After scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Central Methodist University Sept. 17, the Baker University football team entered its matchup Saturday with No. 6 Missouri Valley College with an abundance of confidence.
It looked like momentum had carried over for the Wildcats as they drove down the field on their first drive against the Vikings, but Missouri Valley would bring a stop to it. After penalties forced BU to attempt a field goal, which it was not able to convert, the Vikings marched down the field to take a 7-0 and the route was on.
“We needed points right there to build on the big momentum and to get our defense excited, but then they put the first score on the board,” head coach Mike Grossner said. “It was kind of catch up from that point on.”
Missouri Valley jumped out to a 38-0 lead before the Wildcats scored in the game’s final two minutes, to make the final score 38-7.
BU scored after Missouri Valley turned the ball over in its own territory to set a 25-yard touchdown pass from junior Sam Vossen to junior Kyle Bolton.
Bolton was the only player that triggered Baker’s offense as he hauled in five catches for 100 yards to lead the Wildcats offensively. The Vikings limited the Wildcats to 22 rushing yards on 28 carries and 147 passing yards.
“We have to work on converting third downs, and improving on second down to put us in position to get first downs,” Bolton said. “We had a lot of good drives that just stalled out, and we need to work on our red-zone offense.”
It was a struggle on the defensive side of the ball for Baker as well. Despite sacking freshman Bruce Reyes five times, the Wildcats allowed 487 yards of total offense to the Vikings.
The schedule does not get any easier for the Wildcats, as they prepare to take on No. 8 MidAmerica Nazarene University at 1 p.m. Saturday at Liston Stadium for th annual Blackout game. The defense knows it will have to improve in order to defeat MNU.
“Honestly, we just have to work on technique,” freshman Andre Jolly said. “Just back to basics, fundamentals and technique.”
The Pioneers defeated the Wildcats 24-16 in last season’s matchup.
With the Wildcats at 3-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play, every game from here on out will be important if the team hopes to qualify for the playoffs.
“Where we are going to go from here is up to the kids,” Grossner said. “I mean, we are going to push them, but all is not lost, other than, probably, a HAAC championship. The last two years, we have made great runs in our last five (games), and we have that opportunity again starting with MidAmerica (Nazarene) to get back into a playoff position.”
The Wildcats currently sit in fifth place in the conference.