Isaiah Johnson had just scored on a 21-yard run and sprinted 35 yards on the ensuing kickoff but the Poplar Bluff junior was able to run down the ballcarrier from behind after a 50-yard chase Friday night.
The Mules didn't give up a yard after Johnson's touchdown-saving tackle in the third quarter as Poplar Bluff shut out Sikeston 27-0 for a homecoming win at Mules Stadium.
"Our defense was really stout, I thought we played great," said Brett Barousse, who caught a 78-yard touchdown in the first quarter and returned an interception for a score for a second straight week.
"We stopped them the times we needed to most."
The Mules (7-0) earned their first shutout since the final week of the 2015 regular season, a span of 18 games, and completed an undefeated conference schedule for the first time since 2000.
"That's amazing," said senior linebacker Makarius Bell, who had 14 tackles.
"We're trying to make history."
Logan Bell threw for two touchdowns and 161 yards on just 4 of 9 passes, and ran for 80 yards after spending the week in a protective boot. Myanza McCain caught a 56-yard touchdown while Johnson ran for 69 yards and a score.
Poplar Bluff's defense allowed just eight total yards in the second half and ended with two more turnovers.
Tanner Dunivan got a fourth-quarter interception after Barousse, who lifted the Mules with an 80-yard interception return for a late go-ahead touchdown to beat Jackson the previous week, picked off Nate Self's throw and returned it 90 yards for a score in the second quarter.
Sikeston (3-4, 1-3 SEMO North) put together its longest drive, needing 12 plays to go 56 yards to reach the Mules 15-yard line. On fourth-and-5, Barousse jumped the pass and raced up the sideline to put Poplar Bluff up 12-0.
"We knew they were going to throw it to the sticks (for a first down). He just jumped it," Mules coach Mark Barousse said. "He had coverage over the top so it's no big deal, you can jump the short stuff in Cover 2.
"Pretty sweet."
Brett Barousse put the Mules ahead on their third offensive play, catching a pass on the run after getting open over the middle for a 78-yard touchdown. Sikeston's Quincy Chinwuko blocked the point-after kick but Poplar Bluff led just 3:55 after the opening kickoff.
Myanza McCain's 56-yard touchdown catch came with 3:38 left in the half when the senior hauled in Bell's pass down the sideline. McCain made a stutter-step after the snap to get his defender to break on a short pass then raced past to get open.
"We had some big plays, kind of turned the momentum of the game I thought," Coach Barousse said.
By halftime, the Mules had taken 24 snaps and amassed 242 yards.
Sikeston, meanwhile, didn't have a play longer than 12 yards all night.
"We didn't have any big plays," Sikeston coach Kent Gibbs said. "It's going to be hard to just take it and punch it four yards a pop or three yards a pop and I think it just kind of caught up with us."
Sikeston's best chance to score came after Johnson's touchdown run capped the opening possession of the second half for the Mules.
Bell converted a third-and-10 with a run when he ran through a tackle and picked up 43 yards. Johnson scored on the next play as the line created a hole in the middle with blocks from Andrew Ellsworth, Boone VanDover and Preston Burroughs while he ran past two defenders.
On the ensuing kickoff, Sikeston's Don Larry found a seam to the sideline and avoided Poplar Bluff's kicker at midfield. Johnson crossed to the opposite sideline to run down Larry after 50 yards, tripping him with a diving tackle 15 yards shy of the end zone. Poplar Bluff's Rufus Ward fell on a fumble but it was ruled Larry was already down.
"Really big," Coach Barousse said. "Good hustle by Isaiah. A little disappointed in our coverage, we kind of jumped around a few blocks."
Mason Libla and Makarius Bell hit Sikeston running back Matthew Perry, who ran 22 times for 59 yards, with a 1-yard loss on first down. Self's quick pass fell incomplete before a throw to the end zone to Austin Branch was juggled as he stepped out of bounds.
The Mules called a timeout after a 5-yard penalty backed up Sikeston on fourth down before Brett Barousse ran Branch out of bounds after a 6-yard pass.
Sikeston never got closer.
"We work together, we're cohesive, we just keep pushing through no matter what, we all work as a unit," said senior lineman Laramie Goodluck, who had eight tackles.
"It ain't nothing but hard work and dedication," he added. "That's the only thing football is really about --hard work and dedication. Making a play and helping out your teammates."
Goodluck returned after suffering an ankle sprain against Jackson while leading scorer Tyson Cox left with a knee injury. Cox held extra points Friday but did not play receiver or safety while Logan Bell's injured foot was found to be a bone bruise, Coach Barousse said.
"Adrenaline gets going, I'm sure he doesn't feel it," Coach Barousse said. "He had some big runs there, especially in the second half."
The Mules came up empty in two possessions inside the Sikeston 10-yard line, losing a fumbled snap after Dunivan's fourth-quarter interception and runs by Chris Barker to the 1. They also ran out of time just before half after a fumbled snap at the 9 with no timeouts.
"I didn't want to throw it up and throw a pick and get a momentum change, so we ran the same play we ran on the 2-point conversion," Coach Barousse said. "We missed the backer or I think Logan would have scored there."
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Derek James of the Standard-Democrat provided information for this story.