Nov. 9, 2002
Dusty Burk and Andrew Blakely Move Up Record Lists But Bulldogs Fall 17-3 To Central Missouri
A 17-3 halftime score held up for the remainder of the game as Central Missouri handed Truman a loss in Warrensburg.
The Mules scored on their first drive and kicked a 23-yard field goal on their next to take a 10-0 lead by 6:02 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs were held to three-and-out on their first two series and were intercepted on the Central 18-yard line on the third. CMSU finished the ensuing drive less than a minute into the second quarter when Kevin O'Sadnick rushed for 18 yards to help make the score 17-0.
Truman used nine plays and drove 42 yards, helped by a 25-yard reception by freshman flanker James Walton, and scored its only points of the day on a 32-yard field goal by junior Austin Lepper with about five minutes left in the half.
Central Missouri was threatening to score again before just intermission when Derek Kent forced quarterback Dennis Gile to fumble on the Truman 1-yard line. Freshman cornerback Jason Douglas recovered to loose ball to get the 'Dogs out of the half.
The Mules failed to capitalize on four Bulldog turnovers in the second half, while Truman was intercepted twice inside the CMSU red zone once and had a 52-yard field goal fall short.
Truman quarterback Dusty Burk moved up to second on the MIAA single-season total offense list after adding 222 against Central Missouri, completing 20-of-40 passes for 205 yards and rushing 19 times for 17 yards. Burk's 3,089 total yards this year is second in the conference to Truman's Chris Hegg who had 3,741 in 1985.
Senior slot receiver Andrew Blakley led the Bulldogs with nine receptions for 125 yards, moving up to ninth all-time an any level on the NCAA's career receptions list with 294. He also set a new Truman standard for receptions in a season with 90, just four catches from the league standard heading into his final game.
Truman finishes its season by entertaining Missouri Western at 1 p.m. on Nov. 16.