Yousef Obeid's 25-yard field goal with 4:19 remaining lifted Missouri State to a 22-20 victory over Middle Tennessee here Wednesday, elevating the visiting Bears to their first league victory in Conference USA.

The Bears defense did the rest, holding the Blue Raiders on the final drive of the game before a desperation 50-yard field goal by MTSU's Jacob Hathaway sailed wide left in the final minute. The Bears (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) took the victory formation from there to put things on ice.

In his first collegiate start, MSU quarterback Deuce Bailey was 16-for-31 for 278 yards and a touchdown. He also racked up 17 net rushing yards and a touchdown while helping the Bears play turnover-free football for the second time in as many conference games.

Obeid finished 3-for-4 on field goals for the night, including a 25-yarder early in the third quarter, to help the Bears extend their 16-13 halftime lead to six.

Shomari Lawrence pushed out 5.7 yards per carry on 11 attempts to finish with 63 ground yards, while Johnson caught 5 passes for 69 yards.

The victory was not an easy one for the Bears as MTSU (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) recaptured the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Helped by three Missouri State defensive penalties, the Bears' first infractions of the game, the Blue Raiders stretched out the drive until a 10-yard TD pass from Nicholas Vattiato to Cam Lacy with 9:12 remaining made it a 20-19 contest.

Missouri State took over at their own 32 with 9:04 to play before Bailey engineered the game-winning, 10-play, 56-yard scoring march, while chewing up nearly five minutes on the clock.

Vattiato was 2-for-2 on the final drive of the game, but MSU's defense stood tall, racking up a tackle for loss by Cooper Roy and two no-gain plays to force the long field goal by Hathaway.

Vattiato was 30-for-42 for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Jakail Middlebrook carried 17 times for 93 yards for MTSU. Cam'ron Lacy had 6 catches for 114 yards and a pair of TD's to lead the home side's receiving efforts.

MSU's defense was led by Jalen Brooks and Bird Lloyd with 8 tackles apiece, while Maguire Neal added 7, and Thomas Anderson posted 6 solos and a sack.

Early in the game, a 45-yard field goal by Hathaway gave the Blue Raiders a 3-0 lead less than five minutes in. But the Bears used a 16-point second quarter to take a 16-13 advantage in the intermission.

On its first drive of the second period, Middle Tennessee turned the ball over deep in its own territory to open the door for the Bears. Missouri State wasted little time capitalizing on the MTSU mishap, needing just three plays to take the lead. A Bailey pass to Dash Luke for 19 yards to the five-yard line set up a five-yard TD run by the freshman quarterback on the very next play.

The MSU extra point attempt missed, but the Bears held their first lead of the night, 6-3, at the 11:27 mark of the second quarter with Bailey's first career rushing touchdown.

The Blue Raiders regained their footing on the ensuing drive, covering 82 yards on just three plays to push ahead 10-6. A 52-yard TD pass from Vattiato to Lacy at the 10:06 mark made it a 10-6 game.

Bailey and the Bears then engineered a 79-yard touchdown drive that saw Bailey convert a key third-and-11 pass to Tristian Gardner to the MTSU 22. Two plays later, he hit Johnson from 20 yards out to give the Bears a 13-10 advantage.

The Bears then forced MTSU into a three-and-out and took over on their own 7-yard line with 3:48 remaining in the half. Bailey pushed the Bears to the MSU 27 before hitting Tristian Gardner with what was originally ruled as a 73-yard touchdown. However, on review, Gardner was ruled down at the MTSU 19, and the Bears had to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Obeid to lead 16-10.

The Blue Raiders retaliated with a field goal of their own – a 40-yarder by Hathaway -- to make it a 16-13 contest at the break.

The Bears will have a week off next week before resuming play on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at New Mexico State (8 p.m. CT) on CBS Sports Network.

The Bears are back home on Wednesday, Oct. 29 against FIU at 7 p.m. for another nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network.