The William Jewell College football team used a strong defense and special teams effort to earn their first win of 2015, 40-16 over Missouri S&T in Great Lakes Valley Conference action on Saturday.  With over 2,000 in attendance for Homecoming festivities the Cardinals won for the first time on homecoming since October 2, 2010 when Jewell defeated Central Methodist 13-3.

Things did not start out looking good for Jewell.   They held S&T to a punt on the Miners' first possession and then drove all the way to the S&T 27 yard line when Nick West's pass was intercepted by Isaac Williams.  

Isaac Dozier then picked off his first of two passes on the day on the next possession and Jewell took over at their own seven yard line.  A penalty took the Cards back to the two and Nick West threw another interception this time to Jeremi Ross who took into the end zone and after a missed extra point S&T took an early 6-0 lead.

Jewell's first score of the day came at the start of the second quarter when West rushed in from six yards out and the game was tied 6-6 after Brandon Womack's point after attempt was wide. 

S&T responded with a 12 play drive and kicked a 28 yard field goal to go up 9-6.  It would end up being their last lead of the game.

On the ensuing kickoff Anthony Mullins brought the crowd to their feet with his electrifying 97-yard kickoff return touchdown that put Jewell up 13-9.  A drive later Thomas Cook, Jr., found the end zone from 17 yards out and Jewell went into halftime up 20-9.

Womack extended the lead to 23-9 with his 22 yard field goal which was set up by a 76 yard run from West on the first play of the third quarter. 

The Miners answered right back when quarterback Lamar Wilkes hooked up with Elrod Spencer for 42 yards and cut Jewell's lead to 23-16.  Two drives later with 5:17 to play in the third quarter the Miners missed a golden opportunity when Wilkes again found Spencer wide open from 58 yards out but Spencer dropped the sure touchdown pass and swung momentum back to Jewell

Trejuan Mask opened the fourth quarter with a six yard touchdown run that gave Jewell a 30-16 lead with just over 13 minutes to play.  On the next Miner possession Isaac Dozier picked off Wilkes at the S&T 42 and returned it to the S&T 20.  Womack then connected from 36 yards out on a field goal that increased the Cardinal lead to 33-16. 

The next possession saw the Miners drive all the way to Jewell nine yard line when facing a fourth and goal the defense once again stepped up.  This time Justice Taylor picked off Wilkes in the endzone and sealed the game for Jewell.  Bulla Graft added a late score from five yards out which produced the 40-16 winning margin. 

West finished the day 12-30 for 102 yards and 73 yards rushing. 

Defensively Dozier finished with two picks while Nick Messer led the Cardinals with six tackles and a sack.  Anthony Mullis tallied 212 all-purpose yards for Jewell including his 97 yard touchdown return. 

Jewell will return to the road next week as they travel to Quincy, Ill., to take on Quincy University on Saturday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m.