PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Edmond, Okla., Saturday (Oct. 29) for an MIAA matchup against the University of Central Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CDT) at Chad Richison Stadium.

The Gorillas are 8-0 on the season and alone atop the MIAA standings. Pitt State leads its closest conference foes (Emporia State, Nebraska-Kearney & Northwest Missouri) by two games with three games remaining in the regular season.

A Pitt State victory over the Bronchos Saturday would secure the Gorillas at least a share of the 2022 MIAA Championship – the program's first MIAA title since 2014. Pitt State has captured 12 MIAA crowns since joining the MIAA, and the NCAA Division II ranks, in 1989.

Pitt State posted a 28-16 Homecoming victory over Missouri Western in its last action on Oct. 22. The Gorillas have opened the season with eight straight wins for the first time since the 2011 season when Pitt State captured the NCAA Division II National Championship. The Gorillas victories include a pair of wins over nationally-ranked foes:  35-28 over No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 8 and 24-22 over No. 9 Northwest Missouri on Oct. 8.

Pitt State held steady at No. 5 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Monday (Oct. 24). Also on Monday, the Gorillas were included in the NCAA's list of "under consideration" teams from Super Region Three for the 2022 NCAA Division II national playoffs. The top 10 teams in the Super Region will be ranked starting next Monday (Oct. 31); and the top seven teams at the end of the season qualify to the 28-team playoff field.

UCO brings a 5-3 record into Saturday's action. The Bronchos had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 37-9 road loss against Washburn last Saturday (Oct. 22) at Topeka.

The Coaches
Brian Wright is in his third season as head coach at Pittsburg State.

He was hired as the program's 15th all-time head coach on December 7, 2019. Wright led the Gorillas to a 2-2 record during the abbreviated 2020 season; and he guided Pitt State to an 8-3 mark in 2021. He has an 18-5 (.783) record leading the Gorillas and a 22-5 (.815) mark as a collegiate head coach.

Wright came to Pitt State after serving the previous four seasons as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Toledo.

Prior to coming to Toledo, Wright coached at Florida Atlantic for four seasons as the Owls' offensive coordinator. He stepped in as interim head coach for the final four games of the 2013 season, leading the Owls to four consecutive victories and bowl eligibility (6-6) for the first time since 2008. Prior to his stint at Florida Atlantic, Wright spent two seasons at Montana State as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Before heading west to Montana State, Wright served nine years at perennial FCS power Youngstown State.

Wright joined the Penguins' staff in 2001 as quarterbacks coach, also working as offensive coordinator from 2005-09. He began his collegiate coaching career at Walsh (Ohio) University as a graduate assistant in 1995-96.

After a year as a graduate assistant at YSU in which the Penguins won the NCAA Division I-AA national title, Wright returned to Walsh in 1998 and served until 2000. 

Saturday's action will mark Wright's second match-up against UCO. He is 1-0 vs. the Bronchos.

Adam Dorrel is in his first season at UCO. He took over the Bronchos program after serving as head coach for five seasons at Abilene Christian. Prior to ACU, Dorrel led his alma mater, Northwest Missouri, to three NCAA Division II National Championships and fashioned a 76-8 record leading the Bearcats from 2011-16. He has a 100-43-0 (.699) career coaching record. This will be his eighth meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 4-3 against the Gorillas.

Gorillas on the Road
Historically, Pitt State has compiled a solid record in road games. The Gorillas have posted a 110-34-1 (.760) record in its last 145 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season.

The Gorillas are 46-11 (.807) in their last 57 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010, including a 10-2 record in three seasons under head coach Brian Wright.

The Pitt State - Central Oklahoma Series
This will be the 19th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Bronchos in a series that dates all the way back to the 1915 season.

Pitt State holds a 12-4-1 advantage in the series, including five straight wins and 10 victories in the last 11 meetings. The Gorillas are 5-1-1 against the Bronchos in games played at Edmond, Okla., including an unblemished 5-0 record since UCO joined the MIAA in 2012.

Last year, Pitt State jumped out to a 26-7 lead and held on down the stretch for a 26-20 victory over UCO on Oct. 30 at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Gorillas forged a 23-7 halftime advantage against the Bronchos as Pitt State scored 10 points in the final 2:42 of the second quarter.

