) proved their toughness once again as they held Northwest to a total of 59 yards of offense in the second half of the 24-7 loss.

The Northwest running game only gained 107 yards from their running game, holding running back Xavier Omon to 70 yards rushing. Senior defensive end Devin Rutledge sacked Northwest quarterback Josh Matthews twice.

“I thought the defense did a great job in the second half,” said junior defensive tackle Kyle Mayden.

“We always have been a confident defense. When we are clicking, we know we have the ability to stop anybody,” he said.

Testing the No. 2 run defense in the nation resulted in an overall average of 0.8 yards per carry. Ronnell Newman led the Lions running game with 33 yards on 11 carries.

Although he threw two interceptions, quarterback Adam Hinspeter turned in another good performance, completing 26 of his 43 pass attempts, throwing for a total of 211 yards.

“I’m proud of our guys. They showed up and played,” Tatum said.

Not lost in the contest was a moment of silence by the 5,327 in attendance to remember former Lions head coach John Ware who died of a heart attack Sept. 27, 2005.

The Lions look to put one in the win column as they travel to Stokes Stadium in Kirksville to take on Truman State University (1-4, 1-2) tomorrow at 2 p.m.

“Truman is not going to be superior to us; they are a good team,” Tatum said.

TSU has faced some stiff competition this season already, going up against four of the top 20 teams in the American Football Coaches Association poll.

“We are excited to go there and play a competitive game,” Tatum said.

The Bulldogs look to employ the nation’s number one kick returner in Chandler Terry and running back Jack Cunningham, who is third in the league in rushing, in an attempt to diminish the Lion’s chance at a victory.

“We can’t take anyone lightly. This is a tough conference and we need to come out and bring our best,” Colbert said.

“We need to come out and play four solid quarters of football,” Mayden said.

The Lions return to Hughes Stadium Sat. Oct. 14 for a showdown with No. 14 Missouri Western State University. The game will be Homecoming for the Lions.