Photo by Jessica Stewart / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

Missouri Western quaterback Drew Newhart and offensive lineman Josh Clausen sit on the bench late in the game against Nebraska-Omaha Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska-Omaha’s running backs have been a major headache for the Mavericks all season. On Saturday, they were a headache for Missouri Western.

Bryce Hawthorne rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns, while Duane Bowen rushed for 113 and another score in a 30-21 victory against the Griffons at Spratt Stadium.

“I knew we had some talented guys backing up,” said Nebraska-Omaha coach Pat Behrns, who saw two running backs leave the team before the third game and has had three others injured. “Those two guys playing today were both hurt throughout the course of the year. (Hawthorne) had a high ankle sprain for about four weeks, and Duane Bowen had a separated shoulder.”

Neither looked inefficient.

Hawthorne got the bulk of the carries in the first half, while Bowen bruised his way into the Western secondary with regularity after halftime.

Hawthorne rushed 14 times for 115 yards and a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter, as the Mavericks (7-4, 6-3 MIAA) rolled up 126 yards in the first 15 minutes alone, a figure Western as a team was unable to manage by halftime. Nebraska-Omaha finished with 232 yards rushing, while Western was held to just 90 — actually losing 19 yards in the second half, primarily because of three quarterback sacks of Drew Newhart.

Two of those sacks came early in the fourth quarter, stalling a 10-play drive that could have regained the lead for the Griffons.

“I don’t think we played very well in all areas of offense,” Western coach Jerry Partridge said.

Western clung to a 21-16 lead at halftime, despite the defensive woes.

The Griffons struck first, even before their offense saw the field.

Omaha took the opening kickoff and drove 27 yards in just three plays before Western defensive end David Bass batted quarterback Greg Wunderlich’s first-down pass into the air. Linebacker Tom Madget came down with it and returned the interception 60 yards for the score.

Despite its defensive inconsistency, Western caught a break immediately after Hawthorne’s first-quarter touchdown when Bradley Davidson blocked Greg Zuerlein’s extra point attempt to preserve a 14-13 Griffon lead.

But Zuerlein got a measure of revenge with just 39 seconds remaining before halftime when he drilled a 33-yard field goal to bring the Mavericks within five points.

Bowen scored on touchdown runs of 6, 13 and 1 yards, while safety Matt Ajuoga gave the Mavericks a defensive touchdown on a 29-yard interception.

Western’s offensive highlight came with 7 minutes, 13 seconds left in the first quarter, when Newhart connected with senior Cedric Houston on a 66-yard touchdown pass play that put the Griffons up 14-7. It was Houston’s 14th touchdown pass reception of the season, tying him with Terren Adams (1992) for the most in Western history.

Photo by Jessica Stewart / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

Missouri Western running back Thomas Hodges is brought down by several Nebraska-Omaha defenders Saturday afternoon at Spratt Stadium. The Mavericks defeated the Griffons 30-21.

Newhart also connected with Adam Clausen on a 1-yard touchdown pass.

Linebacker Matt Glades, who finished with 10 tackles — including one for a loss — and a pass breakup, said Omaha schemed Western’s defense well, and the Griffons did the rest by not playing a smart game.

“Our defense is a gap-sound defense, and if you’ve got guys rolling out trying to make a tackle, there’s just holes everywhere,” Glades said “We did that all day. We just basically shot ourselves in the foot.”

The loss forced the Griffons to look southward to a night game in the Lone Star Conference between Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. A victory by Angelo might be necessary for the Griffons to sneak into the Division II playoffs. Those first-round pairings are due out this evening.

“Hopefully we’ll get to play this week, but we’re going to need some help now,” Partridge said “Otherwise, we’re going to be waiting around for three to four weeks to play in a bowl game.”