Kicker Cross Holmes converted four field goals on the day. He booted a 54-yard kick with 2:24 to play in the first quarter and he added kicks of 25 yards with 6:44 to play in the second quarter, 35 yards with 28 seconds remaining in the first half and 49 yards with 4:33 to play in the third period.

Quarterback Mak Sexton completed 17 of 31 passes for 248 yards, including a 16-yard first quarter touchdown pass to tight end Devon Garrison. He was intercepted twice in the contest. Running back Tyler Adkins carried the ball 18 times for 107 yards while wide receiver Jalen Martin had six catches for a team-leading 102 yards.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are playing in their 115th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 737-359-48 overall record, winning 66.4 percent of their 1,144 all-time games.

Pittsburg State is one of just nine 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. The Gorillas entered the 2022 campaign ranked 30th among all college football programs in all-time victories.

Tuskegee is second on the Division II all-time list with 705 victories, followed by Hillsdale (657), Carson-Newman (647) and Central Oklahoma (647).

UCO has a 647-442-47 (.590) record in 116 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 320 of its last 388 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 320-66-2 (.827) mark during the past 37 seasons (1985-2022). PSU is 169-28-1 at home, 147-29-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Scouting the Gorillas
Sophomore quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. has completed 125 of 222 passes (.563) for 1,980 yards and 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions on the season.

Dodson (5-11, 191) is averaging 247.5 passing yards per game and is sporting a 159.74 passer rating. He currently ranks second in the MIAA and 10th in NCAA Division II in passing efficiency and third in the conference in passing yards.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native has completed 170 of 289 passes (.588) for 2,640 yards and 28 touchdowns in 14 career games played for Pitt State.

He was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 for his efforts in the Gorillas 35-28 road win over Nebraska-Kearney that week.

Dodson is 9-0 as Pitt State's starting quarterback.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kolbe Katsis has caught 13 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns on the season, averaging a team-leading 29.3 yards per reception.

The Owasso, Okla., native caught two passes for 72 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown reception against Missouri Western last Saturday.

He has caught six passes for 213 yards (35.5 ypc) and three touchdowns in the Gorillas last three contests.

Katsis also is averaging 28.5 yards on 12 kickoff returns on the season. He currently ranks third in the MIAA and 14th in NCAA Division II in kickoff returns.

Sophomore running back Caleb Lewis has posted three 100-yard rushing games on the season, including a 101-yard performance against Missouri Western.

Lewis carried the ball 19 times for a career best 153 yards and a touchdown vs. NSU on Sept. 17. He followed that up with 19 carries for 117 yards and a TD vs. ESU on Sept. 24. Last week, he rushed 202 times for 101 yards and a score.

The Burleson, Texas native has carried the ball 131 times for 617 (4.7 ypc) and six TDs on the season, averaging 77.1 yards per game. He currently ranks third in the MIAA in rushing.

Lewis (5-11, 183) has carried the ball 258 times for 1,153 yards (4.5 ypc) and nine touchdowns in 20 career games for the Gorillas.

Graduate linebacker P.J. Sarwinski was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 10 after posting nine tackles (six solo), 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a pass breakup against NWMSU on Oct. 8.

The Galena, Kan., native has made a team-leading 56 tackles (32 solo) on the season with 7.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 quarterback sacks and three pass breakups. He posted a team-leading 13 tackles (1.5 tackles-for-loss) against Missouri Western last Saturday.

Sarwinski, who earned first-team All-MIAA and honorable mention NCAA Division II All-America honors in 2021, has posted 160 career tackles with 19.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 quarterback sacks, one interception and five pass breakups.

Sophomore linebacker Brandon Stegall posted five tackles (two solo) with 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks vs. Missouri Western last week.

For the season, the Carrollton, Texas native has made 20 stops (10 solo) with 6.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 quarterback sacks. He currently ranks eighth in the MIAA in quarterback sacks.

For his career, Stegall has compiled 39 tackles (23 solo) with 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 quarterback sacks.