KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team suffered its first loss in the team's road opener against Truman State in Kirksville, Missouri, on Saturday afternoon. The game was a tightly fought contest with the teams holding a 7-7 tie into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in the final frame for the 21-7 win.
Mike O'Horo had a good day under center as he finished 12-18 for 145 yards and a touchdown through the air. Terrance Brown finished with 45 yards on 10 carries to lead the ground game. Arron Foulkes hauled in three passes for 50 yards while Derrick Hinton Jr., was the primary target as he had five receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon Rawls led SVSU with 12 tackles, one for loss. Alfred Dailey Jr. and Micah Cretsinger had 10 stops credited. Dailey Jr., added a pass breakup to his totals while Cretsinger had a tackle for loss. Jacoby Sanders recorded a takeaway with an interception that ended a six-play drive at the start of the second half.
The Cardinals got the ball first and the drive stalled out after a holding penalty moved them into a 3rd-and-long situation resulting in a punt. The SVSU defense forced a three-and-out for the Bulldogs' opening drive. Truman State moved the ball in its second possession but the drive stalled at the SVSU 11-yard line and the Bulldogs missed the 31-yard field goal attempt to keep the game scoreless with four ticks off the clock in the second quarter.
TSU broke the deadlock with a 46-yard touchdown pass with 4:25 remaining in the first half. O'Horo responded in the closing minute of the half with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Hinton Jr., to knot things up at seven as the teams entered the locker room at the break.
Sanders stopped Trumans' first drive of the second half at the Saginaw Valley 10-yard line with an interception to give the Cards the ball back with the score still tied.
The tie was broken in the fourth quarter when a one-yard rushing touchdown from TSU put the score at 14-7 with 12:09 left in regulation. SVSU pushed the ball down the field on the ensuing drive and got as far as the TSU 31 before the drive stalled and forced a 48-yard field goal attempt that was missed with 6:05 left in the game.
Saginaw Valley State turned the ball over on downs on its next drive and the Bulldogs scored the final touchdown with six seconds left to play to seal the final score.
The Cardinals will return home to host Indianapolis next Saturday, September 23 with a 2:00 p.m., kickoff.