MSU wins on last-second field goal

CONWAY, Ark. – It takes magical moments to make magical seasons.

There's a long way to the finish line, but Missouri State's football team had an unbelievably magical moment on a steamy Saturday night.

"Unbelievable," defensive end James Barnes said outside a raucous locker room after the Bears' 33-31 victory over Central Arkansas — won on Marcelo Bonani's 53-yard field goal on the final play of the game.

Bonani's career-long kick cleared the crossbar by about a foot. It set off a wild celebration at midfield with Bonani escaping the dog pile of humanity unharmed.

"Kickers have the reputation of being loved or hated," Bonani said with a smile. He noted a missed extra point earlier in the game that weighed heavily on his mind.

"I was like, this loss will be on me. I'm glad I made it. My team was behind me the whole way," he added.

The improbable victory — the Bears started from their own 21 with 54 seconds remaining — gives Missouri State its first 3-1 start in seven years. It could send MSU into the FCS national rankings on Monday.

That rare air appeared sucked out of Missouri State after Central Arkansas (1-3) scored the go-ahead touchdown on Wallace Matthews' 1-yard dive with 59 seconds remaining. The home Bears converted one fourth down and three third downs during the drive.

But Missouri State, with Kierra Harris playing on despite a painful hip injury, found a way.

"Kierra made it through all the tribulations," receiver Julian Burton said. "He took a lot of big hits and we found a way to capitalize. He showed a lot."

Burton finished with career-highs of 10 catches and 194 yards. Two came during the last-ditch drive, including a 29-yarder to the Central Arkansas 31.

But while trying to hurry up and spike the ball to stop the clock (Missouri State was out of time outs) it was called for a false start. That meant five yards and a 10-second runoff, leaving 10 seconds to work with.

"I was afraid that would take us out of 'Bo's' range," Missouri State coach Terry Allen said. "But I think the farther away he is, the better he kicks it."

After one incomplete pass, Bonani came on. He rarely even tries beyond 50 in practice, but was coming off a career-long 49-yard make a week earlier against North Dakota.

Wind was not a factor as the flags hung limp. The kick also barely floated inside the left upright.

"I wasn't looking because I was nervous," Burton said. "But he's been knocking them in all spring, all summer. All this week. We have a lot of faith in 'Bo' and we just wanted to get in great field position to set him up. We did that."

Bonani said he wasn't sure if he had enough until the officials signaled good. The purple-clad home team players fell to the purple-and-gray turf as Missouri State celebrated.

"I can't take all the credit," Bonani said. "Without the snap, the hold and the blockers up there, I couldn't have done it. If anything, I have the easy job. I just try to focus and … it just feels good. It feels great."

The game turned wild after Missouri State took a seemingly safe 27-17 lead with 9:08 remaining on Harris' 5-yard touchdown pass to Josh Mattes.

Back came the home team with a touchdown drive that took a little more than a minute. Bonani kicked a 34-yard field goal with 3:32 left to make it 30-24.

Obviously, Bonani's missed extra point just before halftime loomed big as Central Arkansas took the lead and left Missouri State seemingly primed for a devastating defeat.

But unlike many other Missouri State teams over the last 20 years that have lost such games, this one wound up in its favor. Somehow.

"We do it every week and that's what we said to them," Allen said of the "May Day" scenario at game's end. "We do it a bunch in preseason.

"What a heck of a finish. What a heck of a win."