# 2021 Missouri State Bears football team

The 2021 Missouri State Bears football team represented Missouri State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) for the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Bobby Petrino, and played their home games at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri. This was the Bears 115th season overall and their 36th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bears came off a historic 2020 season which saw them return to the playoffs after a 30-year drought where they last made the playoffs in 1990. Entering the season the team was predicted to finish 6th in the conference. The Bears finished the regular season with an 8–3 record (5–2 in conference play) which was good enough for second place in the Valley and their best finish to a season since 1990. The 2021 team set and matched numerous school records. QB Jason Shelley broke several school records in total offense and passing yards. He broke the single season passing record, total offense in a game, total offense in a season, games with more than 200 passing yards and matched the record for passes completed in a game. WR Ty Scott set school records in receiving yards in a season, matched touchdown receptions in a season, and 100 yard receiving games in a season. Scott was also the first receiver in school history to eclipse a thousand receiving yards in a season. P Grant Burkett set school records in punting average in a game and punting average in a season. The Bears qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year and hosted UT- Martin in the first round. This was the first home playoff game in Springfield since 1990 when Missouri State hosted Idaho.

## Offseason
### Recruiting

The Bears signed 11 freshman for the 2021 class. They added four players from the state including late addition Kaden McMullen who was the best QB in Missouri and number 5 in the 2021 class according to ESPN. Other highlights include TE Gary Clinton who was 29 overall and the 3rd best TE in Missouri, 3 star QB Hess Horne from Alabama, 3 star OL Brett Harris from Kansas City, and 2 star DL Sterling Smithson from Kansas.
College recruiting information (2021) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kaden McMullen QB | O'Fallon, MO | Christian High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jul 29, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Gary Clinton TE | Webb City, MO | Webb City High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Feb 4, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 71 |||||||
| Hess Horne QB | Eufaula, AL | Eufaula High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Jan 12, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Brett Harris OL | Kansas City, MO | Rockhurst High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Dec 5, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Sterling Smithson DL | Stilwell, KS | Blue Valley High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | Feb 4, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Naveli Dixson OL | Lakeland, FL | Lakeland High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | Dec 17, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Udoka Ezeani LB | Richmond, TX | Foster High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jordan Hoskins LB | Detroit, MI | West Bloomfield High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Mark Hutchinson OL | Hayward, CA | Pittsburg High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Tywuan Lee RB | Hillirard, FL | Hilliard High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Todric McGee DB | Wichita, KS | Wichita Northwest High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Davin Simms WR | Wichita, KS | Andover Central High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Siale Suliafu DL | Riverside, CA | St. Bernard High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 279 lb (127 kg) | Dec 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Steven Ward LB | Nixa, MO | Nixa High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Dec 12, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "ESPN commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 27, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 27, 2021. |||||||

