Postgame with Head Coach Ryan Held
Kearney, Neb. – Graduate transfer quarterback Reagan Jones returned to his alma mater and directed a last minute 69-yard scoring drive, capped by a walk-off 33-yard field goal from senior Kyle Failing, to help Nebraska Kearney rally past Missouri Western State, 24-23, Saturday afternoon in St. Joseph.
This is the second straight year a walk-off field goal has decided the meeting between the Lopers (4-3, 2-3) and Griffons. In 2023 at Cope Stadium, MWSU (3-5, 2-5) won a video review and then, seven plays later, All-MIAA kicker Cody Watson hit a 31-yarder to help the Griffs post a 20-17 victory.
“Wow we just had a walk-off victory and that’s huge for this program. Missouri Western has been playing well and this was their Homecoming. We were disappointed last week (loss to Pittsburg State) and found a way to keep fighting,” said UNK head coach Ryan Held on the KRVN Radio post-game radio show. “At times it didn’t look very good for us but our kids, no matter what, have been very resilient. They were very passionate today, there was a lot of emotion. Sometimes it maybe got a little too hot, but these guys just kept playing.”
Today, on “Homecoming”, it was fitting Jones (Wichita) was in town for the festivities. He finished 17 of 32 for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions while running 14 times for 33 yards and a score. Jones spent 4.5 years at Mo West, earning an undergraduate degree and racking up over 4,400 yards of offense and 31 touchdowns.
Once again, the nationally-ranked Loper defense did yeoman’s work as they buckled up in the red zone, especially the second half, with the special teams blocking a PAT and field goal in the fourth quarter; UNK is now up to eight blocked kicks in the Held era. Watson also missed a PAT to start the day.
“Those are big plays. It made it a nine-point deficit so then we can then kick a field goal to win it. A lot of teams would take those plays off; our guys don’t,” said Held.
The comeback started at the eight-minute mark after the defense got a stop at its own 25-yard line on 3rd & 3. The Lopers blocked the ensuing 42-yard field goal with Jones hitting senior receiver Reggie Anderson (Gaithersburg, Md.) for a 75-yard TD on the game’s next play. The is UNK’s second longest play from scrimmage this fall.
Mo West picked up a first down on the ensuing drive and briefly had an 18-yard reception on 3rd & 10 from the Loper 43-yard line. However, a holding call brought the ball back and made it 3rd & 2. This time, junior nickel back Anthony Hebert (Corona, Calif.) recorded a 10-yard sack to force a punt.
UNK got the ball back at its own 14-yard line with just over two minutes remaining. After Jones scampered for a 12-yard gain on 3rd & 11, he hit Anderson for 28 big yards on 4th & 5. Jones completed two more passes for 16 yards, with the receivers getting out of bounds each time, and then ran to the right for nine more yards.
“We work that two-minute drill every week in practice. We’ve done well with that in the last few weeks. That’s why they put 60 minutes on the clock … you have to play it all the way through,” said Held. “We found a way even though we sputtered a bit in the third quarter. I knew we would play better offensively. I just felt it through the practices we had this week.”
The final run by Jones setup Failing who has been UNK’s kickoff specialist for the past four years. He made 4 of 5 field goal attempts last season with his first effort of 2024 sailing right down the middle.
“What a great job with the hold and Kyle coming in and nailing that thing. It’s hard to watch those but I’m so happy for the players, I’m so happy for Reagan to come back here against his former team and find a way to win,” said Held. “Trey (Prichard) has a little bit of an injury so we just felt maybe the ball wouldn’t pop off his foot as good. Kyle has a strong leg and when he just kicks the ball, he’s really good.”
UNK outgained Mo West by a 425-322 margin and ran three more plays than the Griffs. Converting 2 of 6 fourth downs, the Lopers saw the defense bow up on their side of the ball as Mo West was only 3 of 10 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth downs.
“Our defense was unbelievable. We fumbled on the first play, we dropped a punt and I went for it on fourth down (inside own territory). I felt like we needed to do something,” said Held.
Besides Jones, Anderson tallied 103 receiving yards on those two big catches with freshman Djimon Wheeler (Norman Park, Ga.) and junior Tyler Perry (Trenton, Fla.) combining for eight grabs and 107 yards. Wheeler made a nice 42-yard catch that set up UNK’s first score of the game, a nine-yard run by Jones that made it 7-6 midway through the first.
Next, the ground game got going as junior Isaiah Harris (Omaha Westside) had 76 yards on 10 totes with junior Jadarrius Thomas (Marietta, Ga.) netting 34 yards on seven carries. Defensively, senior corner Kendall Brewer (Kansas City) had his fourth pick of the season, junior backer David Lilly (Wahoo) recovered his third fumble and had a team-high 10 tackles with Hebert at seven stops and four others at five apiece.
Mo West lived on UNK’s side of the field for much of the afternoon with the team’s 21st sack of the season, coming on the game’s first play of scrimmage, setting up their first score. Junior QB Branden Berwald hit senior receiver Tyler Carey for a 16-yard gain, but he fumbled the ball into the end zone. UNK had an opportunity to recover the loose ball but, instead, Carey jumped on it for six points. Later, MWSU used long kick and punt returns to set up two more short field scores. They did have a 13-play, 80-yard march in the second quarter to go up, 14-7.
In his third career start, Berwald was 17 of 28 for 214 yards, two scores and that one pick. He also led the Griffs in rushing (10 carries, 48 yards) with senior Jonas Bennett (seven receptions, 101 yards) his favorite target. Carey also had four catches for 58 yards and three total scores.
UNK hosts nationally-ranked Emporia State next Saturday at Foster Field. The Hornets (6-1, 5-1) had a bye this weekend.
