If the Lions could go back and erase three plays from Saturday’s Miners Bowl loss, they may have come out on top.

Three interceptions from backup quarterback Roland Thompson, playing for injured Colin Howard, who will likely have season-ending surgery on a torn PCL, led to all of Pittsburg State’s points in the 21-13 defeat.

Throughout the first quarter, and much of the second, Thompson had the Lions’ offense taking what was given by a strong Pittsburg defense. However with 6:47 left in the first half, his first interception allowed the Gorillas to take a 7-0 lead.

“We have to figure out a way to beat some of these top programs,” said head coach Bart Tatum. “Last week against Pittsburg State University, again we had our chances. We made a couple mistakes that came back and cost us. But effort, toughness, all the qualities you look for in a good football team we exhibited those throughout that football game. So from that standpoint I really have a hard time complaining to our coaches and players because I felt like those areas were as good as they could do.”

The teams traded turnovers into halftime and the third quarter, while Southern responded when Pittsburg put up points. It seemed that Pitt had put the game away with a touchdown off another interception with only three minutes remaining in the game, however the Lions mustered another score before time expired, again finishing one potential possession away from knocking off their conference rivals for the first time since 1993.

Tomorrow, the Lions will face Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, where head coach Bart Tatum was an assistant coach for 12 years prior to coming to Southern. Tatum says he maintains a good relationship with the Bearcats’ head coach Mel Tjeerdsma, while the two haven’t spoken leading up to their matchup tomorrow.

“I’m really close friends with a number of people on that coaching staff,” Tatum said. “We won’t be friends for that two and a half, three hours we’re on the field, but when the game’s over we’ll shake hands and everything will go back to normal.”

Northwest Missouri State is Southern’s second longest conference losing streak currently, with the last Lions’ victory coming in 1994, the first time they faced Tjeerdsma as the Bearcats’ head coach.

Tatum admits he will see many familiar faces tomorrow, but insists his team will go about its business no differently.

“From a competitive standpoint its no different,” he said. “You go out there and you’re not thinking about who’s on the other sideline, you’re just so caught up in administering the game that you go with it.”