OPINION|
There was no miracle at Plaster or Cinderella story on East Grand Street on a scorching Saturday as arguably the most talented team ever to play football in Springfield took on Missouri State.
Apologies to FCS behemoth North Dakota State, which is a gold standard program at its level, but the Bison win with brute strength and will. The team that came to town on Sept. 13 had speed, speed and more speed — and big, strong, mobile defensive linemen.
But for a while, the Bears had the SMU Mustangs — lurking just outside the nation’s top 25 and with a bundle of players returning from last season’s College Football Playoff team — on their heels.
An aggressive Missouri State took advantage of sloppy SMU play early and took a 10-0 lead after one quarter. It was still that score midway through the second quarter. It’s why we love sports and don’t play games on proverbial paper. Upsets can and do happen. Maybe we were witnessing a BIG one here?
Missouri State head coach Ryan Beard patrols the sideline against SMU at Plaster Stadium on September 13, 2025. (Photo by Bruce Stidham)
Twenty-eight unanswered points and some key Bears’ mistakes later, SMU was on its way back to Dallas, and the Bears were left to chew on a 28-10 loss in their first home game as an FBS program.
The final margin did not necessarily reflect the competitiveness of the game. Plenty of second-half mistakes helped doom the Bears, but they demonstrated that they could play physically against one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Feel-good losses are not what Bears coach Ryan Beard or his players are about — even against a program that has the resources many times multiplied over Missouri State.
“I’m not feeling any moral victory right now,” Bears quarterback Jacob Clark said. “Offensively, we need to sustain drives and execute better at converting third downs and score points in the red zone. And I’ve gotta take care of the football.”
Still, the straight-up fact is that Missouri State was able to face a program like SMU on its home turf and be competitive. It says something good about the program and where it’s headed.
For one of only four former Bears with his jersey number displayed atop the east-side grandstand, it was a day of pride.
DeAndre Smith, the greatest to ever play at the school as an All-American quarterback from 1987-90, spent the majority of his Saturday reviewing final details with the Indianapolis Colts, where he is the running backs coach. During a text exchange during the third quarter, as SMU gradually pulled away, Smith lamented that he was unable to watch on CBS Sports Network due to work commitments.
Still, he wanted Missouri State coaches, players and fans to know how excited he is about things at his alma mater.
“It’s exciting to see my school playing at that level,” Smith wrote. “Competing against schools like USC and SMU is something I would’ve loved to be able to compete against. I wear my Bears gear with pride every chance I get.
“Getting the win against Marshall (Sept. 6) was awesome. It definitely shows the program is moving in the direction.”
It’s amazing how far this program has come in just a few years, since the disastrous 1-10 season in 2019 with the only win coming in triple-overtime over a winless and even more hapless Western Illinois team. Beard referenced during August how things were when he and the coaches showed up for work in February 2020.
Probably the most disappointing aspect of the SMU game was the attendance. The 15,027 is just outside the top 10 all-time, certainly not what you would expect from a game against a Power 4 Conference program. The heat had a lot to do with coming up short of the sellout (the stadium record of 18,386 was set 11 years to the day against North Dakota as the newly renovated east side opened).
Scenes from the pregame festivities as Missouri State hosts SMU on Saturday, Sept. 13. (Photo by Bruce Stidham)
It was an easy choice for many to kick their feet up in the air conditioning and watch on TV, but those who stayed home missed a much-improved game-day atmosphere.
After the rugged introduction to FBS (73-13 loss at USC, 21-20 win at Marshall and the SMU outcome) the path forward should get easier. After playing host to old FCS rival Tennessee Martin next week, the Bears embark on their first Conference USA schedule with three Wednesday-night games in October (at Middle Tennessee Oct. 8, at New Mexico State Oct. 22 and home against Florida International on Oct. 29).
The Missouri State program is going in the right direction. It’s in an amazing position, considering where it was six short years ago. This team has a legit chance to finish at .500, maybe a bit better.
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said the Bears played solid, fundamental football on defense. He paid a compliment to Clark, who grew up just a few miles down the road from the SMU campus.
The Bears’ biggest issue will be keeping Clark upright and healthy for 12 games. He finished 23 of 37 for 275 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions against the Mustangs. Clark took five sacks with 16 in three games.
“Jacob Clark is a really good quarterback. He’s from Rockwall (Texas) and I have a lot of respect for him,” Lashlee said. “I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people this year in Conference USA.”
Beard said the beauty of playing tough teams early, even in defeat, is the chance to grow. There are nine games remaining and Beard is pumped.
“We’re gonna be really tough on ‘em in the film room and I think we can have a hell of a stretch moving forward,” Beard said.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton