<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/SJPOST">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>.

It's an 8-man, Grand River Conference matchup in the city tonight as St. Joseph Christian (2-1) hosts North Andrew (1-2).

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Pregame starts at 6:30 on St. Joseph Post. <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/SJPOST">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>.

Christian lost at #6 Albany last week 58-48, while North Andrew took a 54-16 loss at home to #3 Worth County.

North Andrew has beaten St. Joseph Christian in each of the last nine meetings. Christian seeks its first win over the Cardinals since October 2011.

Both teams have tough tests next week. Christian will be at Worth County, while North Andrew is home to Albany.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph Post<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/SJPOST">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>.It's an 8-man, Grand River Conference matchup in the city tonight as St. Joseph Christian (2-1) hosts North Andrew (1-2).Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Pregame starts at 6:30 on St. Joseph Post. <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/SJPOST">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>.Christian lost at #6 Albany last week 58-48, while North Andrew took a 54-16 loss at home to #3 Worth County.North Andrew has beaten St. Joseph Christian in each of the last nine meetings. Christian seeks its first win over the Cardinals since October 2011.Both teams have tough tests next week. Christian will be at Worth County, while North Andrew is home to Albany.

LISTEN LIVE: North Andrew @ St. Joseph Christian football

The Benton boys' soccer team got a pair of second half goals from junior Christian Acosta Bernal, including the go-ahead score with three minutes remaining, and the Cardinals held on to beat Bishop LeBlond 2-1 at Eagle Stadium Thursday.

After a scoreless first half, Benton (3-4) started to get touches on offense more frequently, and touches that were of higher quality.

Acosta Bernal buried the first goal of the match on a breakaway down the sideline. He kicked the ball hard, a few feet into the air and it was buried into the right side of the net, giving Benton a 1-0 lead with 23:56 remaining.

"Coming out and getting that first score, that really gave us the momentum and it gave us what we needed to do to keep our game," Benton coach Anthony Dice said. "Keep playing our system, our offense and getting those touches up in the middle. Making it to where we were making the runs, and that's where we stuck strong and we did what needed to be done."

LeBlond (5-3) struck back just over seven minutes later as senior Davis Jungbluth collected the ball in the box and ricocheted a shot off of the right post, tying the match at 1-1 with 16:43 to go.

The next 13 minutes featured a lot of jostling up and down the pitch, with possession changing every couple of touches or so.

LeBlond had chances to take a lead, including two second half corner kicks, but the Cardinals played scrappy defense in the 18-yard box.

With time quickly waning, Benton had the perfect connection offense when they needed it. Jorge Reynoso laid out a perfect cross in the middle to Acosta Bernal, who had open space and bounced in the go-ahead goal off of the left post to put the Cardinals in front for good at 2-1.

"I just wanted to shoot and make the goal," Acosta Bernal said. "I wanted to fire it and make it in. I was upset they made it 1-1, but I told in my mind, 'Let's go. We got minutes. We're going to make a second goal' and we did it."

The win is Benton's second straight, as they avenged a 2-1 loss to the Eagles in the city soccer round robin back on August 29.

The Cardinals came in riding high after a convincing 5-1 over Savannah two days prior.

"We were on our ropes," Dice said, as his team entered the week on a four-match losing streak. "We were really needing to get this win. Savannah Tuesday and come in and play our butts off. That's what we did. We played that whole 80 minutes, we did what we needed to do and I'm very happy for everybody."

The Cardinals finished with nine shots-on-goal in all. LeBlond had seven. Benton keeper Curran Stuck had six saves in the goal, while Cole Stevenson had seven.

Benton will be at Chillicothe this coming Tuesday. LeBlond, who played its third match in four days, heads to Savannah that same day.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694737450693.jpeg" alt="Benton's Christian Acosta Bernal celebrates after scoring a goal at Bishop LeBlond Thursday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Benton's Christian Acosta Bernal celebrates after scoring a goal at Bishop LeBlond Thursday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Benton boys' soccer team got a pair of second half goals from junior Christian Acosta Bernal, including the go-ahead score with three minutes remaining, and the Cardinals held on to beat Bishop LeBlond 2-1 at Eagle Stadium Thursday.After a scoreless first half, Benton (3-4) started to get touches on offense more frequently, and touches that were of higher quality.Acosta Bernal buried the first goal of the match on a breakaway down the sideline. He kicked the ball hard, a few feet into the air and it was buried into the right side of the net, giving Benton a 1-0 lead with 23:56 remaining."Coming out and getting that first score, that really gave us the momentum and it gave us what we needed to do to keep our game," Benton coach Anthony Dice said. "Keep playing our system, our offense and getting those touches up in the middle. Making it to where we were making the runs, and that's where we stuck strong and we did what needed to be done."LeBlond (5-3) struck back just over seven minutes later as senior Davis Jungbluth collected the ball in the box and ricocheted a shot off of the right post, tying the match at 1-1 with 16:43 to go.The next 13 minutes featured a lot of jostling up and down the pitch, with possession changing every couple of touches or so.LeBlond had chances to take a lead, including two second half corner kicks, but the Cardinals played scrappy defense in the 18-yard box.With time quickly waning, Benton had the perfect connection offense when they needed it. Jorge Reynoso laid out a perfect cross in the middle to Acosta Bernal, who had open space and bounced in the go-ahead goal off of the left post to put the Cardinals in front for good at 2-1."I just wanted to shoot and make the goal," Acosta Bernal said. "I wanted to fire it and make it in. I was upset they made it 1-1, but I told in my mind, 'Let's go. We got minutes. We're going to make a second goal' and we did it."The win is Benton's second straight, as they avenged a 2-1 loss to the Eagles in the city soccer round robin back on August 29.The Cardinals came in riding high after a convincing 5-1 over Savannah two days prior."We were on our ropes," Dice said, as his team entered the week on a four-match losing streak. "We were really needing to get this win. Savannah Tuesday and come in and play our butts off. That's what we did. We played that whole 80 minutes, we did what we needed to do and I'm very happy for everybody."The Cardinals finished with nine shots-on-goal in all. LeBlond had seven. Benton keeper Curran Stuck had six saves in the goal, while Cole Stevenson had seven.Benton will be at Chillicothe this coming Tuesday. LeBlond, who played its third match in four days, heads to Savannah that same day.Interviews<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Anthony-Dice---Benton-soccer-e29bdto" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Christian-Acosta-Bernal---Benton-e29bdur" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738622996.jpeg" alt="Angel Aviles." />
 <figcaption>Angel Aviles.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738647582.jpeg" alt="Brayden Kussman (left)." />
 <figcaption>Brayden Kussman (left).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738676685.jpeg" alt="Connor Mears (right)." />
 <figcaption>Connor Mears (right).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738707135.jpeg" alt="Davis Jungbluth (right), Sage Miller (left)." />
 <figcaption>Davis Jungbluth (right), Sage Miller (left).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738743034.jpeg" alt="Keegan Petro (left), Davis Jungbluth (right)." />
 <figcaption>Keegan Petro (left), Davis Jungbluth (right).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694738784180.jpeg" alt="Benton celebrates at the end of the match." />
 <figcaption>Benton celebrates at the end of the match.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Acosta Bernal buries two second half goals, Benton tops LeBlond Thursday

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Massey homered for the second straight game, Salvador Perez had three hits and two RBIs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Wednesday night. 

