SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ryan Beard’s Missouri State Bears will hit the Plaster Stadium turf Saturday for the last time this season.
It’s a senior day match-up between the 3-6 Bears and 6-3 Northern Iowa.
The Panthers roll into town winners of three in a row and six of its last seven games.
Missouri State has lost two straight, including a heartbreaker last week against Illinois State.
The Redbirds scored 16 fourth-quarter points, including the game winner with 38 seconds left in the game and won 36-35.
Beard is as frustrated with his players on the defensive breakdown at the end of the loss to Illinois State.
“It’s extremely frustrating. It starts with me. I have to be a better coach. I have to get our defense to do things the right way. And we’ve talked about this over and over. It’s not for lack of effort. We don’t execute at a high level. That’s really what you see all over the film at some of the worst times and in the worst situations. Again it starts at the top with me. I have to do a better job of putting our players in positions to make plays,” said Beard.
