PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team exploded for 21 third-quarter points to pull away for a 28-16 victory over Missouri Western State University Saturday (Oct. 22).
 
The No. 5 ranked Gorillas (8-0, 8-0 MIAA) trailed 10-7 at halftime against a Griffons (3-5, 3-5 MIAA) team that possessed the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first two quarters.
 
Quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. tossed a pair of touchdowns in the pivotal third quarter to spark the comeback in front of 8,836 Homecoming fans at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium.
 
Dodson connected with wide receiver Kolbe Katsis for a 67-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the third period to put Pitt State in front, 14-10.
 
The Pitt State defense forced a quick three-and-out and the Gorillas cashed in again 10 plays later as running back Caleb Lewis capped the drive with a 21-yard scoring burst and a 21-10 advantage with 9:46 remaining in the period.
 
The Gorillas forced another Griffons punt and the Pitt State offense popped a quick strike score. Dodson sparked the drive with a 42-yard scramble and then tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Christian Carter on the next play.
 
Dodson completed 12 of 23 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in the contest. Lewis rushed the ball 20 times for 101 yards, registering his third 100-yard game of the season.
 
The Pitt State defense set up the Gorillas first score in the second quarter as linebacker Jack Barkley blocked a punt and defensive end Brandon Stegall recovered it at the MWSU 16 yard line. Three plays later, Dodson found tight end Kaizer Newell for a nine-yard scoring connection.
 
Linebacker P.J. Sarwinski posted a game-high 13 tackles in the contest, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Linebacker Alex Gaskill added eight stops, while Stegall made five stops, including 3.0 TFLs and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
 
The Gorillas will travel to Edmond, Okla., to battle the University of Central Oklahoma next Saturday.