Four pitchers combined to limit Chicago to one run on five hits while striking out nine. Kansas City won its second straight against Chicago and took the season series 7-6. Rookie Steven Cruz opened with two scoreless, two-hit innings. Fellow rookie Alec Marsh (1-8) followed, allowing one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first major league victory. 

James McArthur got five outs, and Tucker Davidson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Mike Clevinger (7-8) was the loser.

The Royals next on the Astros Friday night at 7:10 on KFEQ in St. Joseph.

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Massey homered for the second straight game, Salvador Perez had three hits and two RBIs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Wednesday night. Four pitchers combined to limit Chicago to one run on five hits while striking out nine. Kansas City won its second straight against Chicago and took the season series 7-6. Rookie Steven Cruz opened with two scoreless, two-hit innings. Fellow rookie Alec Marsh (1-8) followed, allowing one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first major league victory. James McArthur got five outs, and Tucker Davidson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Mike Clevinger (7-8) was the loser.The Royals next on the Astros Friday night at 7:10 on KFEQ in St. Joseph.

Michael Massey homers for second straight game, Royals beat White Sox 7-1

CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease won consecutive decisions for just the third time this season, and the White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 in a doubleheader opener to end a strange run of losses when Chicago pitchers struck out 14 or more. 

Cease allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Bryan Shaw struck out three over 1 2/3 innings, Lane Ramsey one and Gregory Santos two in a perfect ninth for his fifth save in nine chances. 

Chicago had been 0-11 this year when its pitchers struck out 14 or more.

---------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (AP) — Maikel García hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning after Kansas City wasted a nine-run lead, and the Royals hung on to beat the Chicago White Sox 11-10 for a doubleheader split. 

Chicago took the opener 6-2 as Dylan Cease won consecutive decisions for just the third time and the White Sox ended a strange run of losses when their pitchers struck out 14 or more _ Chicago had been 0-11 this year.&nbsp;

 The Royals had not lost when leading by nine runs since a 15-13 defeat to Cleveland on Aug. 23, 2006, when Kansas City led 10-1.

The Royals take on the White Sox again Wednesday evening at 6:40 on KFEQ in St. Joseph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694577213289.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jordan Lyles walks through the dugout after being pulled during the sixth inning in the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jordan Lyles walks through the dugout after being pulled during the sixth inning in the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)</figcaption>
 </figure>GAME 1 -&nbsp;CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease won consecutive decisions for just the third time this season, and the White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 in a doubleheader opener to end a strange run of losses when Chicago pitchers struck out 14 or more. Cease allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Bryan Shaw struck out three over 1 2/3 innings, Lane Ramsey one and Gregory Santos two in a perfect ninth for his fifth save in nine chances. Chicago had been 0-11 this year when its pitchers struck out 14 or more.---------------------------------------------------------GAME 2 -CHICAGO (AP) — Maikel García hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning after Kansas City wasted a nine-run lead, and the Royals hung on to beat the Chicago White Sox 11-10 for a doubleheader split. Chicago took the opener 6-2 as Dylan Cease won consecutive decisions for just the third time and the White Sox ended a strange run of losses when their pitchers struck out 14 or more _ Chicago had been 0-11 this year.&nbsp; The Royals had not lost when leading by nine runs since a 15-13 defeat to Cleveland on Aug. 23, 2006, when Kansas City led 10-1.The Royals take on the White Sox again Wednesday evening at 6:40 on KFEQ in St. Joseph.

Royals waste 9-run lead, beat White Sox 11-10 in nightcap after losing opener 6-2

A holdout that began before Chiefs Training Camp and lasted through almost the entire slate of Week 1 games, has come to an end.&nbsp;

Defensive tackle Chris Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs have come to an agreement on a new one-year deal, announced first by his agents and then later confirmed by the team.&nbsp;

"Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he's really developed into a leader on our team," General Manager Brett Veach said in a statement. "He's been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform. I'd like to thank Chris and his representation, Michael and Jason Katz, for their desire and patience to get this done. Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf."

Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the team, however sources say that while no new years were added to the contract, multiple incentives were, that would help Jones earn considerably more money this season.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostA holdout that began before Chiefs Training Camp and lasted through almost the entire slate of Week 1 games, has come to an end.&nbsp;Defensive tackle Chris Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs have come to an agreement on a new one-year deal, announced first by his agents and then later confirmed by the team.&nbsp;"Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he's really developed into a leader on our team," General Manager Brett Veach said in a statement. "He's been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform. I'd like to thank Chris and his representation, Michael and Jason Katz, for their desire and patience to get this done. Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf."Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the team, however sources say that while no new years were added to the contract, multiple incentives were, that would help Jones earn considerably more money this season.&nbsp;

Holdout over: Defensive tackle Chris Jones rejoins Chiefs on one-year deal

The Missouri Western football team scored on each of their first six possessions and scored 37 second quarter points in a dominating 68-14 win at Lincoln University on Saturday night in Jefferson City.

The Griffons improve to 1-1 overall and the win marks the first for new head coach Tyler Fenwick since he returned to St. Joseph.

Missouri Western racked up 555 total yards of offense, including 260 yards rushing. Starting quarterback Armani Edden did all of his damage in the first half, completing 14-of-19 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Reagan Jones played most of the second half, completing 2-of-4 passes for 17 yards and two touchdowns. Jones also ran three times for 26 yards.

Jared Scott led the effort on the ground with 92 yards on 13 carries and two scores. Jonas Bennett led the team in receptions for the second straight week, hauling in four passes for 51 yards and a score.

Missouri Western was turnover free Saturday after giving up the ball four times in last week's loss to Central Missouri.

On defense, the Griffons forced five turnovers - three fumbles and two interceptions. Taylor Williams snagged a 69-yard pick six in the third quarter.

Missouri Western was outstanding on special teams Saturday. The Griffons blocked two punts, including one that went out of the back of the end zone for a safety in the second quarter.

The Griffons also recovered one of their own kickoffs late in the second quarter, which set up a 23-yard touchdown pass from Edden to Jake Berrey.

Lincoln (0-2) had its moments on offense, finishing with 412 total yards. Quarterback Xzavier Vaughn was 20-of-35 for 291 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.

Receiver Winston Ausmer caught five passes for 124 yards and a score. Aderias Ealy caught six passes for 95 yards and a score as well.

