PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team, the preseason No. 7 ranked team in NCAA Division II, will make its 2015 season debut Thursday (Sept. 3) when the Gorillas travel to Tahlequah, Okla., to face MIAA rival Northeastern State University.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CDT) at Doc Wadley Stadium.

Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program, returns 11 players who started five or more games (six offense, five defense) from a 2014 squad that posted an 11-2 overall record, sharing the conference crown (with Northwest Missouri State University) with a 10-1 regular season mark and advancing to the second round of the 24-team Division II playoffs. Pitt State's season ended with a hard-fought 24-21 overtime loss to eventual national runner-up Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Northeastern State lost all 11 games by an average of 29 points in 2014. The RiverHawks return eight starters (five offense, three defense) and 22 letterwinners from last year's squad.

The Coaches
Tim Beck enters his sixth season as head coach at Pitt State with a 47-14 (.770) career record.  

Beck led his alma mater (PSU, '88) to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship three seasons ago, 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.  In 2011, 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.

In 2012, the Gorillas opened the season 5-0 before finishing the year 7-3 overall, while in 2013 Pitt State posted the program's 20th all-time 10-win season during a 10-2 campaign.

Last year, the Gorillas shared the MIAA regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs during an 11-2 campaign.

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 fourth meeting vs. the RiverHawks.  He is 3-0 vs. NSU.

Rob Robinson begins his second season as head coach at NSU with an 0-11 record. Robinson (William Jewell, 200) took over the RiverHawks program in 2014, after serving 12 years as an assistant coach at Washburn University, including four years as offensive coordinator for the Ichabods (2010-13). Robinson served as a graduate assistant at Pitt State in 2001.

This will be his second meeting vs. the Gorillas. He is 0-1 vs. Pitt State.

The Pitt State-Northeastern State Series
This will be the 31st all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the RiverHawks in a series that dates back to the 1912 season.

Pitt State holds a 16-12-2 advantage in the series. The Gorillas have won the only four contests between the two schools since 1970.

Pitt State posted a 41-20 victory over NSU in the 2012 season opener at Tahlequah, Okla., on Aug. 30.  Sophomore quarterback Anthony Abenoja, making his first start under center for the Gorillas, passed for a school record 378 yards and two touchdowns in the contest. He earned MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors following the contest.

In 2013, Abenoja competed 18 of 24 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Gorillas offensive attack in a 45-6 victory on Sept. 7, again earning MIAA Offensive Player of the Week accolades. The Pitt State defense limited NSU to 244 total yards in the game, with the RiverHawks gaining 115 of those yards in the fourth quarter.

Last year, the Gorillas ushered in the 2014 campaign in style with a 37-0 season-opening victory in Pittsburg on Sept. 6.

The Pitt State defense limited NSU to 48 net rushing yards and 180 yards of total offense in the contest. Offensively, Abenoja completed 18 of 23 passes for 230 yards and a TD, while rushing for a second score.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 275 of its last 324 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 275-47-2 (.852) mark during the past 30 seasons (1985-2014). PSU is 149-16-1 at home, 122-22-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Gorillas in Season Openers
Pitt State has compiled a 66-36-5 (.640) record in season openers over the program's 107-year history, including nine straight season-opening victories.

Since the 1978 campaign, Pitt State has built a 32-4-1 (.878) record in season openers with a 17-1 (.944) record the past 18 seasons. The Gorillas also are 8-0 in their last eight season openers on the road.

Pitt State in the AFCA Top 25 Poll
Pitt State has been ranked in Division II's top 10 114 times in the last 203 polls and the Gorillas have been ranked in the top 25 poll in 177 of 203 weeks overall (dating back to the 1999 season).

The Gorillas were preseason ranked in the NCAA Division II top 25 for the 24th time in the last 26 years in August when Pitt State was tabbed at No. 7.

Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has posted a 73-22-0 (.768) record in its last 95 road games (including post-season play). The Gorillas posted a school and MIAA record 20 straight road wins between the 2010 and 2014 seasons before dropping a 24-21 overtime decision to Minnesota State in the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs on Nov. 29, 2014. Prior to that loss, Pitt State last dropped a road game on Oct. 9, 2010, in a 17-14 setback to Emporia State.

The Gorillas enter Thursday's season opener with a 20-game regular season winning streak still intact, spanning back to the ESU loss in 2010. During the last 21 years (1994-pres.), the Gorillas are an equally impressive 84-24-1 (.775) on the road.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program.  The Gorillas, who are in their 108th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 684-333-48 overall record, winning 66.7 percent of their 1,065 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 five schools to have reached the 600-win plateau.  Tuskegee is second on the all-time list with 655 victories, followed by Hillsdale (612), Carson-Newman (602) and Central Oklahoma (602).

Quick Strike Offense
The Pitt State offense has exhibited a penchant for being a "quick strike" unit.

