PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Joplin, Mo., Saturday (Nov. 12) to face Missouri Southern State University in the regular season finale. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (CST) at MSSU's Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program, enters today's contest with a 6-4 record. The Gorillas posted a 52-21 home victory over the University of Nebraska-Kearney in their last action last Saturday (Nov. 5).
Missouri Southern is 2-8 on the season. The Lions dropped a 42-28 road decision to Lindenwood University in their last action on Nov. 5.
The Coaches
Tim Beck has compiled a 59-23 (.720) career record is in his seventh season as head coach at Pitt State.
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.
In 2014, the Gorillas shared the MIAA regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs during an 11-2 campaign.
Last year, a young Pitt State team battled a rash of key injuries to frontline players and the Gorillas had to settle for an uncharacteristic 6-5 season.
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).
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 seventh meeting vs. the Lions. He is 5-1 vs. Missouri Southern.
Denver Johnson is in his second season directing the Lions program after serving four years at assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Tulsa. Johnson (Tulsa, '81) has 14 years of experience as a head coach, including three years at Murray State (1997-99) and nine seasons at Illinois State (2000-08). He has a 72-84 (.462) career record, including a 3-18 mark at Southern. This will be his second meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 0-1 vs. the Gorillas.
Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has posted an 80-25-0 (.762) record in its last 105 road games (including post-season play). The Gorillas are 27-4 (.871) in their last 31 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010.
Pitt State 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.
During the last 23 years (1994-pres.), the Gorillas are an equally impressive 91-27-1 (.769) on the road.
PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 287 of its last 345 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 287-56-2 (.835) mark during the past 32 seasons (1985-2016). PSU is 154-22-1 at home, 129-25-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.
The Pitt State - MSSU Series
This will be the 48th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Lions in a series that dates back to the 1968 season – Southern's first year as a four-year school. Pitt State holds a commanding 38-9-1 advantage in the series.
The Gorillas are 20-3-1 vs. the Lions in Pittsburg and 18-6-0 vs. the Lions at Joplin.
Last year, Slade Nordic returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD and Dino Teague returned an interception 51 yards for a score five plays later as Pitt State started fast en route to a 41-14 victory over Missouri Southern on Oct. 31.
Thomas LePage completed 15 of 24 passes for 171 yards and two scores for the Gorillas.
The Miner's Bowl Match-Up
While Pitt State and Southern have played every year since 1968, the two teams began competing for the Miner's Bowl Trophy in 1986.
While the series has produced its share of close contests and memorable moments, the Gorillas have dominated the series, winning 28 of the 30 meetings. All told, Pitt State has averaged a 35-14 victory in the 30 meetings.
The clash always brings out the area fans. The Miner's Bowl game has averaged 8,242 fans in the last 21 meetings.
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 696-342-48 overall record, winning 66.3 percent of their 1,086 all-time games.
Pittsburg State is one of just 20 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 677 victories, followed by Hillsdale (621), Carson-Newman (619) and Central Oklahoma (611).
Missouri Southern has a 240-259-7 (.481) record in 49 seasons of intercollegiate play.
Quick Strike Offense
The Pitt State offense has exhibited a penchant for being a "quick strike" unit. During the last 12 seasons (2005-16), the Pitt State offense has generated 783 scoring drives (655 TDs, 128 FGs) and averaged just 2:53 of elapsed time per drive.
2005 97 scoring drives (86 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:40 elapsed time 2011 78 scoring drives (60 TDs, 18 FGs) 2:54 elapsed time
2006 79 scoring drives (72 TDs, 7 FGs) 2:14 elapsed time 2012 51 scoring drives (40 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:58 elapsed time
2007 64 scoring drives (55 TDs, 9 FGs) 3:02 elapsed time 2013 83 scoring drives (70 TDs, 13 FGs) 2:29 elapsed time
2008 69 scoring drives (61 TDs, 8 FGs) 3:23 elapsed time 2014 74 scoring drives (53 TDs, 21 FGs) 3:06 elapsed time
2009 49 scoring drives (44 TDs, 5 FGs) 3:21 elapsed time 2015 50 scoring drives (41 TDs, 9 FGs) 2:53 elapsed time
2010 41 scoring drives (34 TDs, 7 FGs) 3:04 elapsed time 2016 55 scoring drives (44 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:47 elapsed time
The Gorillas have been highly successful when they are quick out of the gates. Pitt State has scored on its opening drive 68 times (55 TDs, 11 FGs) in the last 142 games, posting a 61-7 (.897) record in those games. By contrast, Pitt State is 41-33 (.554) in games it doesn't score on its opening drive during the same span.