The 68 points are the most by the Griffons in a single game since 2018. This was also the last time Missouri Western will, in all likelihood, play Lincoln for at least a little while.

The Blue Tigers are leaving the MIAA and joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference next season.

Saturday's contest went down as a non-conference game for both teams. That'll be the case for any MIAA team that plays Lincoln in football this year.

Missouri Western stays on the road next week to face Central Oklahoma (1-1). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. The game can be heard on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) with pregame starting at 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694358547084.jpeg" alt="Photo by Derek Zimmerman-Guyer." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Derek Zimmerman-Guyer.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western football team scored on each of their first six possessions and scored 37 second quarter points in a dominating 68-14 win at Lincoln University on Saturday night in Jefferson City.The Griffons improve to 1-1 overall and the win marks the first for new head coach Tyler Fenwick since he returned to St. Joseph.Missouri Western racked up 555 total yards of offense, including 260 yards rushing. Starting quarterback Armani Edden did all of his damage in the first half, completing 14-of-19 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns.Quarterback Reagan Jones played most of the second half, completing 2-of-4 passes for 17 yards and two touchdowns. Jones also ran three times for 26 yards.Jared Scott led the effort on the ground with 92 yards on 13 carries and two scores. Jonas Bennett led the team in receptions for the second straight week, hauling in four passes for 51 yards and a score.Missouri Western was turnover free Saturday after giving up the ball four times in last week's loss to Central Missouri.On defense, the Griffons forced five turnovers - three fumbles and two interceptions. Taylor Williams snagged a 69-yard pick six in the third quarter.Missouri Western was outstanding on special teams Saturday. The Griffons blocked two punts, including one that went out of the back of the end zone for a safety in the second quarter.The Griffons also recovered one of their own kickoffs late in the second quarter, which set up a 23-yard touchdown pass from Edden to Jake Berrey.Lincoln (0-2) had its moments on offense, finishing with 412 total yards. Quarterback Xzavier Vaughn was 20-of-35 for 291 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.Receiver Winston Ausmer caught five passes for 124 yards and a score. Aderias Ealy caught six passes for 95 yards and a score as well.The 68 points are the most by the Griffons in a single game since 2018. This was also the last time Missouri Western will, in all likelihood, play Lincoln for at least a little while.The Blue Tigers are leaving the MIAA and joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference next season.Saturday's contest went down as a non-conference game for both teams. That'll be the case for any MIAA team that plays Lincoln in football this year.Missouri Western stays on the road next week to face Central Oklahoma (1-1). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. The game can be heard on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) with pregame starting at 1 p.m.Tyler Fenwick interview<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/MWSU-head-coach-Tyler-Fenwick---Lincoln-postgame-e2952cc" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Armani Edden interview<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/MWSU-QB-Armani-Edden-e2952a4" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Full game broadcast<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/MWSU-FB--Lincoln-FULL-broadcast---9923-e29523o" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MWSU racks up over 500 yards of offense, forces five turnovers in win at Lincoln

Turnovers plague Bearcats in 33-13 loss to Emporia State

The #18 Emporia State Hornets came into Maryville on Thursday and snapped a 29 game losing streak against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, and also ended an 18 game home winning streak for Northwest, coming away with a 33-13 win at Bearcat Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Northwest would come out of the gate running a no huddle offense and was driving, going all the way from their own 34 yard line to the Emporia State 27 yard line, but disaster would strike.&nbsp; On the sixth play from scrimmage quarterback Mike Hohensee would be picked off by Hornets defensive back Jaaron Joseph who would return the interception 76 yards for the first score of the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Bearcats would answer though with the score standing at 6-0, following a missed two point conversion, driving 75 yards on 12 plays ending with Jay Harris punching it in from four yards out, taking a 7-6 lead following a converted extra point from Cole Lammel.

That lead would hold for Northwest until just about four minutes into the second quarter. Following another Emporia State interception, their third of the day, it would take just two big pass plays from quarterback Brayden Gleason to get back into the endzone.&nbsp; A 40 yard pass to Jaylen Varner would set it up before a 28 yard pass to Kingsley Bennett would end the drive, this time the Hornets taking the extra point and pushing the lead to 13-7.

The Bearcats would be held scoreless over the next 26 minutes plus of play, while the Hornets would keep adding to the lead scoring 12 more points in the third quarter as Gleason would find Tommy Zimmerman for a 28 yard touchdown pass, the extra point would be missed, and then on the next Emporia drive Gleason would get the ball to Tyler Kahmann for a one yard touchdown, unable to convert a two point conversion going into the fourth quarter leading 25-7.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Hornets would push the lead to 33-7 in the fourth quarter following their fifth interception of the game, as Billy Ross Jr would rush for 30 yards to the endzone.&nbsp; Ross Jr would also rush in for the two point conversion.&nbsp; The Bearcats would finally answer on the ensuing drive however when quarterback Henry Martin would rush out of the shotgun formation scoring from six yards away, but would then fail a two point conversion, pushing the score to where it would end at 33-13.

Turnovers were a problem for the Northwest offense on the day as the Bearcats threw six interceptions on the day.&nbsp; The turnover differential was at -5 for Northwest as they did recover one fumble from Emporia State.&nbsp;

Backup quarterback Chris Ruhnke operated behind center most of the day, Hohensee left the game in the first quarter with an injury, Ruhnke going 7 of 22 on the day for 98 yards throwing four of the six interceptions.&nbsp; It was another good day for Harris however, achieving his second 100+ yard game of the season and his career, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown.

The Bearcats are now 1-1 on the season and will be back on the road Saturday traveling to Hays, Kansas to take on Fort Hays State University.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 7pm.

Daniels shines for Jayhawks in 34-23 win over Illinois

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The sore back that had bothered Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels throughout the fall looked just fine Friday night.

Making his season debut, Daniels threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and Devin Neal ran for 120 yards and another score, sending the Jayhawks past Illinois 34-23 in the first meeting between the Power Five schools since 1968.

“I could tell today when we were doing some walkthrough stuff Jalon felt really good. He was really anxious to play,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “I felt he was ready. I didn't see any apprehension that he was worried about anything.”

Daniel Hishaw added 98 yards rushing and a touchdown, and Lawrence Arnold had five catches for 89 yards, as Daniels and the Jayhawks (2-0) piled up nearly 300 yards of offense in the first half and finished with 543 for the game,

“I feel like everything we game-planned this week,” Daniels said, “we executed it to a ‘T’”

The Illini's Luke Altmyer threw for 202 yards and a touchdown while running for 70 and two more scores, and he showed some moxie by bouncing back from a crushing blow from Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker to lead a fourth-quarter rally.

The Illini (1-1) trailed 34-7 before Altmyer scored both of his TDs on the ground, and the 2-point conversions got them within 34-23 late in the fourth quarter. But the Illinois quarterback was picked off with 1:59 to go, ending the comeback bid.

