Missouri State wins 8th straight. Next up is No. 1 N.D. State | Area college football

Action-packed small-college football games were once again the rule across and beyond the Kansas City metro Saturday.

Here’s a rundown of highlights from the weekend:

Missouri State 59, Murray State 31: The Bears scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and three more in the third quarter on way to their eighth straight victory, this one in Murray, Kentucky. Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark threw for 431 yards with four touchdowns. Bears running back Jacardia Wright got it into the end zone three times, twice on pass plays, once on the ground. The Missouri State offense averaged 9.2 yards per play.

Missouri State will play at North Dakota State on Nov. 16. The winner of that game clinches at least a share of the Missouri Valley regular-season title. North Dakota State is ranked No. 1 in FCS. Missouri State came into Saturday play at No. 15.

Baker 20, MidAmerica Nazarene 14: The Baker Wildcats fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter when MidAmerica Nazarene’s Elijah McFadden recovered a fumbled punt near Baker’s end zone and got it in the for the score. Baker, though, won this defensive battle from there in this showdown in Olathe.

Baker QB Truman Juelsgaard had two TDs with 145 yards passing and added 87 rushing yards. Baker (8-1), MidAmerica Nazarene (8-1) and Benedictine (8-2) are tied atop the Heart of America standings at 4-1. MidAmerica Nazarene beat Benedictine in a thriller last week, and Benedictine beat Baker earlier in the season.

Benedictine 49, Central Methodist (Missouri) 10: Joseph Lagafuaina scored on a 72-yard pass play in the first quarter for Benedictine at home in Atchison. Ravens quarterback Jackson Dooley finished with 343 passing yards with two TDs, including the one to Lagafuaina. Ravens running back Jonah Roberts closed out the scoring with a 66-yard run for a TD.

Central Missouri 45, Emporia State 36: The Mules followed last week’s upset at Pittsburg State with a big win at Emporia State. Drew Kaufman, a linebacker who played in high school at Blue Valley Northwest, intercepted two passes. One of those he returned 35 yards for a TD at the start of the second half for a Mules’ 31-14 lead. Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski passed for 358 yards with three TDs and ran for 92 yards.

Northwest Missouri State 33, Missouri Western 23: Tank Young helped push the Bearcats past the Griffons in St. Joseph. Young ran for 135 yards with two TDs and caught six passes for 92 yards. Young’s 46-yard run to the house put the Bearcats up 23-13 in the third quarter. Smithville’s Jake Fisher came through with two sacks for Northwest Missouri.

Missouri Southern 24, Nebraska-Kearney 13: The Lions won the turnover battle 3-1 in Kearney, Nebraska, and picked up their second victory on the season. Lions quarterback Luke Sampson passed for 242 yards with two TDs and one interception.

Central Oklahoma 28, Washburn 27: The Ichabods had a 21-13 lead at the end of the third quarter in Topeka, but Central Oklahoma, No. 8 in the NAIA coaches poll, scored 15 points in the fourth quarter in avoiding the upset. Tre Richardson had 193 yards receiving with two TDs for Washburn. One of those touchdowns went for 80 yards, the other 48 yards. Ichabods QB Sam Van Dyne passed for 406 yards with four TDs and an interception.

Avila 20, Sterling 7: Avila quarterback Eli Williams connected with Mecoast Vaughn for an 82-yard TD in the first quarter in Sterling, Kansas. Williams ran one in from 51 yards out in the third quarter that put Avila up 20-0. The touchdown in between was a Jay Wright 70-yard pick-six at the end of the first half. Avila intercepted four passes overall, two by Erik McCall Jr.

Truman State 34, William Jewell 0: Derric Von Hubbard and Justin Endicott each produced sacks for the Cardinals, but Jewell had trouble getting anything going on offense. AJ Austene caught six passes for William Jewell.

Kansas Wesleyan 23, Ottawa 20: The Ottawa Braves scored 17 points in the fourth quarter but came up just short in the road game in Salina. The Braves’ De’Anthony Curtis hauled in 10 receptions for 142 yards with a touchdown. Hagan Johnson got to the end zone on a 80-yard run for the Braves. Johnson finished with 107 yards rushing.

Tabor 24, Saint Mary 20: Raymond Webster, who averages over 100 yards rushing per game, ran for 160 yards on 33 carries with two TDs for Saint Mary in the loss in Hilsboro, Kansas.

Lane College (Tennessee) 41, Lincoln 28: Quarterback Isaiah Tate scored on a 67-yard run that put Lincoln up 21-20 in the second quarter, but the Blue Tigers were unable to hold on in Jefferson City.