Leavenworth, Kan.— The Midland University Warriors used an explosive passing attack to take control early and the Spires could not recover in a 61-7 loss this evening at home in Berkel Memorial.

It was a beautiful night in Leavenworth, however Midland quarterback Wulff would set the tone immediately in the first half, directing four touchdown drives in the opening two quarters as the visitors built a 41-0 lead by halftime. Wulff threw a pair of first-quarter scores, then added two more touchdown passes in the second, including a long strike at the five-minute mark and another connection in the final seconds of the half to put the game nearly out of reach. The Warriors led 14-0 after the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 41-0 with a 27-point second quarter going into the break

The Spire defense spent much of the night defending a short field as Midland moved efficiently through the air. USM allowed 346 total yards but limited MU to just 13 rushing yards, forcing the Warriors to win through the passing game. Saint Mary did generate one takeaway, but Midland's quick-strike ability repeatedly turned completions into touchdowns.

After halftime, the Warriors leaned on its run game to extend the lead. Rodriguez punched in rushing touchdowns midway through the third quarter and early in the fourth, pushing the margin to 54-0. Later in the final quarter, Alfaro and the Midland offense added a final passing touchdown to Hodges for a 61-0 advantage with just over five minutes to play.

Offensively, the Spires continued to battle into the fourth quarter. A quarterback switch for USM saw Kyendra Thomas leading the Spires on its best drive of the night in the closing minutes, capping it with a late touchdown and successful point-after attempt with 39 seconds remaining to avoid the shutout.

Statistically, USM averaged just 2.0 yards per snap compared with 7.1 yards for the visitors. The Spires gained 36 yards on the ground, but four penalties for 25 yards and difficulty finishing drives kept the offense from sustaining early momentum. Defensively, Saint Mary limited Midland's ground game and recorded a sack, but Midland's 333 passing yards and seven touchdown passes were far too much for the Spires to overcome.

The Spires are back on the road this Saturday, March 21^st headed to Nevada, Missouri to take on the Cottey College Comets at 1:00 p.m.