“We still had plenty of time, we just had to manage it,” Illini coach Bret Bielema said. “We just haven't been in this moment and it's definitely something we have to correct. I promise you, in the Big Ten, we're going to have these exact scenarios.”

Daniels showed no signs of rust — and how much more dynamic the Kansas offense is with him under center — after he missed last week's opener against Missouri State to rest his ailing back. He led a 10-play, 82-yard TD march the first time he touched the ball, then added two more touchdown drives to send Kansas to a 21-0 lead.

The Illini, meanwhile, were going nowhere: four drives, four punts. And when they finally put together a sustained series, with Altmyer hitting five straight passes and Tip Rieman hauling in a short TD pass, Daniels made them pay for leaving 41 seconds on the clock. He quickly completed a 48-yard pass to set up Hishaw's touchdown run.

“You come down here to the end of the game — you have an 11-point game,” Bielema said, “and you realize you gave them a free touchdown. A free seven points, right before the half. Or it's a one-possession game.”

The Jayhawks extended their lead to 34-7 with a pair of field goals before Illinois finally got a big play. Altmyer escaped the pocket on third-and-18 and found nobody ahead of him, running untouched 72 yards for the score.

The Illini kept their momentum going when Xavier Scott picked off a jump ball in the end zone on the ensuing possession, and Altmyer swiftly led them the other way. After six completions, the Illini quarterback ran it into the end zone himself.

Suddenly, the Jayhawks' lead was down to 34-23 with just over 8 minutes to play.

Illinois got the ball again with about 4 minutes to go, but Altmyer's hot streak finally ended. After he completed a long throw to convert fourth-and-long, the Ole Miss transfer was picked by the Jayhawks' Kwinton Lassiter to put the game away.

“At first glimpse I thought we were an extremely physical football team tonight,” Leipold said. “The film will tell us for sure but I thought we played aggressive. We're playing in a fashion that we're going to need in the Big 12 this year.”

Big Ten referee Larry Smith's crew had a tough time with targeting penalties. They didn't call one after Booker's hit on Altmyer until Bielema demanded the play be reviewed, and only then was the Kansas defensive tackle kicked from the game. The crew later called targeting on the Illini's Tarique Barnes but overturned that one on review, allowing him to remain in the game. A third flag for targeting resulted in Kansas defensive back Cobee Bryant's ejection in the fourth quarter.

Kansas was strong up front all night, setting the tone for most of the game. Booker and Jereme Robinson each had two sacks and the Jayhawks had six as a team, while the defensive line held Illinois running backs to 75 yards on the ground.

Kansas visits Nevada next Saturday night.&nbsp; Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30pm on CBS Sports Network

Fenwick earns first win at the helm in 63-14 blowout of Lincoln

The Griffons used a huge first half to down the Lincoln Blue Tigers in Jefferson City on Saturday 63-14, earning new head coach Tyler Fenwick his first win at the helm for Missouri Western.&nbsp;

The Griffons used a massive rushing attack to score 28 of their 47 first half points, also tallying two touchdown passes from Armani Edden, a field goal from Cody Watson, and a defensive safety.&nbsp; Missouri Western led 47-7 at halftime, giving up just one big play to Lincoln, a 51 yard touchdown pass from Xzavier Vaughn to Winston Ausmer.

Even with personnel changes in the second half, Missouri Western would not slow down, adding two more touchdown passes from Reagan Jones and a 69 yard interception return touchdown from Taylor Williams.&nbsp; Lincoln would add just one more score in the rout as Vaughn would find Aderias Ealy for a 13 yard touchdown.&nbsp;

Edden was efficient through the air going 14 for 19 and throwing for 278 yards to go with his two touchdowns.&nbsp; Jared Scott led all rushers with 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Seth Cromwell rushed for 77 yards.&nbsp; Brandon Hall and Grant Finley both rushed for scores on the day as well.&nbsp;

Missouri Western is now 1-0 (0-1 MIAA) on the season.&nbsp; The Griffons will travel to Edmond, Oklahoma on Saturday to face Central Oklahoma with kickoff at 2pm.&nbsp; The game will be broadcast on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM, 680kfeq.com) and the MIAA Network.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ravens rally but can't pull off win against Graceland falling 37-35

The Benedictine Ravens used a second half rally but the Graceland Yellowjackets were able to hold them off with a last second field goal, coming away with a 37-35 victory in Lamoni, Iowa at Huntsman Field.

Despite the Ravens scoring on their first drive of the game and taking a 6-0 lead on a Shawn Wara run, Graceland would go on to score 21 unanswered points, coming on two Cade Ross touchdown passes to Gerald Monroe and a touchdown run from Adarius Thomas, giving the Yellowjackets a 21-6 lead at halftime.

Whatever message head coach Joel Osborn had for his men at halftime certainly made an impact as Benedictine would come out of the gates hot very quickly knotting the game up at 21 as on their first drive of the second half quarterback Jackson Dooley would cap off a four play 46 yard drive with a one yard rushing touchdown, and then after the Ravens sacked Ross on a third and three at the Graceland 38, JaShawn Todd would return a punt 44 yards for a score and Dalton Witherspoon would go on to rush in for the two point conversion to tie the game.&nbsp;

The Yellowjackets would go on to respond though following the special teams touchdown as Ross would find Monroe for the third time, this time from nine yards out, taking the lead back at 28-21.&nbsp; But the Ravens would not be deterred, this time with Dooley scoring through the air finding Jacob Gathright for a 25 yard touchdown, knotting the game up once again at 28, which is where the score would be at the end of the third quarter.&nbsp;

Benedictine would go on to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, Todd finding the endzone on the ground this time rushing in from three yards away, but again Graceland would respond on the ensuing drive when for the fourth time, Ross would find Monroe.&nbsp; However, the game would not go on to be tied as Alex Tuyo missed the extra point, thanks to a fumbled snap, and the Ravens would lead 35-34.&nbsp;

Getting the ball back after the score with 4:20 remaining on the clock, the Benedictine would attempt to eat up as much clock as they could, using up 2:10 of it with rushes from Todd and Witherspoon, and then it would be up to the defense after Cullen Bruner's 68 yard punt would be downed at the Graceland 14 yard line.&nbsp;

A nine yard rush from Thomas would start the Graceland drive and after a no yard gain by Ross the defense was standing tall at third and one, but Ross would find his favorite target Monroe for a 25 yard pass and a first down.&nbsp; Following yet another rush from Thomas and completion to Monroe, the backbreaker would come on a pass interference on Ravens defensive back Joel Mewis, the penalty putting the Yellowjackets at the Benedictine 15 yard line.&nbsp; A sack from the Ravens defense would back Graceland up to the 27, but with 13 seconds left on the clock Tuyo would convert the 44 yard field goal, putting the score at 37-35.&nbsp;

