Southwest Baptist gunslinger Cooper Callis threw for three touchdowns and 401 yards passing as the Bearcats handed the Truman State Bulldogs a 27-21 loss on the road Saturday.
Truman (5-2/1-2 GLVC) grabbed an early 7-0 lead scoring on their first possession of the game. The Bulldogs converted on a pair of fourth down conversions and went 14 plays for 56 yards before Cody Schrader punched it into the endzone from a yard out with 4:30 to go in the opening quarter.
The Bearcats (3-4/2-1 GLVC) came right back as Callis began to find his stride in the passing game. He would complete eight of nine attempts, including a 20-yard strike to Preston Carson to knot the score at seven with 20 seconds to go in the first.
Early in the second, Truman’s Bennett Swope forced a fumble that was recovered by Chase Jones and on the next play Nolan Hair found Matt Hall for a 31-yard catch and run. However, Brenden Smith forced a fumble at the one and it was recovered by SBU’s Omari Oggs to save the score.
Following an incomplete pass, Callis connected with Jordan Kent for an 85-yard reception to switch ends of the field and put SBU in business at the Bulldog nine. A few plays later the duo hooked up again for a four-yard TD pass and the Bearcats grabbed the lead 14-7.
The Bearcats threatened again after Hair was picked off on the next play from scrimmage by Chris Fuzeme. The Truman defense held SBU to a 22-yard field goal and the home team went up 17-7.
Truman tried to muster points at the end of the half but a 43-yard field goal from Josh Scheiderer at the horn missed.
The Bulldogs took the opening second half kickoff with a purpose and tactfully marched down the field in eight plays with Hair pushed into the endzone on a quarterback sneak to cut the SBU lead down to 17-14.
Ben Thomas picked off Callis on the next drive but the play was overturned on a defensive holding foul. A few snaps later Callis hit Cassian Foreman down the sideline for a 53-yard touchdown pass and the Bearcats regained their 10-point lead.
The Bulldogs kept fighting back and on their next possession, Cody Schrader scored from four yards out and the lead was trimmed to three with 2:30 to go in the third quarter.
Truman turned SBU over on downs early in the fourth but went three and out and was forced to punt.
Another long pass play flipped the field again for the Bearcats. Kent hauled in a 48-yard pass on third and one. Later in the drive, Logan Turner banked his 39-yard field goal off the upright and in to put SBU up 27-21 with 8:05 to play.
Truman next drive stalled out at their own 43 and will all three timeouts in their pocket, decided to punt the ball away with 4:35 to play. SBU converted on a third and six from their 16, which forced Truman to start burning timeouts.
Facing a third and seven, Thomas sprawled out for a big interception for Truman to put the offense back on the field at their own 44 with 2:14 to go.
Hair completed a third and eight to Dante Ruffin for eight yards to move the chains then hit Tate Crane for a 14-yard completion to put Truman at the SBU 28. Unfortunately after a spike on first down, Hair missed fired on his next three pass plays, the last to Zach Zerwig on fourth down, to end the comeback attempt.
The Bearcats racked up 415 yards of total offense with 401 coming via the air. Six receivers caught passes for SBU with Kent catching four for 145 and Foreman six for 132.
Schrader continued his 100-yard rushing games with 101 on 27 carries for Truman. Hair was 25-of-43 for 240 yards and Matt Hall made seven catches for 100 yards receiving. It was Schrader’s fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game and sixth this season.
Truman will look to regroup when the host William Jewell next Saturday for Homecoming on the Kirksville campus. The Cardinals fell to 0-7 on the season following a 37-16 loss at Missouri S&T on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.