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Truman State University Athletics

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Tim Barcus - University Photographer

Football Kevin White, Director of Athletics Communications

Recap: Record Setting Night As Truman Holds On For Win

Box Score

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Senior Derek Koon's record-breaking 38th career field goal and Tremaine Millender's 100-yard kickoff return gave the Truman Bulldogs a 40-37 season opening victory on Saturday night against Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University.
 
Koon's 39-yard field goal with six minutes left to play broke a 37 all tie after the Bearcats erased a 16-point fourth quarter Truman lead. The kick was set up by a 59-yard kickoff return by Aaron Hartfield following the Bearcats two straight scores to knot the game.
 
Southwest Baptist, behind quarterback Willie Tindal's 448 yards passing, marched down to the Bulldog 17 on their final possession where they faced a third and five with just over two minutes to play. Tindal completed the third down pass but a holding call pushed them back to the 26 yard line for another third down chance.
 
On the ensuing play, Tindal appeared to have found Chad Nolan but the Bearcat receiver bobbled the ball as he crossed the goal line for an incomplete pass. SBU called their final time out and brought out kicker John Colliver to attempt a tying 43-yard field goal. Colliver's kick fluttered to the left and the Bulldogs ran out the clock for the win.
 
The Bulldogs got a big chunk of their offense from the special teams and junior running back Garrett White. Truman averaged 42.3 yards per kick return aided by Millender's second career TD return and became the fourth Bulldog to go the distance for a score. Millender's return broke a 14-14 tie midway through the second quarter. He joined Jason Douglass (2002), Larry Jones (1971) and Lloyd Weise (1967) in the record book.
 
White had over 100 yards rushing at the end of the first half and finished with 146 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry on 17 attempts and it was his first 100-yard rushing day as a Bulldog.
 
Millender added 27 yards on the ground and scored the game's first touchdown after the Bulldogs recovered a muffed punt on the SBU 15 yardline.
 
The Bearcats tied the game at seven following a 27-yard pass from Tindal to Derwyn Lauderdale. The SBU receiver caught 13 balls for 178 yards and two scores.
 
Truman led 23-14 following a safety in the second quarter but watched as Nolan scored from 17-yards out with 1:25 left in the half to pull the Bearcats to within two at 23-21.
 
White scored from 23-yards out with 5:51 to play in the third and Conrad Schottel found Brett Nagel on third down for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 14:05 left to play to put Truman up 37-21.
 
Tindal drove the Bearcats right back on an eight-play 85-yard drive and converted on the two-point conversion to make it 37-29 and Evan Ray hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass with another two-point strike to tie the game at 37 apiece. Ray finished with 142 yards through the air.
 
The Bulldogs will hit the road to take on nationally ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.) next Saturday night. Truman last played the Lakers in 1988. Game time is slated for 7:00 eastern time.
Game Notes:
  • Koon's 38th career field goal broke a tie with Mickey Masucci for the all-time leader in field goals made. He missed earlier in the game from 51 yards out.
  • Tremaine Millender finished with 190 all-purpose yards with 163 on three kick returns and 27 rushing yards while Garrett White finished with 160 all-purpose yards. White had five rushes go for over 16 yards apiece.
  • Millender's last kick return for a touchdown came against Nebraska-Omaha on November 13, 2010 and went for 96 yards. Millender's return tied the Great Lakes Valley record as well that was set earlier in the day by McKendree's Ryan Keen.
  • Conrad Schottel finished the game going 14-of-22 for 169 yards and two touchdown passes.
  • Dallas Grier led the receiving corps with eight catches for 81 yards.
  • White broke a drought of 12 games for Truman without a 100-yard rusher. The last Bulldog was Donald Harvey in 2011 against Lincoln.
  • Jacob Lamp averaged 44.7 yards per punt on six attempts with three inside the 20 and two touchbacks. He long was 59 yards.
  • Truman rushed for 200 yards on the night and had 369 yards of total offense.
  • The Bulldogs converted on seven of 15 third downs while SBU managed six of 13 conversions.
  • Redshirt freshman Austin Zoda led the defense with nine tackles while Brad Young, Jeramey Dockery and Devin Gillespie combine for the team's two sacks.
  • The Bearcats averaged 7.1 yards per play and the 475 yards passing came up two short of Eastern Illinois' 1984 record against the Bulldogs.
  • It was Truman's sixth straight win over Southwest Baptist and 21st out of 24 overall meetings with the Bearcats.
 
 
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