With time left to respond the Ravens would, or so it seemed.&nbsp; On the kickoff from Tuyo following the Graceland score, Todd would return the kick from his own endzone and go 100 yards on the kickoff return, but as the Ravens celebrated what would have been the winning touchdown the Yellowjackets were bailed out on a penalty, a holding call on Abram Phillips nullifying the touchdown and putting the Ravens back at their own 20 yard line with five seconds.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The one play the Ravens got following the penalty would be a shot downfield from Dooley, which would be intercepted by Jacob Morales to end the game, a small brawl ensuing on the track between the two teams after Gathright would push Morales late as he went out of bounds.&nbsp; The win was Graceland's first over Benedictine since 2016.\

Dooley went 17 for 30 through the air and passed for 199 yards, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions.&nbsp; Gathright rushed twice for 56 yards, most coming on a chunk run of 47 yards, while Witherspoon ran nine times for 50 yards.&nbsp; Todd led all receivers with five catches for 65 yards.&nbsp; He also returned two punts for 95 yards, including the 82 yard touchdown.&nbsp;

Benedictine is now 1-2 on the season.&nbsp; The Ravens will return to Atchison, Kansas this Saturday hosting Peru State.&nbsp; The game will kickoff at 1pm.

Cook overcomes slow start to lead Tigers to 23-19 victory

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Brady Cook overcame a slow start to complete 14 of 19 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another touchdown to help Missouri beat Middle Tennessee State 23-19 Saturday night.

Missouri’s Luther Burden III caught eight passes for career-best 117 yards as the Tigers (2-0) opened the season with two wins for the first time since 2018.

“I’d definitely say it gives us a little boost of confidence,” Missouri running back Nathaniel Peat said about Burden. “Seeing Luther make plays is definitely exciting but my competitive nature is like, ‘Oh, he made that play, now I want to make a play, too.’ And so I love seeing the move there. I like having the ball in his hands because he always makes something special out of whatever it is.”

Nick Vattiato completed 22 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns for Middle Tennessee State (0-2).

“I thought Nick played with great toughness,” Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said. “I thought he competed and played really hard. Their defense is really good. Their defense was really good last year, and it’s really good this year. We knew that coming in.”

Peat hauled in a 49 yard touchdown pass from Cook on the first play of the fourth quarter to put Missouri on top 23-10.

Middle Tennessee narrowed its deficit to 23-17 after Vattiato led the Blue Raiders 84 yards in a drive that culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Justin Olson on fourth-and-goal.

On Missouri’s ensuing drive, Cook fumbled out of the end zone for a safety after Sam Brumfield sacked him at the two yard line.

“I got pushed out, and I was trying to throw it away,” Cook said. “I just didn’t throw it away soon enough. I was trying to put it in the cylinder where Cody Schrader was. I wasn’t sure if I was out of the tackle box. The guy made a good play.

Vattiato completed five of six passes for 62 yards to march the Blue Raiders to the Missouri 3 on the first drive of the second half before Zeke Rankin kicked a 25 yard field goal with 8:39 remaining to tie the game at 10-10.

Missouri answered as Cook completed a 44 yard pass to Burden before Theo Wease Jr. hauled in his first touchdown with the Tigers to put Missouri on top 16-10.

“We come out and do a really really nice job coming out of the half,” Stockstill said. “We get down to the two and we just couldn’t cash it in. To me that was the difference in the game as much as anything. You’re not going to be an SEC team on field goals.”

Middle Tennessee safety Jakope Thomas was ejected for targeting with 55 seconds remaining in the first half after making contact with Brett Norfleet’s helmet at the MTSU 5.

Cook scored his second rushing touchdown of the season on a sneak from inside the 1 after a previous apparent touchdown was reversed upon video review.

Frank Peasant rushed 25 yards to the 3 before Vattiato completed a screen pass to Kalani Norris to put Middle Tennessee up 7-3 with 8:14 remaining in the second quarter.

Harrison Mevis hit a 39 yard field goal with 5:21 remaining in the first quarter to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers offensive line struggled to protect Cook, surrendering six sacks for a loss of 68 yards.

“There’s a good probability there’s going to be some personnel changes,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “We’re not going to stick with status quo. We’ve had two games to figure it out. If production is still not where it needs to be, we’re going to compete for jobs. We’re not going to continue to give up four sacks and run the same five guys out there.”

Missouri beat Middle Tennessee State in regulation for the first time in three matchups, all at home.

Missouri hosts former Big 12-foe No. 15 Kansas State on Saturday.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 11am on SEC Network.

Five total Will Howard touchdowns leads K State to 42-13 win

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and ran for two others as No. 15 Kansas State defeated Troy 42-13 Saturday.

Howard threw touchdown passes of 9 yards to Jadon Jackson and 39 yards to Philip Brooks to help the Wildcats (2-0) to a 21-10 lead at half, and his 2-yard run late in the third quarter made it an 18-point game.

Howard finished 21 of 32 for 250 yards and had eight carries for 33 yards.

K-State held the Trojans (1-1) to 286 total yards a week after they gained 540 against Stephen F. Austin.

Troy's Gunnar Watson was 17 of 32 for 167 yards with a touchdown and interception.

The Wildcats put the game out of reach with a nine-play, 76-yard drive capped by Howard's 1-yard shovel pass to Treshaun Ward for a 35-13 lead.

Troy had pulled within 14-10 with 52 seconds left in the second quarter on Watson's 21-yard TD pass to Chris Lewis. Lewis made a dazzling one-handed catch in the end zone.

Kansas State had a huge answer just before halftime when Howard found Brooks on a crossing pattern for the 39-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left. Brooks caught the ball around the 20 and raced up the sideline for the score and a 21-10 halftime lead.

Kansas State did not overlook Troy. After being stunned at home by non-Power Five opponents in two of the last three seasons, the Wildcats defended the home field with a strong defensive effort.

The&nbsp; Wildcats will travel to Columbia, Missouri, for a matchup with their former Big Eight and Big 12 rival Missouri.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 11am on SEC Network.

Huskers offense falters against Colorado in Coach Prime's home debut

CFB Roundup: NWMSU falls, KU, K-State, and Mizzou stay hot, Ravens fall despite rally

BOULDER, Colorado - Nebraska got a third-quarter touchdown by Jeff Sims to pull within 13-7, but the Huskers were unable to get any closer as No. 22 Colorado cruised to a 36-14 victory over the Huskers at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

Nebraska forced a turnover on downs to open the second half, before racing 66 yards in just four plays capped by Sims’ 57-yard touchdown run to bring the Big Red within six with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter.

The rest of the second half between the historic rivals belonged to Colorado.

The Huskers managed 341 total yards, including 119 passing and 222 rushing, while the Buffaloes had 468 total yards, including 396 through the air and 72 on the ground.