### Transfers

Incoming
Missouri State brought in 18 transfers in the 2021 class, who were eligible to play right away. Several players have started right away on offense like Junior QB Jason Shelley from Utah State, Senior OL Sean Fitzgerald from Coastal Carolina, Sophomore WR Ty Scott from Central Michigan, and RS Senior WR Xavier Lane from Western Kentucky. Defensively, Senior LB Dimitri Moore from Vanderbilt, Freshman DB Donovan Clark from Boise State, and Junior CB Javian Smith have all made impacts.
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. school |
| Andrew Cunningham | TBA | RB | 6'1 | 215 | Sophomore | Tampa, Florida | Iowa Central CC |
| Kendrick Davis | TBA | OL | 6'4 | 300 | Senior | West Bend, Wisconsin | Fort Hays State |
| Sean Fitzgerald | TBA | OL | 6'2 | 290 | Senior | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Coastal Carolina |
| Nick Gallo | TBA | OG | 6'3 | 285 | Sophomore | Lewisville, Texas | Independence CC |
| Ryan Suliafu | TBA | OL | 6'0 | 279 | Sophomore | Riverside, California | Riverside CC |
| Jason Shelley | TBA | QB | 5'11 | 190 | Junior | Frisco, Texas | Utah State |
| Ty Scott | TBA | WR | 6'3 | 194 | Sophomore | Estill, South Carolina | Central Michigan |
| Dimitri Moore | TBA | LB | 6'3 | 234 | Senior | Cedar Hill, Texas | Vanderbilt |
| Terique Owens | TBA | WR | 6'3 | 180 | RS Sophomore | Pleasanton, California | Florida Atlantic |
| Xavier Lane | TBA | WR | 6'4 | 205 | RS Senior | Montgomery, Alabama | Western Kentucky |
| Naveon Mitchell | TBA | RB | 5'10 | 175 | RS Freshman | Richmond, Texas | New Mexico State |
| Donovan Clark | TBA | DB | 6'2 | 194 | Freshman | Tacoma, Washington | Boise State |
| Javian Smith | TBA | CB | 6'3 | 193 | Junior | Richmond, Texas | Houston |
| Jahod Booker | TBA | WR | 5'11 | 182 | RS Junior | Montgomery, Alabama | Alabama State |
| Clayton Ingram | TBA | OL | 6'0 | 270 | RS Freshman | Concord, California | Northern Arizona |
| Trae Thompson | TBA | LB | 6'1 | 235 | Sophomore | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Northeastern Oklahoma CC |
| Jaylen Stewart | TBA | DB | 6'3 | 190 | Somphomore | Texarkana, Texas | El Camino College |
| Jeremiah Carter | TBA | OL | 6'6 | 313 | Sophomore | Bear, Delaware | Lackawanna College |
Source:

## Preseason
### MVFC Media Poll

The Media picked the Bears to finish in 6th place. This was the highest prediction for the Bears since 2010.
MVFC media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st Place) |
| 1 | South Dakota State | 454 (24) |
| 2 | North Dakota State | 435 (18) |
| 3 | North Dakota | 357 |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | 345 |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 311 (1) |
| 6 | Missouri State | 256 |
| 7 | Illinois State | 196 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 163 |
| 9 | Youngstown State | 126 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 112 |
| 11 | Western Illinois | 83 |

### Preseason awards

Missouri State had seven players selected to the 2021 All-MVFC Preseason Team. 5 from the defense, 1 from the offense, and 1 from the specialists. The Bears had one player picked to the first team which was Junior defensive back, Montrae Braswell. 6 players were chosen to the second team.
Preseason All-MFVC Team :
| Player | Team | Position | Year |
| Montrae Braswell | First Team | DB | JR |
| Landon Bebee | Second Team | OL | JR |
| Kevin Ellis | Second Team | DL | SR |
| Eric Johnson | Second Team | DL | -SR |
| Kyriq McDonald | Second Team | DB | SR |
| Jose Pizano | Second Team | K | JR |
| Tylar Wiltz | Second Team | LB | SR |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Bobby Petrino's coaching staff remained the same from 2020. Ryan Beard remained with the Bears as the defensive coordinator. Nick Petrino remained with the Bears as the offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach. Petrino received a pay raise as well following the successful 2020 season. Other members of the coaching staff such as offensive coordinator Nick Petrino, defensive line coach L.D. Scott, running backs coach Ronnie Fouch and defensive coordinator Ryan Beard also earned extensions and raises.
| Name | Position | Alma mater | Joined staff |
| Bobby Petrino | Head coach | Carroll College (1983) | 2020 |
| Ryan Beard | Defensive coordinator/ Safeties | Western Kentucky (2012) | 2020 |
| Nick Petrino | Offense coordinator / quarterbacks coach | Western Kentucky (2014) | 2020 |
| Austin Appleby | Wide receivers coach | Purdue (2015) | 2020 |
| Skyler Cassity | Inside linebackers coach | Auburn (2016) | 2020 |
| Nelson Fishback | Tight ends coach/ co-special teams coordinator | Western Kentucky (2015) | 2020 |
| Ronnie Fouch | Running backs coach/ recruiting coordinator/ co-special teams coordinator | Indiana State (2004) | 2020 |
| Max Halpin | Offensive line coach | Western Kentucky (2016) | 2020 |
| Reggie Johnson | Inside Linebackers | Louisville (1996) | 2020 |
| L.D. Scott | Defensive line coach/ run game coordinator | Louisville (2009) | 2020 |
| Tramain Thomas | Defensive backs coach | Arkansas (2013) | 2020 |
| Lynn Mentzer | Director of football operations | Coastal Carolina (2005) | 2018 |
Source:

