PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to face MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State University at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is set for Noon (CDT).

Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program, is competing in its 112th season of intercollegiate football at the institution.  The Gorillas have accumulated 718 victories, posting a 718-349-48 overall mark.

Pitt State opened the 2019 campaign with a 37-35 road win over the University of Central Oklahoma on Sept. 5 at Edmond, Okla. The Gorillas have since averaged a 50-14 victory over its last four opponents:  Emporia State (47-23), Northeastern State (58-3), Nebraska-Kearney (37-14) and Lincoln (56-14).

Pitt State climbed two spots to No. 13 in this week's AFCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll following the Gorillas home win over the Blue Tigers.

Northwest Missouri also is unbeaten on the season and ranked No. 7 nationally. The Bearcats are averaging 48.4 points per game on the season. NWMSU posted a 34-23 road win over Emporia State in its most recent action on Oct. 5.

The Coaches
Tim Beck is in his 10th season as head coach at Pitt State. He has compiled an 81-30 (.730) career record.  

Beck 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.  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.

In 2015, 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. In 2016, the Gorillas battled key injuries once again and Pitt State posted a 7-4 season.

In 2017, Pitt State posted six straight wins to end the season with an 8-4 record including a victory in the 2017 Agent Barry Live United Bowl. Last year, the Gorillas posted an 8-3 record and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA-II playoffs.

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 11th meeting vs. the Bearcats.  He is 4-6 vs. NWMSU. 

Rich Wright is in his third season directing the NWMSU after serving the previous six years as the Bearcats defensive coordinator. Wright (Dana College, '95) joined the NWMSU coaching staff as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator in 2004. He has a 24-6-0 (.800) career coaching record. This will be his second meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 1-1 against the Gorillas.

The Pitt State-Northwest Series
This will be the 53rd meeting between the Gorillas and the Bearcats in a series that dates all the way back to the 1932 season. Northwest holds a 27-25-0 advantage in the competitive series.

The this will be the 13th time the Gorillas and Bearcats meet at Arrowhead Stadium. NWMSU holds a 9-3-0 edge in those neutral site match-ups.

Last year, NWMSU capitalized on a 21-point second quarter to build a 28-0 halftime advantage against Pitt State en route to a 31-7 victory on Saturday, Oct. 6, in Pittsburg. The 16th-ranked Bearcats snapped the No. 8 ranked Gorillas 11-game winning streak dating back to the 2017 season. 

Isaiah Strayhorn rushed 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown, while Braden Wright passed for 211 yards and a pair of scores. Alec Tatum added a 23-yard scoring jaunt on a fake field goal attempt with 34 seconds remaining in the first half. Parker Sampson added a 38-yard fourth quarter field goal for the Bearcats' final score, after missing from 38 and 40 yards earlier in the game.

The Gorillas lone score came with 48 seconds remaining in the contest when Matt Harman tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Harris.

The Bearcats limited Pitt State to 268 total yards in the contest with 91 yards coming on the Gorillas' final offensive series.

John Roderique completed six of 17 passes for 63 yards, while Harman was nine of 16 for 87 yards. Tyler Adkins carried the ball 10 times for 67 yards in the contest. Demetrius Bernard and Creighton Sanders paced the Gorillas with 10 tackles apiece, with Bernard making three stops behind the line of scrimmage.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 308 of its last 371 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 308-63-2 (.833) mark during the past 35 seasons (1985-2019). PSU is 164-26-1 at home, 140-28-1 on the road and 4-9-0 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 10 118 times in the last 257 polls and the Gorillas have been ranked in the top 25 poll in 193 of 257 weeks overall (dating back to the 1999 season).

Saturday's game will mark the 109th time the Gorillas face a top 25 NCAA Division II opponent. Pitt State is 58-50-0 (.537) in those contests. The Gorillas are 34-33 (.507) vs. ranked MIAA opponents and 5-10 (.333) vs. ranked teams in games played at a neutral site.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are in their 112th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 718-349-48 overall record, winning 66.5 percent of their 1,115 all-time games.

Pittsburg State is one of just seven NCAA Division II institutions to have recorded 600 all-time victories and the Gorillas became just the 33rd program – the first Division II institution – across all levels of college football to reach the 700-win plateau. Currently, the Gorillas are ranked 31st among all college football programs in all-time victories.

Tuskegee is second on the Division II all-time list with 692 victories, followed by Hillsdale (642), Carson-Newman (636) and Central Oklahoma (635).

NWMSU has a 592-400-32 (.594) record in 104 seasons of intercollegiate play.

Quick Strike Offense
The Pitt State offense has exhibited a penchant for being a "quick strike" unit. During the last 15 seasons (2005-19), the Pitt State offense has generated 929 scoring drives (762 TDs, 167 FGs) and averaged just 2:53 of elapsed time per drive.

