Truman State's remarkable 2025 football season reached its conclusion on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis, as the Bulldogs fell 57–14 to nationally ranked UIndy in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs at Key Stadium. Despite the loss, the game marked Truman's first postseason appearance since 1994, capping a resurgent 8–4 year that featured a second-place GLVC finish and numerous all-conference statistical leaders.
UIndy seized momentum instantly, scoring on the first play from scrimmage, a 59-yard strike down the left sideline, and the Greyhounds never slowed. A three-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on their next possession pushed the deficit to 13–0 less than four minutes into the contest. Truman moved the ball on consecutive drives into UIndy territory during the first quarter, but a turnover on downs and a field goal allowed kept the Bulldogs off the board, and the Greyhounds extended the lead to 16–0 late in the opening frame.
The second quarter featured UIndy's most decisive surge. After back-to-back defensive stands by the Bulldogs, Truman's offense began a promising march near midfield, but a fumble at the 21-yard line gave UIndy a short field, and the Greyhounds capitalized with a one-play touchdown. A 90-yard scoring drive followed on UIndy's next possession, and the Bulldogs entered halftime trailing 30–0.
UIndy added a defensive touchdown on an interception return early in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 37–0. Truman generated its first score of the afternoon on the ensuing drive — a composed, nine-play, 57-yard series capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Hair to Adam Hall. The Greyhounds responded with a field goal before Truman delivered its strongest offensive sequence of the second half: a seven-play, 65-yard touchdown drive highlighted by runs from Elijah Stevens and Denim Cook, and finished with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Hair to Nathan Ryan to make it 43–14 with 9:24 to play.
Any hopes of momentum were quickly erased when UIndy returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown. A 58-yard touchdown run on the Greyhounds' final offensive possession pushed the margin to 57–14, closing out the afternoon and ending Truman's postseason run.
Hair finished 17-for-30 for 228 yards and two touchdowns, while Cook paced the ground game with 65 yards on 14 carries. Ryan (78 yards, TD) and Grewe (60 yards) each caught six passes. Defensively, Thomas Spaulding recorded eight tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks, as Truman produced nine TFLs on the day.
Season in Review: Truman Completes Historic 2025 Campaign
Though the postseason ended sooner than hoped, the 2025 Bulldogs authored one of the program's most successful seasons in three decades.
Truman finished:
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8–3 vs. Division II opponents
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7–1 in the GLVC Regular Season (2nd place)
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Returned to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the first time since 1994
The Bulldogs also ranked among the conference elite statistically:
GLVC Team Rankings (Regular Season)
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2nd in scoring offense: 36.7 points per game
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3rd in scoring defense: 22.5 points allowed per game
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1st in rushing offense: 2,261 total yards (205 per game)
Individual GLVC Statistical Leaders (Regular Season)
Several Bulldogs finished at or near the top of the conference in major categories:
Looking Ahead
Truman's 2025 season will be remembered not for how it ended, but for the breakthrough it represented: a return to the national stage, a dominant rushing attack, one of the league's most balanced offenses, and a senior class that helped push the program's trajectory forward. With a strong core returning in 2026 and renewed postseason expectations, the Bulldogs enter the offseason positioned to make playoff football in Kirksville a regular tradition once again.
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