### Roster

Source:

## Schedule

The Bears opened the season at Big 12 member Oklahoma State with a night game at Boone Pickens Stadium; where they lost a close matchup, 23–16. The Bears returned home for 2 straight at Plaster Stadium when they faced off with Central Arkansas and their first conference game with South Dakota for family weekend. Missouri State avenged 2 losses to UCA last fall with a 43–34 victory. They also beat South Dakota 31–23 to conclude the homestand. An early bye week split the two home games. Following the South Dakota game the Bears went on the road for two straight. They traveled to Illinois State where they won 41–20. Concluding the road trip was a game at Youngstown State where they lost 41–33. The team returned home for Homecoming against the Indiana State Sycamores where they crushed the Sycamores 37–7. North Dakota State in Fargo awaited Missouri State after Homecoming and the Bears lost 27–20 after leading late. A rematch of the playoff game from last season with North Dakota at home awaited the team and after a frantic 4th quarter comeback they got their revenge and won 32–28. The Bears traveled to Carbondale and beat the #7 Salukis 38–28. For their last home game of the year against Northern Iowa the team scored late to win 34–27. A late non-conference road trip to St. George to new division 1 school Dixie State ended the regular season for the Bears. After qualifying for the FCS Playoffs, Missouri State hosted their first home play off game since 1990. In the regular season, Missouri State had three non conference games, 5 home games and 6 away games.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 6:00 p.m. | at Oklahoma State* | No. 24 | Boone Pickens StadiumStillwater, OK | ESPN+ | L 16–23 | 50,807 |
| September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 19 Central Arkansas* | No. 23 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 43–34 | 11,247 |
| September 25 | 7:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 18 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN3 | W 31–23 | 12,738 |
| October 2 | 1:00 pm | at Illinois State | No. 16 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | ESPN+ | W 41–20 | N/A |
| October 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Youngstown State | No. 16 | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | L 33–41 | 12,444 |
| October 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Indiana State | No. 20 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 37–7 | 14,336 |
| October 23 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 3 North Dakota State | No. 17 | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | L 20–27 | 15,559 |
| October 30 | 2:00 p.m. | North Dakota | No. 17 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 32–28 | 8,372 |
| November 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 7 Southern Illinois | No. 17 | Saluki StadiumCarbondale, IL | ESPN3 | W 38–28 | 7,176 |
| November 13 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 20 Northern Iowa | No. 16 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 34–27 | 9,173 |
| November 20 | 8:00 p.m. | at Dixie State* | No. 14 | Greater Zion StadiumSt. George, UT | ESPN+ | W 55–24 | 2,794 |
| November 27 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 16 UT Martin* | No. 12 | Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO (FCS Playoffs – first round) | ESPN+ | L 31–32 | 5,072 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
Last updated: October 18, 2021. Source:

