When the Missouri Southern Lions football team stepped onto the field to face off against the Northeastern State Redmen of Tahlequah, Okla. on Saturday, Sept. 13, they were looking for their first win. Southern would open at their 29-yard line, employing a shotgun formation.

“We call that our package and we run our option football out of that,” said Bill Cooke, Lions head coach. “We’re going to spread the ball vertically and horizontally and try to make you defend the whole football field.”

On first and 10, Southern went with the ground attack and picked up seven, setting up second and three from their 36 yard line.

But a sack erased that gain and Southern was forced to punt. NSU positioned on the 43.

Southern dug in and gave up four yards to the Redmen. On the ensuing punt, wide receiver DeMarcus Mathes made a 51 yard punt return, allowing Mothershed and the rest of the Southern offense to set up shop at the NSU 40. However, the offense wasn’t able to pick up a first down on third and six from the NSU 36 and was forced to punt.

Darvin Willard, 6-2 senior wide receiver/running back made the save from a touchback.

He kept the ball out of the end zone and sent it to the two-yard line, where the Lions downed it. NSU was then forced to punt and Southern would have the ball and the first down from the NSU 45.

A few plays later, with the Lions facing second and goal from the seven yard line, RB Nate Proctor took it to the end zone, giving Southern the early 7-0 lead after the extra point. Late in the second quarter NSU would attempt a field goal, only to have Southern block it, preserving the 7-0 lead. In the third quarter, with Southern threatening to put six more on the board, Mothershed would be picked off in the end zone, and the Redmen would take over on their own 20.

NSU would go three and out, and after the punt, Southern would pick up a field goal and increase their lead to 10-0. On the ensuing drive, NSU would force its way all the way down to the Lions’ nine-yard line before finally taking it in for six, but a failed extra point try left the Lions up 10-6.

The game would continue to be a defensive battle, with the Lions’ defense holding NSU to a field goal on the NSU’s only threatening drive of the fourth quarter, giving the Lions a 10-9 lead. And then, four minutes left to go in the game, NSU would take their first lead of the game at 15-10. Southern would have another chance, but a costly turnover would end its threat, and the Redmen would hold on to win, 15-10.

“Defensively we improved a little bit,” Cooke said. “We improved offensively as well. It may not have appeared that way at times because we didn’t make big plays like we did against Bacone, but we’re improving every day, and when we put it all together, we’ll win a football game.”

Southern’s next game will be 6 p.m. Saturday Sept. 20 at home against University of Missouri-Rolla.