Sims completed 9-of-15 passes for 106 yards and an interception, while Heinrich Haarberg completed 2-of-6 attempts for 13 yards and a score for Nebraska. Billy Kemp IV was Nebraska’s top target, hauling in five catches for 57 yards.&nbsp;

Gabe Ervin Jr. led the NU ground game with a career-high 74 yards on 17 carries. Sims added 67 yards on 10 attempts with a score, while Rahmir Johnson contributed 66 yards on 11 totes.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders connected on 31-of-42 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns, while Xavier Weaver led the CU receiving corps with 10 grabs for 170 yards and a score.

The Nebraska defense compiled eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss on Saturday afternoon, which are the most tackles for loss for the Huskers since recording 12 against Colorado before 2018. Before Saturday, the last time the NU defense had at least seven sacks in a game was that same contest against the Buffaloes in 2018, when the Huskers recorded seven sacks.&nbsp;

The Huskers and Buffaloes played to a scoreless first quarter after Nebraska’s opening possession was halted with a fumbled snap on the 31-yard line in Colorado territory. The opening drive saw the NU offense reel off a pair of big plays with a 21-yard pass to Kemp IV and a 17-yard reception by Nate Boerkircher.

The Blackshirts stifled the CU offense early with three sacks on Colorado’s first possession in the second quarter, including a pair from Cameron Lenhardt and another by Nick Henrich. With two sacks, Lenhardt became the first true freshman to record two sacks in a game since defensive end Barry Turner had two sacks at Baylor in 2005.&nbsp;

Starting on its own nine-yard line with 12:06 remaining in the first half, the Huskers drove into CU territory with 64 yards on nine plays, including runs of 26 and 13 yards by Ervin Jr. Kemp IV pulled in a leaping 18-yard grab along the NU sideline to keep the momentum for the Big Red, before the drive ended with a missed 45-yard field goal attempt by Tristan Alvano.

Colorado capitalized on back-to-back turnovers from the NU offense to jump ahead 10-0 in under two minutes. The Buffaloes opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal by Jace Feely with 4:20 remaining after a fumbled snap by Sims on Nebraska’s own 25-yard line.

The Buffaloes needed just one play following an NU interception to grab a 10-point lead with a 30-yard pass to Tar’Varish Dawson by Sanders with 2:43 left.

Feely’s field goal from 32 yards out as time expired gave Colorado a 13-point advantage at the half.

Following a turnover on downs by the Buffaloes to begin the second half, Sims broke free for a 57-yard scamper down the right sideline to bring the Big Red within six with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter.&nbsp;

Colorado responded immediately with a 12-yard scoring reception by Weaver on a drive extended six plays earlier with a 41-yard pass to Weaver on third down from its own 37-yard line.&nbsp;

The Buffaloes tacked on a field goal and a pair of touchdowns to grow the lead to 29, before Thomas Fidone snagged a four-yard touchdown reception on the game’s final play to make it 36-14.

Isaac Gifford led the Husker defense with a team-high eight tackles. Luke Reimer totaled five tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Lenhardt and Henrich chipped in three tackles and a pair of sacks each.

Mikai Gbayor and Malcom Hartzog recorded six tackles each, while Riley Van Poppel, Jimari Butler and Tamon Lynum picked up their first career sacks on Saturday.

Nebraska continues play next weekend, as the Huskers return to Lincoln for the home opener against Northern Illinois. Kick-off at Memorial Stadium is set for 6 p.m. with live national television coverage on FS1.

Nebraska CommunicationsBOULDER, Colorado - Nebraska got a third-quarter touchdown by Jeff Sims to pull within 13-7, but the Huskers were unable to get any closer as No. 22 Colorado cruised to a 36-14 victory over the Huskers at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;Nebraska forced a turnover on downs to open the second half, before racing 66 yards in just four plays capped by Sims’ 57-yard touchdown run to bring the Big Red within six with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter.The rest of the second half between the historic rivals belonged to Colorado.The Huskers managed 341 total yards, including 119 passing and 222 rushing, while the Buffaloes had 468 total yards, including 396 through the air and 72 on the ground.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Final. <a href="https://t.co/OlcLheWuAM">pic.twitter.com/OlcLheWuAM</a>&mdash; Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFootball/status/1700593103739265418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sims completed 9-of-15 passes for 106 yards and an interception, while Heinrich Haarberg completed 2-of-6 attempts for 13 yards and a score for Nebraska. Billy Kemp IV was Nebraska’s top target, hauling in five catches for 57 yards.&nbsp;Gabe Ervin Jr. led the NU ground game with a career-high 74 yards on 17 carries. Sims added 67 yards on 10 attempts with a score, while Rahmir Johnson contributed 66 yards on 11 totes.Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders connected on 31-of-42 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns, while Xavier Weaver led the CU receiving corps with 10 grabs for 170 yards and a score.The Nebraska defense compiled eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss on Saturday afternoon, which are the most tackles for loss for the Huskers since recording 12 against Colorado before 2018. Before Saturday, the last time the NU defense had at least seven sacks in a game was that same contest against the Buffaloes in 2018, when the Huskers recorded seven sacks.&nbsp;The Huskers and Buffaloes played to a scoreless first quarter after Nebraska’s opening possession was halted with a fumbled snap on the 31-yard line in Colorado territory. The opening drive saw the NU offense reel off a pair of big plays with a 21-yard pass to Kemp IV and a 17-yard reception by Nate Boerkircher.The Blackshirts stifled the CU offense early with three sacks on Colorado’s first possession in the second quarter, including a pair from Cameron Lenhardt and another by Nick Henrich. With two sacks, Lenhardt became the first true freshman to record two sacks in a game since defensive end Barry Turner had two sacks at Baylor in 2005.&nbsp;Starting on its own nine-yard line with 12:06 remaining in the first half, the Huskers drove into CU territory with 64 yards on nine plays, including runs of 26 and 13 yards by Ervin Jr. Kemp IV pulled in a leaping 18-yard grab along the NU sideline to keep the momentum for the Big Red, before the drive ended with a missed 45-yard field goal attempt by Tristan Alvano.Colorado capitalized on back-to-back turnovers from the NU offense to jump ahead 10-0 in under two minutes. The Buffaloes opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal by Jace Feely with 4:20 remaining after a fumbled snap by Sims on Nebraska’s own 25-yard line.The Buffaloes needed just one play following an NU interception to grab a 10-point lead with a 30-yard pass to Tar’Varish Dawson by Sanders with 2:43 left.Feely’s field goal from 32 yards out as time expired gave Colorado a 13-point advantage at the half.Following a turnover on downs by the Buffaloes to begin the second half, Sims broke free for a 57-yard scamper down the right sideline to bring the Big Red within six with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter.&nbsp;Colorado responded immediately with a 12-yard scoring reception by Weaver on a drive extended six plays earlier with a 41-yard pass to Weaver on third down from its own 37-yard line.&nbsp;The Buffaloes tacked on a field goal and a pair of touchdowns to grow the lead to 29, before Thomas Fidone snagged a four-yard touchdown reception on the game’s final play to make it 36-14.Isaac Gifford led the Husker defense with a team-high eight tackles. Luke Reimer totaled five tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Lenhardt and Henrich chipped in three tackles and a pair of sacks each.Mikai Gbayor and Malcom Hartzog recorded six tackles each, while Riley Van Poppel, Jimari Butler and Tamon Lynum picked up their first career sacks on Saturday.Nebraska continues play next weekend, as the Huskers return to Lincoln for the home opener against Northern Illinois. Kick-off at Memorial Stadium is set for 6 p.m. with live national television coverage on FS1.

