Missouri State beats Kennesaw State on last-second kick
Key takeaways
- Missouri State beat Kennesaw State 24-21 on a last-second field goal.
- Kicker Yousef Obeid won the game in the final seconds at home.
- The win was Missouri State's first Conference USA victory of the season.
Missouri State won a thriller on Wednesday night. The Bears beat Kennesaw State 24-21. The winner came on the last kick of the game.
Kicker Yousef Obeid nailed a short field goal in the final seconds. The kick sealed the win at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri.
The home crowd got a night to remember.
The win mattered for two reasons. It was Missouri State's first Conference USA win of the season. It was also the Bears' first win over an FBS team this year.
FBS is the top tier of college football. Kennesaw State plays at that level.
What happened
The game kicked off at 6:30 PM CT on Wednesday, October 14. It aired on CBS Sports Network. Kennesaw State came in as a small favorite. Missouri State had lost four of its first five games.
The first quarter ended scoreless. Missouri State moved the ball well. The Bears could not finish drives.
Kennesaw State's defense held firm near its own goal line.
Missouri State struck first in the second quarter. Obeid kicked two field goals. The first came from 24 yards.
The second came from 25 yards. The Bears led 6-0.
Kennesaw State answered just before halftime. Quarterback Rickie Collins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Gary. The score came as time expired in the half.
The Owls led 7-6 at the break. They also got the ball to start the second half.
Missouri State took the lead back in the third quarter. Quarterback Henry Belin threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Myers. The Bears added a two-point conversion on a run by Connor Lair.
Missouri State led 14-7.
Collins tied the game soon after. He ran 9 yards for a touchdown. The score stood at 14-14 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
Belin put the Bears ahead again in the fourth. He found Myers for a 12-yard touchdown. The lead was 21-14 with 9:20 left.
Earlier in that drive, Belin hit Myers for 32 yards on third down. That play kept the drive alive.
Kennesaw State refused to fold. Running back B. Woods scored on a 1-yard run with 6:06 left.
The game was tied 21-21. The Owls had the momentum.
Missouri State got the ball back. Belin drove the Bears down the field. He took a knee at the 3-yard line to set up the kick.
Obeid then kicked the winner in the final seconds. The Bears won 24-21.
Belin had a career night. It was his first start of the season. He took over for Skyler Locklear.
Locklear had started all year before this game. Belin had finished the prior game against Western Kentucky. He showed poise all night against Kennesaw State.
Myers also had a big game. He caught two touchdown passes. Both came at key moments.
His 32-yard catch on third down was one of the plays of the game.
Wide receiver Jmariyae Robinson made school history. He caught his 151st career pass during the game. That set a new Missouri State record for career receptions.
He passed Clay Harbor, who held the old mark.
The defense made big plays too. Linebacker Bird Lloyd stuffed a fourth-down run in the third quarter. He came into the week with 62 tackles.
That ranked third-best in the nation.
Kennesaw State had one more chance to change the game. The Owls tried a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The kick went wide.
The call drew anger from the Kennesaw bench. The ball looked close to the post. The referees ruled it no good.
The final stats showed a close game. Missouri State gained 421 total yards. Kennesaw State gained 337. Missouri State held the ball for 33:36. Kennesaw State held it for 26:24.
Why it matters
This win can change Missouri State's season. The Bears started 1-4. They had lost three straight games. A loss here would have buried the year.
A win gives the team life.
The records now read 2-4 for Missouri State. The Bears are 1-1 in Conference USA play. Kennesaw State falls to 1-5. The Owls are 0-2 in league play.
The win also answers the quarterback question. Head coach Casey Woods had said all options were open. Belin now has a strong case to keep the job.
He led a game-winning drive in his first start. That is hard to ignore.
The game also showed growth on offense. Missouri State scored 24 points. The team moved the ball in every quarter.
The Bears still stalled in the red zone at times. But they made the plays that mattered late.
For Kennesaw State, the loss stings. The Owls led late in the first half. They tied the game late in the fourth.
They still left with nothing. The Owls have now lost five of six games.
The game also gave fans a classic midweek finish. Wednesday night college games often feel quiet. This one felt like a bowl game at the end.
The crowd stayed loud through the last kick. Late drama is a habit this week. The NFL gave fans a Bills-Rams overtime finish on Monday night.
Like St Louis City's record night in soccer, this was a Missouri sports night to remember. St Louis set an MLS record with 21 games unbeaten on the same evening. Missouri fans had two reasons to cheer.
What happens next
Missouri State will try to build on this win. The Bears need more wins to reach a bowl game. Bowl games are the prize for a strong season.
The team must win most of its remaining games to get there.
The next test is the road. Missouri State must prove it can win away from home. The Bears have played better at home this year.
The Kennesaw win gives them a base to grow from.
Belin will face new pressure now. Defenses will study his game tape. They will test his arm and his legs.
He must show that Wednesday was not a one-night flash.
Robinson will keep chasing history. Each catch now adds to his school record. He is the top target in the passing game.
Teams will try to take him away.
Kennesaw State must regroup fast. The Owls need a win to stop the slide. Their defense played well in spots.
Their offense scored 21 points. But they lost the late moments again.
For one night, though, the story belongs to Missouri State. The Bears were down. They were underdogs.
They still found a way to win. Obeid's kick will be the play fans talk about all season.
One kick changed the season. The Bears are alive again.
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