A beautiful day in Southwest Missouri provided the perfect setting for Missouri State’s big matchup with visiting Marshall. In only its second year as an FBS member, the Bears are still finding their footing, but they can look to Marshall as an example of a program that has experienced tremendous success since moving up to the highest level of college football nearly 30 years ago.
Tailgating, the team walk, and pep rallies kept the pregame atmosphere rocking. The crowd packed Robert W. Plaster Stadium to near capacity, and the Bears gave them plenty to cheer about. Missouri State hung around throughout the game, never backing down as Marshall built momentum.
Down six points late in the game, the Bears had a fourth-down opportunity to take the lead. But Marshall’s defense came up with the stop, securing a 30–24 victory for the Thundering Herd.
Questions about Missouri State’s legitimacy as an FBS program are slowly fading as the Bears continue to prove they belong on the gridiron. There is still plenty of room for improvement, but a hard-fought battle against Marshall showed that Missouri State is making progress—and that the Bears’ stock continues to rise.
