ROLLA, Mo. - Make it four straight full seasons with at least nine or more wins as the Truman State Football team defeated Missouri S&T 24-14 in the regular season finale on Saturday.
Nolan Hair ran for a 16-yard touchdown in the second quarter then threw a 13-yard TD pass to Christopher Kerr. Jake Weltha ripped away and scored a defensive touchdown before the Miners scored twice late.
Since the start of the 2019 season, the Bulldogs are 39-10 with a 10-win season, three out of four during the COVID spring season and now three consecutive nine-win years.
The Bulldogs played the field possession game and elected to punt on the plus-side of the 50. That move payed off as Mason Gessert pinned the Miners deep, the defense forced a punt and Ben Thomas returned said punt 12 yards to the Miners 28. Hair would take a snap and run off right tackle into the end zone to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 10:51 showing in the second quarter.
The traditional Truman march gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead. Truman went 89-yards in 10 plays with Hair finding Kerr in the back of the end zone for a 14-0 lead. Mason Huskey had a big 39-yard run during the drive.
In the third quarter, Jack Weltha ripped away the ball from Miner QB Tyler Gioia and ran 17 yards for his first defensive touchdown to make it 21-0 with 8:26 left in the third.
The Miners scored on the last play of the quarter on a 27-yard pass from Gioia to Reid Weber but the Bulldogs got points right back. Jack Butchko returned the ensuing kick 53 yards and Grant Ross hit a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24-7.
Missouri S&T scored a touchdown in the final minute and the Bulldogs recovered the onside kick to end the game.
Hair finished 12-of-25 for 128 yards passing and added 11 carries for 58 yards. Huskey ran the ball 14 yards for 88 yards. Isaiah Estes led the defense with 12 stops.