Huskers struggle at #22 Colorado 36-14

Lafayette scored the game's first touchdown midway through the first quarter and never trailed in a 26-14 win at crosstown rival Benton on Friday night at Sparks Field.

The win snaps a 15-game losing streak for the Irish, and it marks the program's 14 win over the Cardinals in the last 16 seasons.

"It's a family affair," Lafayette head coach Nate Daugherty said. "I've been pushing the hell out of them and told them every single time it's for a reason, and they're doing it. They're building a foundation. It's awesome."

Benton got the ball to start the game and was driving into Lafayette territory, but the drive stalled with a turnover on downs.

The Irish (1-2) cashed in six plays later, scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run by running back Tate Crabb. The two-point try failed, but the Irish led 6-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.

That score didn't change for quite awhile.

Benton (1-2) had a healthy drive going that started late in the first and stretched into the late minutes of the second quarter. The Cardinals had first-and-goal at the five, but the drive would stall on a fourth-and-goal at the four, as quarterback Jaxson Rich was stood up at the line by the Irish defensive front.

"I had all the faith in the world," Daugherty said of his defense. "I knew we could pull it off and knew we could do it. Corey (Bertini) has a great program going (at Benton). All the respect to him. These kids play hard for him, too. It'll be fun to see how it goes the next couple years."

Lafayette's final two drives of the first half ended in punt, and the Irish went into halftime up 6-0.

Lafayette got the ball to start the second half, but the drive went awry after just four plays, as quarterback Jackson Compton was picked off deep down the field by Benton's Deontre Howard.

The Cardinals weren't able to do anything with the game's first turnover. They took over at their own nine, and turned the ball over on downs after just six plays.

Taking over at the Benton 29, Lafayette took advantage just four plays later, as Compton made up for the interception with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Martavion Thuston. A successful run on a two-point conversion by Crabb made it 14-0 Irish with 4:50 left in the third.

Benton, at last, had the answer offensively on the ensuing drive. An eight-play, 48-yard march by the Cardinals ended with a five-yard touchdown run from Jaxson Rich. The two-point try failed, but Benton was on the board at 14-6 with 2:19 left in the third.

Lafayette threw another interception late in the third, this one picked off by Treigh Nowak, but again, the Cardinals couldn't turn the takeaway into points.

&nbsp;Taking over at their own 23-yard line with 8:21 to go in the game, Lafayette methodically marched down the field with an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ate six minutes of clock.

The drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Compton to Jake Danner, putting Lafayette ahead 20-6 with 2:18 to go.

Benton showed fight late, as Rich rushed to the end zone on a 44-yard run to make it 20-14 with 1:12 to go.

The Cardinals kicked an onside, but it was instantly recovered by Lafayette's Lucas Michel.

Three plays after that, Crabb called game with a 51-yard sprint to the end zone on a third-and-10, putting the Irish up 26-14 with 46 seconds remaining.

Crabb finished his night with 20 carries for 118 yards and two scores.

"Underperformance pains me so much," Crabb said. "It keeps me up sometimes, knowing I didn't perform as good as I could. When a situation like this is in front of you, you have to take it. There's no other option."

Compton completed 8-of-14 passes for 164 yards, throwing two touchdowns and two picks.

Thuston was the lead receiver with three catches for 81 yards and a score.

Rich was active all night for Benton, completing 8-of-15 passes for 94 yards. He also toted the rock 21 times for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Howard hauled in three passes for 36 yards in the loss for the Cardinals. Blakely Eaton had three catches for 50 yards himself.&nbsp;

It had been 700 days exactly since Lafayette had won a football game. To break the skid on the road against their biggest rival, and to give their 25-year-old, first-year head coach his first career win made it that much sweeter.

"Every day was stacking, stacking until finally...it shows," Crabb said. "All of that work finally shows. It's crazy what (Coach) Daugherty has done. He's turned this around completely."

Lafayette is home to Savannah next week. Benton stays home to face Lincoln College Prep.

