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After surrendering a 21-point second-half lead, Jesse Branch’s 1990 Southwest Missouri State Bears were on the verge of blowing their opportunity at the school’s first win over an FBS opponent during their season opener.
Lucky for Branch, he had who many consider to this day to be the greatest player in the program’s history lined up behind center.
Tied with UNLV at 24, quarterback DeAndre Smith didn’t let the moment get too big for him and it didn’t matter what team lined up on the other side of the ball. It was a football game and the Bears believed they belonged.
Smith hit halfback Rodney McConico on completions of 11 and seven while the ball carrier also broke away for a gain of 18. Damon Frost had a run of 17 on a march that saw Smith keep the ball himself for an eight-yard touchdown run to break the tie and give the Bears a 31-24 win over UNLV.
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A celebration on the Las Vegas strip followed with Smith and teammates walking in and out of casinos with buckets of coins. The victory kickstarted one of the greatest seasons in Missouri State football history before clinching a playoff berth months later.
DeAndre Smith was the star quarterback of the Bears’ playoff teams of 1989 and 1990. Courtesy Missouri State Creative Services
“It was huge for our program,” Smith, now the running backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts, said. “We had a feeling that we were going to be pretty good. We were not afraid of those guys. We had success running the ball and you realized that it was a regular football game and you have to find a way to win.”
That September night 34 years ago remains the only time the Bears came out on the winning end against an FBS opponent. Missouri State is 1-40 all-time against teams in the top subdivision of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/missouri-state-football-win-vs-082037059.html
Author : Springfield News-Leader
Publish date : 2024-09-04 08:20:37
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