Inside The Pitt State Offense
Sophomore QB John Roderique enters the final week of the regular season ranking third in the MIAA in passing yards (284.1 ypg) and total offense (320.4 ypg). Roderique suffered a hand injury in the first quarter of the season opener vs. UCM. He missed the remainder of that game in addition to week two and week three action. The Webb City, Mo., native returned from injury to pass for 279 yards and two TDs vs. LWU on Sept. 24. Roderique completed 18 of 29 passes in the contest. He completed seven of 10 passes for 113 yards and a TD before leaving the UCM game. Roderique passed for 301 yards and four TDs against Fort Hays State on Oct. 8. He earned MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 15 when he completed 22 of 30 passes for a career high 373 yards and a school record tying five touchdowns. Roderique established a new school record when he passed for 473 yards and four TDs vs. ESU on Oct. 22. For his career, Roderiqe has completed 246 of 415 passes (.593) for 3,537 yards (252.6 ypg) and 28 TDs in 14 career games. He also has 156 rushes for 756 yards and 12 TDs. For the season, Roderique has completed 152 of 258 passes (.589) for 2,237 yards and 19 TDs with seven INTs. His season passing yards total (2237) ranks seventh on Pitt State's single season records chart while his career passing yards total (3537) ranks eighth.
Junior QB Thomas LePage passed for a career-high 286 yards and three touchdowns vs NSU on Sept. 17. LePage, who started two games in place of an injured John Roderique, has completed 117 of 240 passes (.488) for 1,400 yards and 10 TDs in 23 career games. The Jefferson City, Mo., native also has 145 rushes for 462 yards and three TDs.
Senior WR Levi Copelin posted four straight 100-yard receiving games to open the season and six total 100-yard games on the season. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native made nine catches for a career-high 191 yards and a TD against UCM. He followed that up with six catches for 114 yards and a TD against UCO and six grabs for 100 yards and a career-high three TDs vs NSU. He made eight catches for 126 yards and a TD vs. LWU. Copelin also made eight catches for 134 yards and three TDs vs. ESU. He currently leads the MIAA and ranks 28th in NCAA Division II in receiving yards (94.0 ypg). For his career, Copelin has 86 receptions for 1,462 yards (17.0 ypc) and 14 scores, ranking ninth on Pitt State's all-time top 10 receiving yards list. With 55 catches for 952 yards this season, he needs 48 more receiving yards to become just the eighth receiver in school history to enjoy a 1,000-yard season.
Redshirt freshman RS Lorenzo West earned MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts vs. WU on Oct. 1. The Lawton, Okla., native returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown against the Ichabods. West also scored on a 30-yard touchdown run in week two vs. UCO. On the season, he has returned 14 kickoffs for a 29.5-yard average.
Junior WR Austin Panko caught five passes for a career-high 134 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown reception, vs. LWU on Sept. 24. He also posted 100-yard receiving games vs. MWSU (112 yds) on Oct. 15 and vs. ESU (102 yds) on Oct. 22. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native has 40 catches for 744 yards (18.6 ypc) and five TDS on the year. He has 80 career receptions for 1,254 yards (15.7 ypc) and nine scores.
Redshirt freshman WR Brenner Clemons caught six passes for a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns vs. MWSU on Oct. 22. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native also had 11 catches for 138 yards and two scores against FHSU on Oct. 8. For the season, Clemons has 37 receptions for 511 yards (13.8 ypc) and four TDs.
Senior PK Chad Levin has converted 11 of 16 field goal tries on the season. The Tulsa, Okla., native has now converted 20 of 28 (.714) career field goal attempts and 86 of 90 PAT tries. Levin has scored 146 career points. His .714 career field goal percentage ranks fourth on Pitt State's all-time top five list.