Nate Daugherty, Tate Crabb interview

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694232818470.jpeg" alt="Tate Crabb (10) runs for a touchdown in the first half against Benton at Sparks Field on Friday night in St. Joseph. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Tate Crabb (10) runs for a touchdown in the first half against Benton at Sparks Field on Friday night in St. Joseph. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostLafayette scored the game's first touchdown midway through the first quarter and never trailed in a 26-14 win at crosstown rival Benton on Friday night at Sparks Field.The win snaps a 15-game losing streak for the Irish, and it marks the program's 14 win over the Cardinals in the last 16 seasons."It's a family affair," Lafayette head coach Nate Daugherty said. "I've been pushing the hell out of them and told them every single time it's for a reason, and they're doing it. They're building a foundation. It's awesome."Benton got the ball to start the game and was driving into Lafayette territory, but the drive stalled with a turnover on downs.The Irish (1-2) cashed in six plays later, scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run by running back Tate Crabb. The two-point try failed, but the Irish led 6-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.That score didn't change for quite awhile.Benton (1-2) had a healthy drive going that started late in the first and stretched into the late minutes of the second quarter. The Cardinals had first-and-goal at the five, but the drive would stall on a fourth-and-goal at the four, as quarterback Jaxson Rich was stood up at the line by the Irish defensive front."I had all the faith in the world," Daugherty said of his defense. "I knew we could pull it off and knew we could do it. Corey (Bertini) has a great program going (at Benton). All the respect to him. These kids play hard for him, too. It'll be fun to see how it goes the next couple years."Lafayette's final two drives of the first half ended in punt, and the Irish went into halftime up 6-0.Lafayette got the ball to start the second half, but the drive went awry after just four plays, as quarterback Jackson Compton was picked off deep down the field by Benton's Deontre Howard.The Cardinals weren't able to do anything with the game's first turnover. They took over at their own nine, and turned the ball over on downs after just six plays.Taking over at the Benton 29, Lafayette took advantage just four plays later, as Compton made up for the interception with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Martavion Thuston. A successful run on a two-point conversion by Crabb made it 14-0 Irish with 4:50 left in the third.Benton, at last, had the answer offensively on the ensuing drive. An eight-play, 48-yard march by the Cardinals ended with a five-yard touchdown run from Jaxson Rich. The two-point try failed, but Benton was on the board at 14-6 with 2:19 left in the third.Lafayette threw another interception late in the third, this one picked off by Treigh Nowak, but again, the Cardinals couldn't turn the takeaway into points.&nbsp;Taking over at their own 23-yard line with 8:21 to go in the game, Lafayette methodically marched down the field with an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ate six minutes of clock.The drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Compton to Jake Danner, putting Lafayette ahead 20-6 with 2:18 to go.Benton showed fight late, as Rich rushed to the end zone on a 44-yard run to make it 20-14 with 1:12 to go.The Cardinals kicked an onside, but it was instantly recovered by Lafayette's Lucas Michel.Three plays after that, Crabb called game with a 51-yard sprint to the end zone on a third-and-10, putting the Irish up 26-14 with 46 seconds remaining.Crabb finished his night with 20 carries for 118 yards and two scores."Underperformance pains me so much," Crabb said. "It keeps me up sometimes, knowing I didn't perform as good as I could. When a situation like this is in front of you, you have to take it. There's no other option."Compton completed 8-of-14 passes for 164 yards, throwing two touchdowns and two picks.Thuston was the lead receiver with three catches for 81 yards and a score.Rich was active all night for Benton, completing 8-of-15 passes for 94 yards. He also toted the rock 21 times for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns.Howard hauled in three passes for 36 yards in the loss for the Cardinals. Blakely Eaton had three catches for 50 yards himself.&nbsp;It had been 700 days exactly since Lafayette had won a football game. To break the skid on the road against their biggest rival, and to give their 25-year-old, first-year head coach his first career win made it that much sweeter."Every day was stacking, stacking until finally...it shows," Crabb said. "All of that work finally shows. It's crazy what (Coach) Daugherty has done. He's turned this around completely."Lafayette is home to Savannah next week. Benton stays home to face Lincoln College Prep.Nate Daugherty, Tate Crabb interview<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Lafayettes-Tate-Crabb--Nate-Daugherty-e293m0v" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Full game broadcast<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Lafayette--Benton-football---9823-e293loe" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694232878372.jpeg" alt="Drake Losson (14) pushes&nbsp;Deontre Howard (3) out of bounds. Photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>Drake Losson (14) pushes&nbsp;Deontre Howard (3) out of bounds. Photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694234455866.jpeg" alt="Blakely Eaton (2) is stopped by Lafayette's Jake Danner (16) and Ayden Hardy (17)." />
 <figcaption>Blakely Eaton (2) is stopped by Lafayette's Jake Danner (16) and Ayden Hardy (17).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694234485493.jpeg" alt="Donovan Cooper (17) and Deontre Howard (3)." />
 <figcaption>Donovan Cooper (17) and Deontre Howard (3).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694234524727.jpeg" alt="Jaxson Rich (1) looks for Austin Zambrano-Saxton (5)." />
 <figcaption>Jaxson Rich (1) looks for Austin Zambrano-Saxton (5).</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lafayette ends 15-game losing streak with feel good win at Benton Friday

TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, Bo Bichette had two hits and two RBIs in his return from injury and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.

Guerrero’s two-run double off right-hander Carlos Hernández (1-10) helped the Blue Jays (78-63) hold onto the final AL wild-card berth with their fourth win in five games.

TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, Bo Bichette had two hits and two RBIs in his return from injury and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.Guerrero’s two-run double off right-hander Carlos Hernández (1-10) helped the Blue Jays (78-63) hold onto the final AL wild-card berth with their fourth win in five games.Toronto matched a season best by moving 15 games above .500. The Blue Jays are 23-19 in one-run games. Kansas City, at 44-98, fell behind Oakland for the worst record in major leagues.Bichette went 2 for 5 and scored once after being activated off the 10-day injured list before the game.“When he has runners on base, he does anything to bring them in,” Guerrero said of his fellow All-Star through a translator. “It’s great to have him back.”Bichette, the two-time AL hits leader, returned after missing nine games because of a strained right quadriceps.“Just having him back in the lineup is definitely huge,” Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi said through a translator. “It puts a lot of pressure on the other teams. He’s a big presence in our lineup and also a leader. It’s really good to have a leader like him back.”Blue Jays manager John Schneider called Bichette “an instant shot of energy to our offense.”“He hasn’t seen live pitching in 10 or 12 days and he’s taking tough pitches,” Schneider said. “It’s impressive what he can do in the box.”Royals manager Matt Quatraro wasn’t as pleased to see Bichette back.“I would have been a lot happier if he had a few more days off,” Quatraro joked.Blue Jays rookie Davis Schneider reached base four times. He doubled in the second and fourth, and walked in the sixth and seventh.Chad Green (2-0) got two outs for the win and left-hander Tim Mayza got one out in the eighth. Closer Jordan Romano recorded the final four outs for his 33rd save in 36 chances despite giving up an RBI single to Salvador Perez in the ninth. Edward Olivares flied out to end it, stranding runners at first and second.Kansas City left-hander Austin Cox had to be helped off the field in the seventh after injuring his left knee while covering first base.“He’s in some pain,” Quatraro said. “We’re going to get more diagnostic testing and see exactly what it is.”Cox struck out pinch hitter Santiago Espinal to begin the inning, but went down while trying to get to the base on Alejandro Kirk’s infield single.“It’s really tough,” Royals infielder Nick Loftin said. “Saying a lot of prayers for him.”Hernández came on to replace Cox.Tyler Heineman pinch ran for Kirk and advanced on a wild pitch before Kevin Kiermaier flied out. George Springer walked and Bichette tied it with a first-pitch single.Guerrero followed with a two-run double. He has 16 RBIs in 24 career games against Kansas City.Pinch-hitter Ernie Clement capped the four-run rally with a two-out RBI single off left-hander Tucker Davidson.Bobby Witt Jr. cut it to 5-3 in the eighth when he doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by pinch-hitter Olivares.Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco hit a two-out solo homer off Kikuchi in the third, his second.It was the second homer off Kikuchi in 10 starts since the All-Star break. Kikuchi allowed one run and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out eight.Toronto tied it against right-hander Alec Marsh in the sixth when Kiermaier led off with a triple and scored on Bichette’s one-out double.Kansas City reclaimed the lead with a two-out rally against right-hander Trevor Richards in the seventh. Freddy Fermin singled and scored on Loftin’s first career triple. Richards left after walking Kyle Isbel and Green came on to strike out Blanco.Right-hander Collin Snider opened for the Royals and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Kansas City activated 1B Nick Pratto (left groin) off the IL and optioned INF Matt Beaty to Triple-A Omaha.ROYAL PAINToronto has won eight of its past nine home meetings with Kansas City.ROCKY ROADThe Royals are a major league-worst 18-52 on the road.UP NEXTRHP Kevin Gausman (10-8, 3.39 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday. Kansas City hasn’t announced a starter.