## Game summaries

Regular Season

### At Oklahoma State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Missouri State | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| Oklahoma State | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
at Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK
* Date: September 4
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), Winds N 16 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 50,807
* Referee: Dan Scanlan • Umpire: Rod Tucker • Linesman: George Shoup • Line judge: Steve Hoslett • Back judge: Dion Spenard • Field judge: Patrick Herron • Side judge: Joseph Martinez
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Brandon Weeden (analyst) & Shane Sparks (sideline)
* Box Score
| Statistics | MSU | OSU |
| First downs | 23 | 16 |
| Total yards | 336 | 369 |
| Rushes/yards | 37/102 | 28/54 |
| Passing yards | 234 | 315 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24-46-0 | 22-40-1 |
| Time of possession | 35:30 | 24:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 23/44, 235 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Kevon Latulas | 6 carries, 45 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Xavier Lane | 8 receptions, 78 yards |
| Oklahoma State | Passing | Shane Illingworth | 22/40, 315 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Oklahoma State | Rushing | L.D. Brown | 15 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD |
| Oklahoma State | Receiving | Tay Martin | 6 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD |
Game One Uniforms :

### #19 Central Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Central Arkansas | 0 | 14 | 0 | 20 | 34 |
| No. 23 Missouri State | 7 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 43 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
* Game time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), Winds S 10 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 11,247
* Referee: Rick Warne • Umpire: Steve Flanagan • Linesman: Matthew Banks • Line judge: Grant Henderson • Back judge: Devin Aller • Field judge: Austin Hills • Side judge: Harlan Bizzell
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Don West, Correy Riggs
* Box Score
| Statistics | UCA | MSU |
| First downs | 22 | 24 |
| Total yards | 453 | 378 |
| Rushes/yards | 29/ 121 | 34/ 147 |
| Passing yards | 332 | 231 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25-38-2 | 18-36-0 |
| Time of possession | 27:43 | 32:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Arkansas | Passing | Breylin Smith | 25/38, 332 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Central Arkansas | Rushing | Trysten Smith | 8 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD |
| Central Arkansas | Receiving | Lujuan Winningham | 10 catches, 144 yards |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 18/36, 231 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Kevon Latulas | 10 carries, 98 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Xavier Lane | 9 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD |
Game Two Uniforms :

### South Dakota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| South Dakota | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| No. 18 Missouri State | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021
* Game time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Winds N NE 1 mph; Clear and Cool
* Game attendance: 12738
* Referee: Aaron Adams • Umpire: Keith Wohlers • Linesman: John Winter • Line judge: Scott Landy • Back judge: Kurt Dingmann • Field judge: Brad Brunet • Side judge: Leanne Surmin
* TV announcers (ESPN3): Scott Warmann, Danan Hughes, Kelly Burke
* Box Score
| Statistics | USD | MSU |
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Total yards | 361 | 439 |
| Rushes/yards | 33/ 130 | 46/ 158 |
| Passing yards | 231 | 281 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12-29-2 | 19-29-0 |
| Time of possession | 24:11 | 35:49 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Dakota | Passing | Carson Camp | 12/29, 231 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| South Dakota | Rushing | Nate Thomas | 4 carries, 60 yards |
| South Dakota | Receiving | Carter Bell | 3 catches, 102 yards |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 19/29, 281 yards, 2 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 14 carries, 71 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 7 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD |
Game Three Uniforms :

### At Illinois State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Missouri State | 7 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 41 |
| Illinois State | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
* Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), Winds SW 9 mph; Cloudy
* Game attendance: N/A
* Referee: Matt Packowski • Umpire: Adam McClurg • Linesman: Kevin Moss • Line judge: AJ Haduch • Back judge: Cleo Miller • Field judge: Marcus Cameron • Side judge: Jen Berke
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Kurt Pegler, and Chris Highland
* Box score
| Statistics | MSU | ISU |
| First downs | 26 | 17 |
| Total yards | 513 | 358 |
| Rushes/yards | 38/194 | 31/40 |
| Passing yards | 319 | 318 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19-27-1 | 19-30-3 |
| Time of possession | 30:50 | 28:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 19/27, 319 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 14 carries, 91 yards, 3 TD |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Jordan Murray | 5 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD |
| Illinois State | Passing | Jackson Waring | 19/30, 318 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT |
| Illinois State | Rushing | Pha'leak Brown | 7 carries, 27 yards |
| Illinois State | Receiving | Jabari Khepera | 5 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD |
Game Four Uniforms :