Inside The Pitt State Defense
Senior LB Spencer Brown was credited with a career high 16 tackles (eight solo) vs. ESU on Oct. 22. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. UCO in week two when he made nine tackles and returned an INT for the game-sealing touchdown. He now has compiled 309 career tackles (137 solo) with 24.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 QB sacks as well as 10 PBUs and one interception. Brown broke into Pitt State's all-time top 10 tackles chart with his 16-tackle performance vs. ESU and he now ranks ninth all-time. He needs six more tackles to pass Wes Baker (1997-2000, 314 tackles) for eighth place.
Senior S Deron Washington earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. WU on Oct. 1 when he return an interception 50 yards for a touchdown, forced and recovered a fumble deep in PSU territory and made six tackles (four solo). The Raymore, Mo., native now has 264 career tackles (143 solo) with 10.0 TFLs and 19 pass break-ups. Washington needs six more PBUs to break into Pitt State's top five list in career PBUs. In addition to his success on the field, Washington earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and he's a candidate for CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition. He graduated from PSU with a 3.50 GPA in electronics engineering technology and he's in his first semester of graduate studies.
Junior LB Ethan Fugitt made the most of his first career start vs LWU on Sept. 24, compiling eight tackles (five solo), a fumble recovery and an interception he returned 23 yards for a touchdown. The Oak Grove, Mo., native made a career-high 13 tackles vs. ESU on Oct. 22. He is second on the team with 78 tackles (35 solo) with 6.5 tackles-for-loss, an interception and two pass break-ups.
Senior DE Heath Wilson made eight tackles (six solo) including 2.0 quarterback sacks vs. ESU on Oct. 22. He added three TFLs, including 2.0 QB sacks, vs. UNK on Nov. 5. For the season, Wilson has recorded 42 tackles (20 solo) with 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 QB sacks. The Wagoner, Okla., native has made 168 career tackles with 40.0 TFLs and 21.5 quarterback sacks. He needs 1.0 more quarterback sacks to move into Pitt State's all-time top five list in the category.
Sophomore Carter Anchors established a new PSU record with an 84-yard punt vs. LWU on Sept. 24. He has punted 41 times for a 44.0-yard average on the season with 14 kicks over 50 yards. The Kansas City, Mo., native leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in NCAA Division II in punting average.
Junior Austin Panko has averaged 11.9 yards on punt returns, including a 73-yard return for a score vs LWU on Sept. 24 that helped him earn MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native ranks fourth the MIAA and ranks 24th in NCAA Division II in punt returns to date.
Scouting the Lions
Sophomore quarterback Brayden Scott directs the MSSU offense. Scott (6-2, 215) has started the last two games and appeared in nine games over for the Lions. He's compleed 104 of 174 passes (.598) for 1,315 yards (146.1 ypg) and 12 TDs with five interceptions. He also has rushed the ball 46 times for 183 net yards (3.7 ypc) with three scores.
Senior wide receiver Scott Lathrop (5-11, 180) has a team-leading 61 catches for 420 yards (6.9 ypc). Senior wide receiver Jordan Morrison (6-0, 203) also has 41 grabs for 591 yards (14.4 ypc) and one TD, while senior wide receiver Jocqui Davis (6-1, 185) has 35 receptions for 412 yards (11.8 ypc) and four TDs.
Senior running back Josh Hadley (5-9, 200) has rushed the ball 100 times for 425 yards (4.2 ypc) and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback T.J. Fleeton (6-2, 215) is MSSU's second leading rusher with 75 carries for 202 yards and three scores.
Sophomore linebacker Justin Legier (6-0, 240) leads the MSSU defense with 84 tackles (82 solo) with 2.0 tackles-for-loss and five pass break-ups. Junior defensive tackle Stephan Randall (6-3, 265) has made 25 tackles (eight solo), including 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks.
Junior Brock Renken (5-8, 170) has converted five of nine field goal attempts, while senior Stetson Broce (6-0, 215) has punted 61 times for a 39.0-yard average.
The Lions are averaging 22.5 points and 368.5 total yards per game (261.4 passing), while the MSSU defense is allowing 42.0 points and 509.8 total yards (258.2 rushing).