During the last 10 seasons (2005-14), the Pitt State offense has generated 685 scoring drives (575 TDs, 110 FGs) and averaged just 2:52 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      2010    41 scoring drives (34 TDs, 7 FGs)    3:04 elapsed time
2006    79 scoring drives (72 TDs, 7 FGs)    2:14 elapsed time        2011    78 scoring drives (60 TDs, 18 FGs)    2:54 elapsed time
2007    64 scoring drives (55 TDs, 9 FGs)    3:02 elapsed time        2012    51 scoring drives (40 TDs, 11 FGs)    2:58 elapsed time
2008    69 scoring drives (61 TDs, 8 FGs)    3:23 elapsed time        2013    83 scoring drives (70 TDs, 13 FGs)    2:29 elapsed time
2009    49 scoring drives (44 TDs, 5 FGs)    3:21 elapsed time        2014    74 scoring drives (53 TDs, 21 FGs)    3:06 elapsed time

The Gorillas have been highly successful when they are quick out of the gates.  Pitt State has scored on its opening drive 59 times (47 TDs, 10 FGs) in the last 121 games, posting a 56-3 (.949) record in those games. By contrast, Pitt State is 34-28 (.548) in games it doesn't score on its opening drive during the same span.

Gorilla Defense - Fast & Furious
The Pitt State defense ranked among the top units in NCAA Division II during the 2014 campaign. The Gorillas ranked seventh nationally in total yards allowed (284.4 ypg) and eighth nationally in passing yards allowed (155.2 ypg) and points allowed (15.6 ppg). Pitt State also ranked 10th in the nation in third down conversion defense (.293) and 11th in the country in red zone defense (.615).

The Gorillas registered two shutouts in 2014 and limited seven opponents to 14 or less points.

The Pitt State Offense
The Gorillas will turn to a new signal caller to lead their high-powered offense with the loss of Abenoja, who rewrote the Pitt State passing record books as a three-year starter.

Freshman transfer John Roderique, Jr. is expected to start Thursday against the RiverHawks after a healthy battle with junior Ramsey Hamilton and Thomas LePage during both spring and fall preseason camp. Hamilton and LePage still figure to see action for the Gorillas as well.

Roderique, Jr. (6-4, 220) transferred to Pitt State in January from NCAA FCS member Sam Houston State University. He practiced two seasons with the perennial power Bearkats but did not use any eligibility. The Webb City, Mo., native was the Missouri Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2012 and he compiled an unblemished 30-0 prep record with a pair of state titles.

LePage (6-3, 198) played in six games for the Gorillas as a redshirt freshman in 2014. The Jefferson City, Mo., native completed four of seven passes on the season.
Hamilton (6-2, 204) has appeared in 18 games, rushing for 267 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 40 percent of his passes in limited throwing situations.

Up front, the Gorillas lost the services of four starters from 2014 – both guards and tackles – due to graduation.

Sophomore center Bo Farrow (6-2, 270) is the lone returner to the group. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors as a redshirt freshman.
Senior Gavin Rainwater (6-3, 311) and sophomore Kelly Wortham (6-3, 275) are expected to start at the guard positions, with sophomore Ryan Cipriani (6-5, 282) and redshirt freshman Tyler Stiff (6-4, 307) backing them up.

Sophomores Chase Carney (6-5, 270) and Dexton Robertson (6-4, 303) are slated to start at the tackle positions, while sophomore Jacob Ralph (6-5, 272) and redshirt freshman Alex Jones (6-4, 297) will provide depth to the positions.

Junior Jake Wall (6-1, 261) will back up Farrow at center.

In the backfield, the Gorillas return a bevy of experienced players led by seniors Jeff Seybold, Jr. and Jamal Tyler.

Seybold, Jr. (5-11, 199) returns from an injury shortened junior campaign. The Omaha, Neb., native rushed for 1,400+ yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2013, but he was limited to six games in 2014 due to a foot injury. Tyler (5-11, 197) burst onto the scene in Seybold, Jr.'s absence, rushing for a team-leading 451 yards (6.1 ypc) and two touchdowns and catching 21 passes for 278 yards and three scores.

Sophomore Michael Rose (5-10, 177) also figures to see significant action after rushing for 262 yards and two touchdowns in seven games as a redshirt freshman. Senior Brian Poston (6-0, 225), junior Dre Holman (5-9, 215) and sophomore David Cardinal, Jr. (5-9, 206) all have game experience, as does sophomore Steven Sullivan (5-10, 184), who returns from a medical redshirt season.

Seniors Marquise Cushon and Austin Daniel lead an equally talented returning wide receiving corps.

Cushon (5-10, 162) caught 69 passes for 1,301 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior in 2014. The Kansas City, Mo., native also averaged 10.5 yards per carry rushing (242 yards, 1 TD) and accounted for a team-leading 2,127 all-purpose yards (163.6 ypg), earning first-team All-MIAA and second-team All-America accolades.

Daniel (6-2, 212), from Webb City, Mo., also earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors last year, catching 33 passes for 376 yards with one touchdown.

The duo should help lessen the loss of All-American and NFL free agent signee Gavin Lutman (Minnesota Vikings), who caught 70 passes for 1,196 yards and a team-leading 13 touchdowns last year.