2005 97 scoring drives (86 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:40 elapsed time      2013 83 scoring drives (70 TDs, 13 FGs) 2:29 elapsed time
2006 79 scoring drives (72 TDs, 7 FGs)  2:14 elapsed time      2014 74 scoring drives (53 TDs, 21 FGs) 3:06 elapsed time
2007 64 scoring drives (55 TDs, 9 FGs)  3:02 elapsed time      2015 50 scoring drives (41 TDs, 9 FGs)  2:53 elapsed time
2008 69 scoring drives (61 TDs, 8 FGs)  3:23 elapsed time      2016 60 scoring drives (48 TDs, 12 FGs) 2:54 elapsed time
2009 49 scoring drives (44 TDs, 5 FGs)  3:21 elapsed time      2017 56 scoring drives (42 TDs, 14 FGs) 3:18 elapsed time
2010 41 scoring drives (34 TDs, 7 FGs)  3:04 elapsed time      2018 48 scoring drives (37 TDs, 11 FGs) 3:14 elapsed time
2011 78 scoring drives (60 TDs, 18 FGs) 2:54 elapsed time      2019 30 scoring drives (20 TDs, 10 FGs) 2:44 elapsed time
2012 51 scoring drives (40 TDs, 11 FGs) 2:58 elapsed time

The Gorillas have been highly successful when they are quick out of the gates. Pitt State has scored on its opening drive 76 times (64 TDs, 12 FGs) in the last 161 games, posting a 68-8 (.895) record in those games. By contrast, Pitt State is 49-36 (.576) in games it doesn't score on its opening drive during the same span.

Inside The Pitt State Offense / Defense
Senior wide receiver Lorenzo West caught three passes for 72 yards and two TDs last week vs. LU. For the season, West has a team-leading 17 catches for 372 yards (21.9 ypc). The Lawton, Okla., native has made 113 career receptions for 1,780 career yards (15.8 ypc) and 13 touchdowns. He ranks sixth in PSU history in career receiving yards and sixth in career receptions. West, who also averages 33.3 yards per kickoff return, has compiled 3,593 career all-purpose yards.

Redshirt fresman quarterback Mak Sexton completed 14 of 17 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns in just five offensive series for the Gorillas last week vs. LU. The  Leander, Texas, native has completed 52 of 70 passes (.743) for 752 yards (150.4 ypg) and six touchdowns on the season.

Senior place kicker Jared Vincent set a Pitt State record by converting 17 consecutive field goals between Nov. 3, 2018 and Sept. The Claremore, Okla., native is 13-for-14 (.929) on field goal attemtps on the season. He leads all collegiate kickers (all divisions) in field goals per game to date (2.6 pg) and kick scoring (13.4 ppg). Vincent has converted 39 of 47 (.830) career field goal attempts and 123 of 127 (.969) career PAT tries. A two-time All-MIAA performer, Vincent has scored 230 career points (8.2 ppg).

Senior defensive tackle Simanu'a Thomas made 0.5 quarterback sack, 1.5 TFLs and two forced fumbles vs. LU last week. The Independence, Mo., native is a two-time NCAA Division II All-America and three-time All-MIAA performer. For his career, Thomas has registered 132 career tackles with 36.0 tackles-for-loss, 15.5 quarterback sacks and seven forced fumbles.

Junior safety Morgan Selemaea made four tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss and 0.5 quarterback sack vs. UNK on Sept. 28. The Harrisonville, Mo., native also returned an interception for a touchdown against the Lopers. For the season, Selemaea has 22 tackles (10 solo), 2.0 TFLs, 0.5 QB sack, two interceptions and two PBUs.

Scouting The Bearcats
Sophomore quarterback Braden Wright directs the Northwest Missouri offense. Wright (6-2, 1800) has completed 63 of 120 passes (.525) for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions in the Bearcats first five games. He also has carried the ball 33 times for 127 net yards (3.8 ypc) and three scores.

Junior wide receiver Imoni Donadelle (5-11, 185) has been Wright's target. He has caught 15 passes for 333 yards (22.2 ypc) and four touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver LaTroy Harper (6-1, 192) has caught 10 passes for 216 yards (21.6 ypc) and three touchdowns.

Senior running back Justin Rankin (5-10, 210) has carried the ball 91 times for 491 yards (5.4 ypc) and four touchdowns, averaging 98.2 yards per game. He ranks second in the MIAA in rushing yards to date.

NWMSU is averaging 219.4 rushing yards and 463.4 total yards per game early in the season. The Bearcats are scoring 48.4 points per game, ranking second in the MIAA and fifth in NCAA-II in the category.

Defensively, NWMSU is allowing 23.8 points, 73.2 rushing yards and 348.4 total yards per game.

Senior safety Blake Bayer (6-0, 180) has made a team-leading 39 tackles (25 solo) with 6.5 tackles-for-loss and four pass break-ups.

Sophoore nose guard Zach Howard (6-3, 305) has made 24 stops (17 solo) with 5.5 TFLs and an MIAA team-leading 4.5 quarterback sacks, while sophomore cornerback Trey Washington (6-1, 175) had posted 19 tackles (17 solo), two interceptions and six pass break-ups.

Redshirt freshman Mike Hohensee (6-2, 210) has punted 23 times for a 39.9 yard average, while junior Parker Sampson (5-10, 187) is 8-for-11 on field goal attempts and 30-for-31 on PAT tries.

Junior Alec Tatum (5-9, 167) has averaged 10.0 yards on punt returns, while Donadelle is averaging 58.0 yards on three kickoff returns.