Leavenworth, Kan.— Ottawa turned two second-quarter red-zone interceptions into a 22-6 halftime advantage and pulled away for a 42-15 victory over the University of Saint Mary on Saturday night. USM moved inside the Ottawa 20 twice before halftime, but the Braves stopped both threats and added three touchdowns after the break.

Ottawa scored on its opening possession, with Mumba finishing the drive on a 2-yard run before Keith added a two-point rush. The Spires responded through its special teams. Damion Gordon forced a fumble on a punt return, and Keith Slaughter recovered at the Ottawa 16. Two plays later, Garrett Hunnicutt connected with Teralle Watson for a 10-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 8-6 with 11:06 left in the first quarter.

The Braves answered quickly when Mumba broke a 57-yard touchdown run for a 15-6 lead. Moore caught a 34-yard scoring pass from Edwards early in the second quarter, but USM responded with two sustained drives. A 16-play, 66-yard possession ended when Mahdi intercepted a pass at the goal line with 3:47 remaining. Walker made another interception at the Ottawa 10 with 30 seconds left, stopping a second red-zone opportunity.

OU extended its lead in the second half. Keith scored on a 10-yard fourth-down run in the third quarter, and Mumba added a 23-yard touchdown for a 36-6 advantage. Mumba finished with 102 yards and three touchdowns on six carries. A 4-yard touchdown run by Keith made it 42-6 with 13:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

USM continued to run effectively, finishing with 201 rushing yards, 20 first downs and 33:26 of possession. Sophomore Kameron Smith led the ground game with 94 yards on 19 carries, while Damarkus McCoy added 60 yards on 12 attempts. Teralle Watson accounted for both touchdowns, catching the first-quarter score and adding a 14-yard touchdown run with 6:23 left. Tyrrell Nelson had two receptions for 60 yards, and Andres Cruz placed four of seven punts inside the 20.

The defense recovered two fumbles and recorded two sacks. Amir Akins made seven tackles, while Wyatt Ramsey had five tackles and a sack. Davon Slaughter recovered an Ottawa fumble at the Braves' 30 with four minutes remaining, setting up the final scoring drive. Joshua Bingham converted a 27-yard field goal with 1:51 left to complete a nine-point fourth quarter for the Spires and set the final score.
 
Coming Up…

The Spires will travel to Lindsborg, Kansas next Saturday, September 12^th to take on the Bethany College Swedes. Kick-off is slated for 6 p.m. at Coach Ted Kessinger Family Stadium.