Porter’s Pick-Six Ignites Second-Half Comeback for No. 20 Baker

BALDWIN CITY – Trailing 16-3 late in the second quarter, No. 20 Baker rattled off 23 unanswered points and shut out Missouri Valley in the second half as the Wildcats pulled off a 26-16 come-from-behind victory over the Vikings here Saturday afternoon.

With the offense struggling to find the end zone, BU freshman defensive back Cameron Porter provided a huge momentum-swinging play in the third quarter after recording his first career pick-six to spark a second-half rally for the Wildcats.

Baker's sure-footed kicker Seth Simpson overcame gusty wind conditions inside Liston Stadium and knocked down four field goals with two in each half, including a 32-yarder to ice the game with 28 seconds remaining.

The BU offense was led by its ground game which totaled 236 rushing yards with Sam Heggemann (106) and Chauncey Andrews (103) each running for over 100 yards in the game. Heggemann, who drew the start at quarterback in place of the injured Truman Juelsgaard, had the only offensive touchdown for BU with a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats, who came into the game averaging 45 points per game, were held without a touchdown in the first half for the first time this year.

Meanwhile, the Vikings scored on their first offensive possession of the game and added a second touchdown on a big 72-yard strike late in the first quarter to take a 13-3 lead.

After an MVC field goal, Baker got a big fourth-down stop from its defense with Canon Karn and Eli'Sha Malveaux teaming up on a sack to give the ball to the Wildcats with less than three minutes left in the first half. BU's ensuing drive ended with Simpson connecting on his second field goal of the half to trim the Wildcats' deficit back down to 10 points at the halfway mark.

It was a quiet third quarter until Porter's interception with MVC punting on its first two possessions and the Vikings forcing a pick of their own. Just three plays after the turnover, Porter snagged an air-mailed throw and took it all the way to the house to bring the 'Cats within three at 16-13.

Following another MVC punt, Simpson drilled his third field goal of the afternoon to tie the game early in the fourth quarter.

After Missouri Valley led for nearly three full quarters, Baker took its first lead of the game in the fourth with Heggemann busting open up an option play and sprinting to a 43-yard touchdown to put BU in front, 23-16.

The Wildcats' defense forced MVC to punt for the fifth time of the half on a three-and-out with just over five minutes left in the game.

From there, Baker was able to milk the clock with Heggemann and Andrews taking eight straight rushes and pushing BU all the way down inside the red zone for Simpson to seal the game at 26-16.

The four field goals matched a career high for Simpson after the junior from Lee's Summit, Mo. went 4-for-4 against MidAmerica Nazarene last year.

The touchdown by Porter was the fifth defensive score for BU this season which ties them for most in the NAIA this year. Baker led the nation in defensive touchdowns last year with a total of six in 2023.

With back-to-back blowouts at home, the Wildcats came into the game outscoring opponents 113-7 in Liston after defeating St. Ambrose, 52-0 in the season opener and Culver-Stockton, 61-7 a couple of weeks ago on Homecoming.

The 20th-ranked Wildcats hit the halfway point of the regular season with a 4-1 record and will go into the bye week with their first Heart South win of the fall.

Baker will be back in action on Oct. 19 with a matchup at William Woods set for 1 p.m. in Fulton, Mo.

#BakerBuildsChampions