### At Youngstown State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Missouri State | 0 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 33 |
| Youngstown State | 6 | 11 | 3 | 21 | 41 |
at Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
* Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), Winds W 10 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 12,444
* Referee: Art Brown • Umpire: Joel Schult • Linesman: Frank Spryszak • Line judge: Brett Carpenter • Back judge: Chris Curry • Field judge: Marcus Cameron • Side judge: Jared Flesch
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Drae Smith and Chris Sammarone
* Box Score
| Statistics | MSU | YSU |
| First downs | 30 | 21 |
| Total yards | 503 | 476 |
| Rushes/yards | 27/131 | 50/377 |
| Passing yards | 372 | 99 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27-49-2 | 10-19-0 |
| Time of possession | 26:47 | 33:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 27/48, 372 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Jason Shelley | 11 carries, 93 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 8 catches, 121 yards, 2 TD |
| Youngstown State | Passing | Demeatric Crenshaw | 10/19, 99 yards, 2 TD |
| Youngstown State | Rushing | Demeatric Crenshaw | 22 carries, 202 yards, 1 TD |
| Youngstown State | Receiving | Samuel St. Surin | 2 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD |
Game Five Uniforms :

### Indiana State (homecoming)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Indiana State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 20 Missouri State | 3 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), Winds NW 14 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 14336
* Referee: Rick Warne • Umpire: Steve Flanagan • Linesman: Matthew Banks • Line judge: Grant Henderson • Back judge: Devin Aller • Field judge: Phil Ayeni • Side judge: Harlan Bizzell
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Don West and Corey Riggs
* Box Score
| Statistics | ISU | MSU |
| First downs | 15 | 21 |
| Total yards | 177 | 442 |
| Rushes/yards | 24/84 | 45/190 |
| Passing yards | 177 | 252 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18-33-1 | 13-25-1 |
| Time of possession | 24:56 | 35:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana State | Passing | Anthony Thompson | 18/31, 177 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Indiana State | Rushing | Peterson Kerlegrand | 16 carries, 73 yards |
| Indiana State | Receiving | Dante Hendrix | 10 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 11/21, 225 yards, 3 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 9 carries, 55 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 3 catches, 106 yards, 2 TD |
Game Six Uniforms :

### At #3 North Dakota State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Missouri State | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 3 North Dakota State | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
at Fargodome • Fargo, ND
* Date: Saturday, October 23, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Winds none; Indoor
* Game attendance: 15,559
* Referee: Andrew Speciale • Umpire: Scott Jones • Linesman: Frank Bullock • Line judge: Mike Lowenberg • Back judge: Damon Wilcox • Field judge: Paul Winglewich • Side judge: Ken Cloud
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dom Izzo and Kyle Emanuel
* Box score
| Statistics | MSU | NDSU |
| First downs | 15 | 16 |
| Total yards | 321 | 333 |
| Rushes/yards | 32/79 | 35/144 |
| Passing yards | 242 | 189 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16-25-1 | 12-26-1 |
| Time of possession | 30:57 | 29:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 16/25, 242 yards, 1 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 9 carries, 41 yards, 2 TD |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 6 catches, 104 yards |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Cam Miller | 7/9, 112 yards, 2 TD |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Quincy Patterson | 6 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Christian Watson | 4 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD |
Game Seven Uniforms :

