Coach Hansen Earns 1st Win at Evangel

Highlights

The Basics
Score: MNU 28 - Evangel 21
Record: MNU (1-3, 1-0 South), EU (1-4, 0-2 South)
Location: Tiger Stadium - Ozark, Mo.

OZARK, Mo. - The Pioneers picked up head coach Paul Hansen's first victory with a 28-21 win at Evangel on Saturday. MNU broke through with the first score with a 3-play 58-yard drive, highlighted by a 50-yard pass from Blake Atkins to Kobe Hardin, to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. The defense forced Evangel to punt on their first 4 drives, and Atkins connected with Hardin again for a 53-yard touchdown to give MNU a 14-0 lead at halftime.

Evangel finally got on the board with their first drive of the third quarter, then after a blocked field goal, the Crusaders tied it with a 1-play 80-yard strike. With just over 7 minutes remaining in the 4th and the game still tied, MNU pulled off a fake punt for a 61-yard touchdown run from Jon Roseme. The Crusaders responded with a 7-play 60-yard drive to tie the game again with 3 minutes left. But MNU struck quickly again - as Atkins found Caleb Tanis for a 76-yard completion to set up a Jairan Manning 3-yard touchdown. The Pioneers got a stop on 4th and 7th on the ensuing drive, and Evangel ran out of time.

"I'm really proud of how our guys played," said head coach Paul Hansen. "We competed for four quarters. All three phases: offense, defense, and special teams made plays today. That was the difference in the game. We will enjoy this win and get ready for a good Benedictine team next week."

Turning Point
With the game tied late in the 3rd quarter, an MNU fake punt resulted in a 61-yard touchdown for Jon Roseme.

Individual Leaders
Blake Atkins was 24-39 for 358 yards and 2 touchdowns. Caleb Tanis caught 7 passes for 131 yards. Torin Owolabi and Kobe Hardin each recorded a touchdown. Reece Portugal had 12 tackles. Jalen McQueen had 7 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. And Dion McClellan and Jaxon Malone each recorded an interception.

Inside the Box Score
MNU out-gained Evangel 570-359.

Up Next
The next game is Saturday at home (ODAC) vs. Benedictine (5-1, 2-0) at 1:00.