Bears football holds off Penguins late charge to win third straight

SPRINGFIELD–The Missouri State Bears football team accomplished three impressive feats in their 38-31 victory against Youngstown State, on Saturday:

First, MSU’s 7-point win moved them to 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. With this being Mo-State’s last season in the Valley, before they transition out of the FCS and into the FBS, by joining Conference USA, next July, any win in the Valley is good, but claiming victory in their conference opener, at home, was huge for Ryan Beard’s team.

Secondly, by beating Youngstown State (1-4), Missouri State (3-2) finally won three consecutive games for the first time since the fall of 2021. In the two seasons between now and then, the Bears best winning streak was a two-game stretch.

Lastly, the victory pushed the maroon and white above .500 for the first time since they opened the 2022 season with two-straight wins. The magnitude of this win swings a huge amount of positive momentum in the Bears favor, as they enter the bye week. This will give them a chance to rest up and recharge, so they can attempt to make a strong push, as they close out the final seven games of their schedule, which feature four ranked teams – Illinois State, Southern Illinois, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State.

It’s the mother of all gauntlets to finish the Bears final season in the Valley, but Saturday’s victory could be viewed as a key turning point if things do turn out well for MSU.

To see the recap and highlights from today’s game, click the video above.

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