### North Dakota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| North Dakota | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| No. 17 Missouri State | 7 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 32 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Winds NW 7 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 8,372
* Referee: Matt Packowski • Umpire: Adam McClurg • Linesman: Todd Skaggs • Line judge: AJ Haduch • Back judge: Martin Birr • Field judge: Phil Ayeni • Side judge: Travis Evans
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Don West and Dan Lucy
* Box Score
| Statistics | UND | MSU |
| First downs | 23 | 26 |
| Total yards | 441 | 468 |
| Rushes/yards | 41/256 | 25/119 |
| Passing yards | 185 | 349 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14-23-1 | 29-42-1 |
| Time of possession | 32:48 | 27:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Dakota | Passing | Tommy Schuster | 13/21, 164 yards, 1 INT |
| North Dakota | Rushing | Otis Weah | 21 carries, 165 yards, 3 TD |
| North Dakota | Receiving | Adam Zavainey | 2 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 29/42, 349 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 15 carries, 112 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Tyrone Scott | 10 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD |
Game Eight Uniforms :

### At #7 Southern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Missouri State | 10 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
| No. 7 Southern Illinois | 7 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 28 |
at Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
* Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C); Sunny
* Game attendance: 7,176
* Referee: Art Brown • Umpire: Joel Schult • Linesman: Frank Spryszak • Line judge: Brett Carpenter • Back judge: Cleo Miller • Field judge: Marcus Cameron • Side judge: Jared Flesch
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Scott Warmann and Danan Hughes
* Box Score
| Statistics | MSU | SIU |
| First downs | 26 | 18 |
| Total yards | 480 | 298 |
| Rushes/yards | 53/237 | 31/36 |
| Passing yards | 243 | 262 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16-29-1 | 21-39-0 |
| Time of possession | 37:00 | 27:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 16/29, 243 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Kevon Latulas | 7 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 5 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD |
| Southern Illinois | Passing | Nic Baker | 21/38, 262 yards, 3 TD |
| Southern Illinois | Rushing | Donovan Spencer | 11/19, 15 yards |
| Southern Illinois | Receiving | Landon Lenoir | 7 catches, 100 yards |
Game Nine Uniforms :

### #20 Northern Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 20 Northern Iowa | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| No. 16 Missouri State | 6 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 34 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Winds W 7 mph; Sunny
* Game attendance: 9,173
* Referee: Aaron Adams • Umpire: Keith Wohlers • Linesman: Gordon Hanson • Line judge: Scott Lively • Back judge: Kurt Dingmann • Field judge: Brad Brunet • Side judge: Leanne Surmin
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Don West and Corey Riggs
* Box Score
| Statistics | UNI | MSU |
| First downs | 22 | 18 |
| Total yards | 360 | 379 |
| Rushes/yards | 33/122 | 32/59 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 320 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17-30-2 | 22-30-0 |
| Time of possession | 29:28 | 30:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Iowa | Passing | Theo Day | 17/30, 238 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Northern Iowa | Rushing | Dom Williams | 16 carries, 83 yards |
| Northern Iowa | Receiving | Deion McShane | 6 catches, 86 yards, 2 TD |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 22/33, 320 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 10 carries, 34 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Naveon Mitchell | 3 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD |
Game Ten Uniforms :

### At Dixie State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Missouri State | 3 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 55 |
| Dixie State | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Greater Zion Stadium • St. George, UT
* Date: Saturday, November 20, 2021
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Breezy; Clear, crisp
* Game attendance: 2,794
* Referee: Marcus Thorton • Umpire: Scott Johnson • Linesman: Jeremy Jolles • Line judge: Keith Laurant • Back judge: Joe Wise • Field judge: Tom Drzazgowski • Side judge: Patrick Herron
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Devin Dixon and Andy Thompson
* Box Score
| Statistics | MSU | DSU |
| First downs | 26 | 21 |
| Total yards | 574 | 382 |
| Rushes/yards | 36/297 | 36/75 |
| Passing yards | 277 | 307 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15-29-1 | 24-49-1 |
| Time of possession | 28:50 | 31:10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 13/24, 251 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Kevon Latulas | 8 carries, 162 yards, 2 TD |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Ty Scott | 8 catches, 174 yards |
| Dixie State | Passing | Kobe Tracy | 24/49, 307 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Dixie State | Rushing | Drew Kannely-Robles | 22 carries, 78 yards |
| Dixie State | Receiving | Keith Davis | 7 catches, 146 yards |
Game Eleven Uniforms :
FCS Playoffs

