ROLLA, Mo. – Battling multiple lightning delays as well as a double-digit halftime deficit, the No. 22 UIndy football team (4-1, 3-0 GLVC) came away with a 24-17 win at Missouri S&T (4-2, 1-1) Saturday night.  The Greyhounds rushed for a season-high 303 yards, capped by a 19-yard, game-winning touchdown run from sophomore Al McKeller.

HOW IT HAPPENED
In a game that took five-and-a-half hours from start to finish, the Greyhounds seemed to be facing two opponents Saturday night. UIndy fell behind 14-3 at the half to a talented Miners squad before Mother Nature intervened in the form of three separate lightning delays totaling the better part of three hours.
 
When the action finally resumed for good midway through the third, it was nearly midnight Central time. But after the delays, the Hounds committed to the running game. The three-headed monster of McKeller, Tyre Lee and Toriano Clinton all got carries on each of the Hounds' three second-half touchdown drives.
 
With the score knotted at 17 apiece midway through the final period, UIndy marched 70 yards in five-plus minutes for the game-winning score. With 1:48 showing on clock, Head Coach Bob Bartolomeo opted to go for it on 4th & 1 from the 19, trusting his offense to convert. The decision paid huge dividends as McKeller busted through the line and took it all 19 yards to pay dirt for what proved to be the game winner.
   
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The 11-point halftime deficit was UIndy's largest since its last meeting with Missouri S&T. Down 11 points at half that night as well, the Hounds overcame the margin to earn a 43-34 victory last November.
- Still trailing 14-3 early in the third quarter, the UIndy defense came up with a huge takeaway when senior Blake Luker intercepted the Miners in the end zone to end a potentially game-changing threat. The play produced the game's lone turnover.
- McKeller notched his third consecutive 100-yard-rushing game with a season-high 166 yards on 30 carries. Clinton added 78 yards on 11 totes, while Lee rushed nine times for 55 yards.
- McKeller is the first Hound to garner at least 30 rushing attempts since UIndy all-time rushing-leader Klay Fiechter got his number called 31 times versus Ashland in 2013.
- Linebacker Joe Lambright led the Hounds with six total tackles, while defensive lineman Lucas Rice had two tackles for a loss, one being a six-yard sack.
- Senior QB Jake Purichia finished 13-for-24 for 145 yards. His fourth-quarter rushing TD gave the Hounds a brief 17-14 lead.
- Senior receiver Malik Higgins amassed game highs with eight receptions for 81 yards.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head Coach Bob Bartolomeo…
"I think our kids showed a lot of resilience, coming down here and falling behind against a good football team that plays hard and is hard to beat here. My hat goes off to our kids. They really competed to the end."
 
OTHER NOTES
The Hounds move to 7-0 all-time versus Missouri S&T … The night saw Purichia become the eighth player in school history to surpass 5,000 career passing yards … Offensive lineman Michael Graham got his first career start, manning the left guard spot … S&T's senior QB Tyler Swart left due to injury in the third quarter and was replaced by sophomore Brennan Simms …The Miners were selected as No. 2 on the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll and were the only other team besides UIndy to garner a first-place vote.
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will hop on a bus again next week and head for Quincy University to battle the Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 13. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.