Junior speedster Andre Taylor (5-9, 162) also returns to the group, along with sophomore Austin Panko (6-0, 192) who caught 20 passes for 250 yards and three TDs while starting five games a year ago.

Junior transfer Levi Copelin (6-2, 190) joined the Gorillas in January from the University of Missouri and redshirt freshman Slade Nordic (6-1, 190) also showed tremendous promise during his initial season.

At tight end, junior Kyle Swartz (6-3, 240) started seven games at tight end in 2014. He earned third-team All-MIAA honors after catching 24 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

The Pitt State Defense
The Gorillas return five starters of the defensive side of the ball, led by a pair of All-MIAA defensive lineman in junior Heath Wilson and senior Taye Irvin, two all-conference linebackers in junior Spencer Brown and senior Colby Hall and an All-MIAA safety in junior Deron Washington.

Wilson (6-3, 256) garnered first-team All-MIAA and honorable mention All-America honors as a sophomore in 2014. The Wagoner, Okla., native made 48 tackles (13 solo) with 11.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.0 QB sacks from his defensive end position. In two seasons, Wilson has 77 tackles (20 solo), 17.5 TFLs and 9.0 quarterback sacks.

Irvin (6-1, 339), an All-American as a sophomore in 2013, earned third-team All-MIAA honors from his defensive tackle position last fall, recording 34 tackles (11 solo) including 9.0 TFLs. The LaGrange, Ga., native has 22.0 career TFLs and four forced fumbles to his credit.

Senior Montrae Strickland (6-4, 245) figures to start opposite Wilson at defensive end, while juniors Trey Myers (6-4, 245) and Dreu White (6-6, 250) and sophomore Antoine Brown (6-4, 220) also expect to contend for playing time.

Strickland, from Lee's Summit, Mo., made 16 tackles and 2.0 QB sacks in 2014.

Seniors Zach Bessette (6-3, 243) and Brad Hefley (6-4, 288), sophomore Ben Saint (6-2, 298) and freshman Drake Humphrey (6-0, 231) all will challenge for playing time on the interior defensive line.

Bessette, from Ulysses, Kan., redshirted in 2014 while converting from tight end, while Hefley, a Joplin, Mo., native made a pair of TFLs in five games played last year.

At linebacker, Brown (6-0, 214) made a team-leading 101 tackles (35 solo) with 10 tackles-for-loss. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native earned second-team All-MIAA and third-team All-Super Region Three honors.

Hall (5-11, 204) garnered honorable mention All-MIAA honors after stepping into the starting lineup in week six. The Lamar, Mo., native made 45 tackles with 8.0 TFLs and three fumble recoveries.

Senior Eric Brantley (5-11, 200) and sophomore Demetrius Bernard (6-0, 225) return to compete for action, while sophomore Ethan Fugitt (6-1, 242) moved over to linebacker from fullback during spring drills.

The Gorillas lost a pair of All-MIAA cornerbacks from 2014, including All-American and NFL free agent signee De'Vante Bausby (Kansas City Chiefs).

Senior Dino Teague (6-0, 185) emerged as a starter for the Gorillas during fall camp. Teague, a Tulsa, Okla., native, made 12 tackles with four pass break-ups as a junior in 2014.

Junior transfer Tyree Jefferson (6-0, 185) joined the Gorillas in January from Lackawanna (Pa.) College, while junior transfer Darnell Walker, Jr. (5-11, 182) joined the squad in August from Coffeyville Community College.

Walker made six INTs for CCC a year ago, including two he returned for touchdown. He had four INTs and eight pass break-ups while starting eight games at the University of Tulsa as a redshirt freshman in 2013.

Redshirt freshman Matt Magee (6-0, 180) also figures to compete for playing time.

Washington (6-1, 211) started all 13 games at safety a year ago and figures to lock down the free safety position this fall. The Raymore, Mo., native made 66 tackles in 2014. He also recorded three interceptions, two pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.

Juniors Skylarr Gatson (5-11, 198) and Devron Moore (6-0, 192) also figure to start at safety for the Gorillas Thursday.
Gatson made 30 tackles with 2.0 TFLs for the Gorillas last year.

Moore joined the Gorillas in January from Iowa State University, where he redshirted in 2014. He was a two-time All-Conference performer at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (2012-13), where he made 104 solo tackles and 14 PBUs in two seasons as well as seven INTs his freshman year.

Pitt State Special Teams
Junior Chad Levin (5-9, 171) and freshman Jared Vincent (5-10, 180) are battling to handle the Gorillas placekicking chores.
Freshman Carter Anchors (6-1, 190) appears to have the inside track on the punting chores, while Vincent also is an option at punter.

Cushon should see action as both a punt and kickoff returner. He averaged 25.3 yards on kickoff returns a year ago. Junior Andre Taylor (5-9, 162) and junior transfer Jamal Tyler (5-11, 180) also could see action in the return game.

Senior Alex Howdeshell (6-1, 250) also returns for a fourth season to handle Pitt State's long snapping chores.