Oklahoma Baptist kept its top 10 offense at full throttle while holding first-year Missouri Baptist in check for a 59-7 win Saturday at The Hurt.
The Bison posted five rushing touchdowns from four runners and three passing touchdowns between two quarterbacks. OBU had 566 yards total offense while limiting the Spartans to 188.
OBU overcame 97 yards in penalties.
"Penalties are what concern us the most," said OBU Coach Chris Jensen. "We don't need to have penalties to run our offense. As a team we are a lot farther along. We are a lot stronger, a lot faster and in a lot better condition this year. We need to eliminate the distractions and the penalties and focus on a Bison win."
OBU scored on its first drive, going 68 yards on just three plays. A 46-yard pass from Blake Woodard to Nyko Symonds set up an eight-yard scoring run by Woodward for a 7-0 lead just 82 seconds into the game.
Frankie Edwards scored from eight yards out to cap a nine-play, 51-yard march with 7:56 left in the second quarter. Trey Tully added a 39-yard field goal with 4:13 left in the half for a 17-0 lead.
A 36-yard reverse by Derek Serowski set up a Woodard-to-Joe Shaw touchdown pass from 18 yards away for a 24-0 Bison advantage with 33 seconds left in the half.
Missouri Baptist scored on its opening drive of the second half on a DeMarco Billups pass to Kalen Petty from three yards out to trim the Bison lead to 24-7.
OBU answered that with 21 third-quarter points. Myers and Edwards both had two-yard scoring runs and Woodard hit Turner Coon on an 18-yard scoring play for a 45-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Cale Grauer slung a 24-yard scoring pass to Serowski and Jordan Barnes scored from three yards out for the final margin.
Dawson Myers led the Bison with 100 yards rushing, followed by Jordan Barnes with 96 and Frankie Edwards with 55.
Woodard threw for 144 yards, completing nine of 14 passes for two touchdowns, while Cale Grauer completed his only pass for the 24-yard touchdown.
Nyko Symonds had 101 yards on five catches.
Defensively, Patrick Boxie had a diving interception, Brynden Pitzer led the team with 11 tackles, Kimes Gilbert had two sacks among his eight tackles and Blake Johnson forced a fumble and had 2.5 tackles for loss, including one sack. Levi Jennings had one sack and broke up a pass, Eugene Estes broke up two passes and Zack Bishop blocked a punt.
Now 3-0, the Bison face a road test next week and Panhandle State. The Aggies topped OBU 54-29 last season. OBU hasn't started a season 4-0 since 1928.
