The Lions were served a heartbreaking Homecoming loss by the Truman State Bulldogs, 15-3.

In the first quarter of play, Southern was able to move the ball to TSU’s 21-yard line. On a fourth-and-four, the Lions fumbled the snap during the field goal attempt. Brad Komen, freshman kicker, attempted to run the ball but was tackled for a loss of 10 yards.

“We use an unready signal, I’m not for sure it wasn’t a Truman State defensive lineman not saying ‘ready,'” said Bill Cooke, head football coach. “Our snapper is a blind snapper. As soon as he sees the holder there, he listens for the ‘ready’ and he blind snaps.”

Cooke said the play was a miscue, and he isn’t for sure if TSU or Southern caused it.

In the second quarter the score remained tied at zero until TSU took over with 5:40 left on the clock. Jerard Leverson of the Bulldogs started the play off by rushing for no gain. The next play TSU quarterback Jim DuPage completed a 12-yard pass to Vance Schuring. After two rushing plays for five yards each, the Bulldogs received a 5-yard penalty for a false start violation. DuPage threw an incomplete pass that brought up fourth down. Mark Kamphoefner kicked a 43-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 3-0.

After the kickoff, the Lions drove the ball up the field for their first scoring drive. Junior running back Nate Proctor ran the ball for 11-yards setting up a first down on Southern’s 33-yard line. After a 26-yard pass play from senior quarterback Kokain Mothershed to Demarcus Mathes, junior wide receiver, Southern made one more first down. On fourth-and-13 Komen connected on a 36-yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 3 with 56 seconds left on the clock. TSU and Southern were unable to score on the final drives of the second quarter. At halftime, the score was tied 3-3.

“There was a couple or three holding penalties in critical situations that ended in lost territory,” Cooke said.

At the start of the second half Southern pounded the ball up to the 2-yard line. On a second-and-goal Mothershed threw the ball, but was intercepted by the Bulldogs Shaun Lowery.

“We ran a double cross with a play action to one side,” Cooke said. “We cross a receiver and throw back against the grain, obviously Kokain should have thrown out of bounds. We’re judging on his part, but hey, he’s our best quarterback and we’re going to go to war with him.”

Lowery was unable to move the ball out of the end zone. On TSU’s second possession of the half, they moved the ball up to the 49-yard line where Leverson ran the football in for the first touchdown of the game, making the score 9-3. The pursuing fake field goal attempt failed when the pass from Marcus Yokeley failed.

In the fourth quarter Southern was looking to even up the score but was unsuccessful in doing so. On the Bulldogs’ third possession of the fourth quarter, the team was able to get the ball inside the red zone. On fourth-and-four TSU set up for a 24-yard field goal attempt but was blocked by Nic Proctor, junior corner back. The ball was recovered on the other side of the field on the Bulldogs’ own 15-yard line. The play was called back because of illegal batting. The penalty was three yards from previous play and repeated the fourth down.

Cooke said illegal batting was when one of Southern’s players hit the ball with his hand.

“You’re not supposed to do that,” he said.

After the penalty, the ball was placed on the 1-yard line where Kamphoefner faked the field goal and ran it in for the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed leaving the score at 15-3, where it stayed until the end of the game.

“It’s not a moral victory or anything like that. You can live with a loss if you know your kids are playing hard,” Cooke said. “You can’t live with a loss if they’re not playing hard or not playing with passion or intensity. Our kids are playing with all of those things. I’m proud of their effort.”

He said during the end of the ball game there was a lot of emotion involved.

“We were doing great things, but unfortunately there were some bumps out there for us,” Cooke said.