### #16 UT Martin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 UT Martin | 3 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 32 |
| No. 12 Missouri State | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Saturday, November 27, 2021
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), Winds W 11mph, Sunny
* Game attendance: 5,072
* Referee: Todd Boyd
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Connor Onion and Barrett Brooks
| Statistics | UTM | MSU |
| First downs | 19 | 17 |
| Total yards | 361 | 398 |
| Rushes/yards | 35/89 | 30/119 |
| Passing yards | 272 | 279 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22-43-1 | 22-42-3 |
| Time of possession | 31:44 | 28:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Martin | Passing | Dresser Winn | 23/43, 272 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| UT Martin | Rushing | Peyton Logan | 12 carries, 68 yards, TD |
| UT Martin | Receiving | Donnel Williams | 7 receptions, 178 yards, TD |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jason Shelley | 22/42, 279 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Jason Shelley | 13 carries, 93 yards |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Xavier Lane | 7 receptions, 110 yards, TD |
Game Ten Uniforms :

## Awards and honors
### Regular season

Missouri Valley weekly awards
In 2021, the Bears broke the program record of 11 conference weekly awards with 14 honors. QB Jason Shelley paced the team with 5 awards across "Valley Offensive Player of the Week" (2) and "Valley Newcomer of the Week" (3). WR Xavier Lane was the other Bears player to receive multiple awards; winning 1 as the "Valley Offensive Player of the Week" and 1 as the "Valley Newcomer of the Week". OT Landon Bebee was the lone selection as "Valley Offensive Lineman of the Week" while LB Ferrin Manulelua was the only player to be selected as "Valley Defensive Player of the Week". Missouri State had had 3 players chosen as "Special Teams Players of the Week" LB Steven Ward, CB Montrae Braswell, and K Jose Pizano. RB Tobias Little was the other "Valley Offensive Player of the Week", and RB Kevon Latulas won his award as "Newcomer of the Week".
Defensive Player of the Week :
| Player | Position | Date | Ref. |
| Ferrin Manulelelua | LB | October 31, 2021 | |
Newcomer of the Week :
| Player | Position | Date |
| Jason Shelley | QB | September 5, 2021 |
| Xavier Lane | WR | September 12, 2021 |
| Jason Shelley | QB | September 26, 2021 |
| Jason Shelley | QB | October 31, 2021 |
| Kevon Latulas | RB | November 1, 2021 |
Offensive Player of the Week :
| Player | Position | Date |
| Xavier Lane | WR | September 12, 2021 |
| Tobias Little | RB | October 3, 2021 |
| Jason Shelley | QB | October 31, 2021 |
| Jason Shelley | QB | November 14, 2021 |
Offensive Lineman of the Week :
| Player | Position | Date | Ref. |
| Landon Bebee | OT | October 4, 2021 | |
Special Teams Player of the Week :
| Player | Position | Date |
| Montrae Braswell | CB | September 12, 2021 |
| Steven Ward | LB | October 17, 2021 |
| Jose Pizano | K | November 1, 2021 |

### Postseason

Missouri Valley Football Conference
Newcomer of the Year :
| Player | Position | Date | Ref. |
| Jason Shelley | QB | November 24, 2021 | |
Offensive Player of the Year :
| Player | Position | Date | Ref. |
| Jason Shelley | QB | November 24, 2021 | |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 24 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| Coaches | RV | 25 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 |
| Athlon Power Poll | 25 | 22 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 10 | |
Last updated: November 17, 2021. Source: