Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Game Day Central
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The Pittsburg State University football team, the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division II and the defending national champion, will travel to Bolivar, Mo., to face Southwest Baptist University in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (CDT) at SBU’s Plaster Stadium.
Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program, posted a 34-19 victory over the University of Central Oklahoma in its last action Saturday (Sept. 8), playing before the second-largest crowd in Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium – 10,574 fans. The Gorillas, who have won seven straight games dating back to the 2011 campaign, improved to 2-0 on the young season with the victory.
Southwest Baptist, which returns to playing a full compliment of MIAA games after competing as an independent in football the past four seasons, is 0-2 on the season. The Bearcats dropped a 35-14 road decision to MIAA newcomer Lindenwood University in its last action on Sept. 8.
The Coaches
Tim Beck is his third season as head coach at Pitt State. Beck, who has compiled a 21-7 (.750) career record, led his alma mater (PSU, ’88) to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship, earning national coach of the year honors from Liberty Mutual, the Don Hansen Football Committee and FieldTurf™.
Beck became the school’s 14th all-time head football coach in December 2009, after serving for 23 seasons as an assistant coach for the Gorillas including 16 years as the team’s offensive coordinator from 1994-2009.
In his first season leading the Gorillas, Beck guided Pitt State to a 6-6 record and a victory in the 2010 Mineral Water Bowl. Last year, Beck led the Gorillas to the program’s second NCAA national championship and the school’s fourth national title overall in a 13-1 campaign. Pitt State captured the MIAA Championship and ultimately the NCAA-II National Championship with a 35-21 victory over Wayne (Mich.) State on Dec. 17, 2011.
During his 16 seasons as offensive coordinator, the Gorilla offense consistently ranked among the finest units in NCAA Division II.
In 2008, Beck was selected the inaugural NCAA Division II Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com, following a vote of his coaching peers.
In 2004, Beck’s offensive unit established itself as the most prolific squad in the history of NCAA football. PSU shattered a 118-year-old scoring record, scoring an amazing 837 points (55.8 ppg). His squad also set the NCAA all division records for rushing (5,320 yards) and total offense (8,976 yards).
Beck’s teams led Division II in scoring in two of the last six years (2004, 2006) and ranked in the top two nationally in total offense three times in the last six seasons (2004, 2005, 2006). His squads ranked among the national rushing leaders every season, leading Division II in 1995 (318.8 ypg) and 2004 (354.7 ypg). Beck’s “multiple choice” option attack also compiled 16,483 passing yards (216.9 ypg) and 143 aerial touchdowns during the last six years.
Pitt State averaged a staggering 38.8 points and 442.5 yards of total offense per game during his tenure as offensive coordinator.
Prior to assuming the offensive coordinator’s role, Beck served two years as Pitt State’s defensive coordinator (1992-93). He became a full-time assistant on the Pitt State staff in 1989, after serving first as a student assistant (1987) and then as a graduate assistant (1988).
This will be Beck’s first meeting vs. the Bearcats.
Southwest Baptist’s Keith Allen is in his sixth year leading the Bearcats. Allen (Oklahoma, ’97) enters Saturday’s action with a 24-33 (.421) record. He has compiled a 24-22 (.522) record in the last six years after initially going 0-11 in his debut season in 2007. Allen is 0-1 vs. Pitt State.
The Pitt State-Southwest Baptist Series
This will be the 20th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Bearcats in a series that dates back to the 1989 season – Pitt State’s first season as an MIAA member.
Pitt State holds a perfect 19-0-0 record in the series. The Gorillas have won by 20 or more points in five of the last six meetings. Pitt State is 9-0 vs. SBU in games played at Bolivar, including a 42-23 victory over the Bearcats the last time the two teams met on Oct. 20, 2007.
Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has posted a 59-21-0 (.738) record in its last 80 road games (including post-season play). The Gorillas are 70-23-1 (.750) on the road since the start of the 1994 season.
SBU has managed just a 1-5 record in its last six home games dating back to the start of the 2011 season.
PSU’s Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 251 of its last 294 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 251-41-2 (.857) mark during the past 28 seasons (1985-2012).
PSU is 140-12-1 at home, 106-22-1 on the road and 4-7-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.
Pitt State in the AFCA Top 25 Poll
Pitt State has been ranked in Division II’s top 10 92 times in the last 168 polls and the Gorillas have been ranked in the top 25 poll in 144 of 168 weeks overall (dating back to the 1999 season).
Pitt State snapped an uncharacteristic streak of 22 weeks outside the top 25 when the Gorillas debuted at No. 25 in the first regular season poll of the 2011 season. PSU finished the 2011 season ranked No. 1 in the country and the Gorillas debuted at No. 1 in the 2012 AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll
The Gorillas had been ranked among the top 25 teams in the AFCA Top 25 Poll for 106 consecutive weeks, including preseason and final polls, before falling from the national list for the first time on Nov. 6, 2007. Pitt State was the only Division II program to be ranked in all 106 polls since the AFCA began administering the Top 25 poll in 1999.
Ground Game PSU’s Bread and Butter…
Pitt State’s success can be directly linked to its ability to rush the football.
Since the 1986 season, PSU has rushed for 200-plus yards in 274 of 323 overall games. The Gorillas have posted a 243-30-1 (.889) record when they eclipse 200 yards rushing. Pitt State is an even more impressive 134-6-0 (.957) when it eclipses 300 yards rushing.
By contrast, PSU is just 20-28-1 (.418) in the handful of games when it has been held below 200 yards rushing.
Since 1986, PSU has rushed the ball for the highest yardage total among all NCAA Division II programs, with 93,622 yards (including postseason competition) for an average of 289.9 yards per game.
… But Don’t Overlook PSU Passing Attack
While it’s no secret Pitt State’s offensive success has been predicated on running the football, the Gorillas have unleashed a potent passing attack to compliment their stalwart running game.
Since the start of the 2004 season, the Gorillas have passed for 18,755 yards and 158 TDs, averaging 199.5 passing yards and 1.7 touchdown passes per game in the last 94 outings.
Pitt State opened the 2012 campaign by passing for 378 yards, the eighth-best team total in school history and the Gorillas currently rank 11th nationally averaging 337.0 passing yards per game to date.
Quick Strike Offense
The Pitt State offense has exhibited a penchant for being a “quick strike” unit.
During the last eight seasons (2005-12), the Pitt State offense has generated 490 scoring drives (421 TDs, 69 FGs) and averaged just 2:55 of elapsed time per drive. [Overtime scoring drives not included in elapsed time figures.]
2005 97 scoring drives (86 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:40 elapsed time
2006 79 scoring drives (72 TDs, 7 FGs) 2:14 elapsed time
2007 64 scoring drives (55 TDs, 9 FGs) 3:02 elapsed time
2008 69 scoring drives (61 TDs, 8 FGs) 3:23 elapsed time
2009 49 scoring drives (44 TDs, 5 FGs) 3:21 elapsed time
2010 41 scoring drives (34 TDs, 7 FGs) 3:04 elapsed time
2011 78 scoring drives (60 TDs, 18 FGs) 2:54 elapsed time
2012 13 scoring drives (9 TDs, 4 FGs) 3:22 elapsed time
The Gorillas have been highly successful when they are quick out of the gates. Pitt State has scored on its opening drive 43 times (35 TDs, 7 FGs) in the last 89 games, posting a 41-2 (.953) record in those games. By contrast, Pitt State is 24-22 (.522) in games it doesn’t score on its opening drive during the same span.
Pitt State Displays Prolific Offense
The Pitt State offense has asserted itself as one of the top units in NCAA Division II the past nine seasons (2004-12).
Pitt State’s high octane “multiple choice” offense ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 nationally in both scoring and total offense in three of the last seven seasons.
In 2004, PSU staked its claim as the most prolific offense in the history of NCAA football, leading Division II in scoring (55.8 ppg), rushing (354.7 ypg) and total offense (598.4 ypg).
Pitt State broke the NCAA’s 118-year-old all-time all division scoring record with 837 points, besting the old mark of 765 points set by Harvard in 1886. The Gorillas also broke the all-time NCAA all division records for rushing (5,320 yards) and total offense (8,976 yards) in 2004.
Oklahoma set the previous rushing record (5,196 yards) in 1971, and Texas Tech held the previous total offense mark (7,576 yards) in 2003.
In 2005, Pitt State ranked second nationally in scoring and total offense, averaging 46.8 points and 536.0 total yards per game. The Gorillas also ranked seventh nationally in rushing, averaging 295.2 yards a game.
In 2006, Pitt State led NCAA Division II in scoring and ranked No. 2 nationally in total offense, averaging 44.8 points and 454.8 total yards per game in 2006.
In 2007, the Gorillas ranked 21st nationally in scoring and 19th nationally in total offense, averaging 37.4 points and 454.2 total yards per game. In 2008, Pitt State ranked 18th nationally in scoring (35.5 ppg) and 21st in the nation in total offense (432.6 ypg).
In 2009, the Pitt State offense averaged 29.4 points and 434.4 total yards per game, while the Gorillas averaged 22.8 points and 357.7 total yards per game in 2010.
In 2011, the Gorillas ranked sixth nationally in scoring (40.2 ppg) and 19th in the country in total offense (448.5 ypg).
Pitt State compiled 562 yards of total offense and scored 41 ponts in week one this year. The Gorillas currently rank 12th nationally in total offense (530.0 ypg) and the Gorillas are averaging 37.5 points per game.
Pitt State All-Time Winningest Division II Program
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are in their 105th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 658-326-48 overall record, winning 66.1 percent of their 1,032 all-time games.
Pittsburg State is one of just 17 NCAA Division II institutions to have recorded 500 all-time victories and the Gorillas are just one of two schools to have reached the 600-win plateau. Tuskegee is second on the all-time list with 631 victories, followed by Hillsdale (597), Central Oklahoma (590) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (583).
Team Wins
1. Pittsburg State 658
2. Tuskegee 631
3. Hillsdale 597
4. Central Oklahoma 590
5. Texas A&M-Kingsville 583
(Includes games as NAIA members)
Abenoja, Brown Rank Among National Leaders
Sophomore quarterback Anthony Abenoja and junior wide receiver/return specialist John Brown each rank among the NCAA Division II national leaders in several statistical leaders after two weeks of play.
Abenoja (6-3, 218) enters Saturday’s action against SBU ranked ninth nationally in total offense (364.5 ypg), 11th nationally in passing yards (337.0 ypg) and 24th in the country in passing efficiency (162.96 rating).
The Overland Park, Kan., native has completed 47 of 68 passes (.691) for 674 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. He’s also carried the ball 22 times for 55 yards (2.5 ypc) and two scores.
Abenoja earned MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first career start vs. Northeastern State on Aug. 30 when he completed 26 of 36 passes for a school record 378 yards and two TDs.
Brown (5-11, 171) enters Saturday’s contest leading Division II in all-purpose yards (291.0 ypg). He also ranks 15th nationally in receptions (8.0 pg) and 11th in the country in receiving yards (133.5 ypg). In special teams play, the Homestead, Fla., native ranks 12th nationally in punt returns (17.8 ypr) and 27th nationally in kickoff returns (27.8 ypr).
Brown earned MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week honors against NSU when he totaled 270 all-purpose yards against the River Hawks.
He followed that up with a 312-yard performance against UCO, just missing the top five all-time all-purpose yard games in school history.
Brown climbed into sixth place on Pitt State’s career receiving chart with his 127-yard effort against UCO last Saturday. He now has 77 career catches for 1,483 yards (19.3 ypc), and he needs 100 receiving yards to climb as high as fourth on the list.
PSU Single Game Passing C-A TDs Yards Opponent, Date
1. Anthony Abenoja 26-36 2 378 @ Northeastern State, Aug. 30, 2012
2. Andy Majors 20-28 2 358 @ Southwest Baptist, Oct. 15, 2005
3. Andy Majors 23-49 2 334 vs. Delta State, Aug. 27, 2005
PSU Career Receiving Rec Yards
1. Ronnie West, 1990-91 123 2521
2. Gene Wayenberg, Jr., 1980-81 75 1827
3. Jermaine Carpenter, 2003-04 69 1671
4. Marques Nelson, 2005-08 82 1582
5. Bryan Pray, 2005-06 80 1510
6. John Brown, 2012-pr. 77 1483
Dreiling Eclipses 300 Career Tackles
Junior linebacker Nate Dreiling climbed to seventh place on Pitt State’s career tackle charts after making 12 stops against Central Oklahoma last Saturday (Sept. 8)
Dreiling (6-4, 229) posted his 20th double-digit tackle performance in 28 career games for the Gorillas.
The Hutchinson/Victoria, Kan., native now has 316 career tackles. He needs two stops to move past Troy Wilson (1989-92) for sixth place on PSU’s all-time tackles chart.
PSU Career Tackles Total
1. Chris Brown, 1992-95 470
5. Andrew Poling, 1996-99 359
6. Troy Wilson, 1989-92 317
7. Nate Dreiling, 2012-pr. 316
Odds & Ends
• The Gorillas improved to 13-0 against teams from the state of Oklahoma since joining NCAA Division II in 1989 after posting their 34-19
win over Central Oklahoma on Sept. 8.
• Pitt State had two wide receivers record 100-yard receiving totals in the same game for the first time since the 2009 season opener last
Saturday vs. UCO. Junior John Brown caught seven passes for 127 yards, while senior Andrew Castaneda added six grabs for
100 yards. The last time Pitt State had two receivers with 100-yard games the Gorillas also recorded the feat against UCO, with Aaron
Sawyer (141) and Kendall Fisher (110) both eclipsing the century mark 38 games ago.
• The Gorillas have received solid special teams play from sophomore place kicker Connor Frazell and sophomore punter Griffin Knopp.
Frazell (5-10, 179) has converted four of five field goals (.800) and all nine PAT tries on the season. The Iola, Kan., native has scored a
team-leading 21 points (10.5 ppg) to date. Knopp (6-3, 182), from Fort Scott, Kan., has punted the ball four times for a 47.5-yard average.
Scouting the Bearcats
Southwest Baptist returns 15 starters (eight offense, seven defense) from a 2011 squad which posted a 6-5 record while playing an indepedent schedule a year ago.
Offensively, the Bearcats are averaging 14.0 points and 277.0 total yards per game this season, generating 194.0 yards through the air and 83.0 yards per game on the ground.
Southwest Baptist trailed by just seven at intermission last week on the road against Lindenwood. However, SBU failed to score a point in the game’s final 30 minutes and fell to the Lions, 35-14.
Senior running back Tiras Harris has carried the ball 30 times for 104 (52 ypg) yards through the first two games. Harris (5-10, 170) rushed the ball 96 times for 343 yards (3.6 ypc) and four scores as a junior in 2011.
Senior quarterback Dan Connors (6-6, 205) has completed 42 of 83 (.506) passes for 388 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Connors passed for 2,179 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last fall.
Sophomore wide receiver Drew Lauderdale has been Connors’ favorite target. He has hauled in 19 catches for 166 yards and one touchdown.
Senior defensive back Austin Otwell (5-11, 205) leads the Bearcat defense with 18 tackles, four for loss and two quarterback sacks.
Senior return specialist Chris Muhammad (6-1, 203) has has averaged 27.2 yards on four punt returns, including a 93-yard return for a score last week against Lindenwood.
