PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will return to the friendly confines of Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium Saturday (Oct. 8) as the Gorillas host MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State University in a top 10 match-up. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CDT).
The Gorillas are 5-0 on the season, alone atop the MIAA standings and ranked No. 7 in the most recent American Footbal Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Monday (Oct. 3).
Pitt State posted a 38-9 home win over Missouri Southern State University last Saturday (Oct. 1). The Gorillas also own victories over the University of Central Missouri (21-10), then No. 11 ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney (35-28), Northeastern State University (49-14) and Emporia State University (14-13) on the season.
Pitt State claimed a hard fought 14-13 road win over Emporia State University last Saturday (Sept. 24) at Emporia, Kan. The Gorillas also own wins over the University of Central Missouri (21-10), No. 11 ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney (35-28) and Northeastern State University (49-14) this season.
NWMSU brings a 4-1 record into Saturday's action. The Bearcats, ranked No. 9 in this week's top 25 poll, scored a 16-3 home win over Missouri Western State University last Saturday. NWMSU dropped a 24-13 road decision to the University of Central Oklahoma for its lone loss of the season on Sept. 24. The Bearcats also have beaten Fort Hays State University (33-19), Lincoln University (55-20) and UCM (24-7).
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 a 15-5 (.750) record leading the Gorillas and a 19-5 (.792) 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 NWMSU. He is 0-1 vs. the Bearcats.
Rich Wright is in his sixth season directing Northwest 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 45-11-0 (.804) career coaching record.
This will be his fifth meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 3-1 against the Gorillas.
Gorillas at Home
Pitt State holds a 362-137-12 (.720) record in 511 games inside Carnie Smith Stadium (including postseason). The Gorillas have won 162 of their last 194 regular season home games, posting a 162-31-1 record (.838) over the last 37 seasons.
NWMSU has posted a 21-9 (.700) record in its last 30 road games since of the 2017 season.
The Pitt State - Northwest Series
This will be the 55th meeting between the Gorillas and the Bearcats in a series that dates all the way back to the 1932 season. Northwest holds a 29-25-0 advantage in the competitive series.
The Gorillas are 14-9-0 against the Bearcats at Carnie Smith Stadium. The two teams have met just three times in Pittsburg in regular season play since the 2001 season. Pitt State also owns a 2-1 record against NWMSU in home playoff games.
Last year, Pitt State dropped a hard fought 20-19 decision to No. 2 ranked NWMSU on Oct. 9 at Bearcat Stadium. The Gorillas led 16-0 midway through the third quarter before the Bearcats rallied for the win.
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 734-359-48 overall record, winning 66.4 percent of their 1,141 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 702 victories, followed by Hillsdale (656), Carson-Newman (646) and Central Oklahoma (645).
NWMSU has a 619-407-33 (.600) record in 107 seasons of intercollegiate play.
PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 317 of its last 385 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 317-66-2 (.826) mark during the past 37 seasons (1985-2022). PSU is 167-28-1 at home, 146-29-1 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. 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 (5-11, 191) completed 20 of 29 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns, including the game winning 72-yard connection to wide receiver Bryce Murphy with 12 seconds remaining in the game.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native has completed 131 of 216 passes (.606) for 1,928 yards and 20 touchdowns in 11 career games played for Pitt State.
He is 6-0 as Pitt State's starting quarterback.
Sophomore running back Caleb Lewis has posted 100-yard rushing games in two of the Gorillas' last three contests.
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 a career best 23 times for 84 yards.
The Burleson, Texas native has carried the ball 84 times for 422 (5.0 ypc) and three touchdowns on the season, averaging 84.4 yards per game. He currently ranks third in the MIAA in rushing.
Lewis (5-11, 183) has carried the ball 211 times for 958 yards (4.5 ypc) and six touchdowns in 17 career games for the Gorillas.
Redshirt freshman Kolbe Katsis returned two kickoffs for 100 yards against Missouri Southern last Saturday, including a 71-yard kickoff return for the Gorillas.
Katsis has returned 11 kickoffs for a 30.3 yard average on the season. The Owasso, Okla., native currently leads the MIAA and ranks No. 13 in NCAA Division II in kickoff returns.
As a team, Pitt State is averaging an MIAA leading 28.3 yards on kickoff returns.
