1-7 , 0-4
Missouri State
3-5 , 2-2
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Missouri State | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
10/27/2026 10:54:00 PM | Football
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sam Houston struggled to finish drives Tuesday night as Missouri State used a pair of long touchdown passes and a late special teams turnover to hand the Bearkats a 24-3 defeat at Plaster Stadium.
The Bearkats (1-7, 0-4 CUSA) finished with 284 yards of total offense, including 258 through the air, but managed just 26 rushing yards and failed to reach the end zone on either of their two red-zone opportunities.
With starting quarterback Landyn Locke sidelined by injury, freshman Brett Holloway made his first career start before DJ Bailey took over on Sam Houston's second possession. Bailey completed 20 of 35 passes for 258 yards without an interception.
Missouri State (3-5, 2-2 CUSA) got on the board first when Henry Belin IV connected with Isaiah Myers for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 4:09 remaining in the opening quarter.
Sam Houston answered on its ensuing possession, moving 58 yards in eight plays before Samuel Carpenter connected on a 33-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Bears added a 34-yard field goal from Yousef Obeid early in the second quarter to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Missouri State extended its advantage on the first play of the fourth when Belin found Jmariyae Robinson for a 37-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.
The Bearkats moved near midfield on their next possession before being forced to punt. Sam Houston's defense then forced a Missouri State punt, but a fumble on the return gave the Bears possession at the Sam Houston 18.
Missouri State capitalized with a five-play scoring drive, capped by Connor Lair's 1-yard touchdown run with 3:44 remaining.
Sam Houston made one final push behind Bailey, whose 35-yard completion to Chris Reed helped move the Bearkats into the red zone. The drive reached the Missouri State 8 before ending on downs.
Grady O'Neill led Sam Houston with six receptions for 74 yards, while Reed added four catches for 64 yards and Tim Burns Jr. finished with three receptions for 63 yards. MJ Dowdy led the rushing attack with 18 yards on eight carries.
Defensively, Josh Alexander-Felton recorded seven tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. Brian Bates Jr. also finished with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Ishmel Atkins added six stops.
The Bearkats recorded nine tackles for loss and three sacks while limiting Missouri State to 313 total yards. Belin finished with 184 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Robinson caught seven passes for 102 yards.
Sam Houston will have a break in the schedule before returning to CUSA play Nov. 7 at Jax State in Jacksonville, Ala.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
SAM 0, MOST 7
MOST - Myers,Isaiah 32 yd pass from Belin IV,Henry (Obeid,Yousef kick) 9 plays, 77 yards, TOP 04:41
SAM 3, MOST 7
SAM - Carpenter,Samuel 33 yd field goal 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 03:30
SAM 3, MOST 10
MOST - Obeid,Yousef 34 yd field goal 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 04:38
SAM 3, MOST 17
MOST - Robinson,Jmariyae 37 yd pass from Belin IV,Henry (Obeid,Yousef kick) 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 04:34
SAM 3, MOST 24
MOST - Lair,Connor 1 yd run (Obeid,Yousef kick), 5 plays, 18 yards, TOP 03:14
