PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Big Rapids, Mich., Saturday (Nov. 26) to face Ferris State University from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in second-round action of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program and the No. 4 ranked team in the final regular season AFCA/Division II Top 25 poll, posted a 35-0 home win over the University of Indianapolis in the first round of the playoffs last Saturday (Nov. 19). 

Ferris State, the No. 5 ranked team in NCAA Division II, claimed a 41-7 first round playoff win over GLIAC foe Davenport University last Saturday.

Pitt State is 12-0 on the season. The Gorillas finished the regular season with an unblemished 11-0 record and captured the 2022 MIAA Championship.

Ferris State, the defending NCAA Division II National Champion, is 10-1 overall. The Bulldogs posted a 9-1 record in the regular season with their lone loss being a 22-21 decision to then No. 2 ranked Grand Valley State University.

Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for 1 p.m. (EST) at FSU's Top Taggart Field.

Game Tickets / Game Info
Tickets can be purchased for the game in advance online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets or by contacting the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens (age 65+) along with $5 for students in grades K-12. In addition, FSU and PSU students with a valid student ID card are $5. Children ages five and under are free. Stadium gates open at 11:30 a.m. (EST) Saturday.

Pitt State fans have several options to follow the game remotely:  Live Audio, Live Stats and Live Web Stream.

The Gorillas action can be heard locally on ESPN 100.7 FM Radio, online at espn1007.com/ or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices. Fans also can purchase a monthly subscription to Flo Football to view the match-up as well as other offerings from the provider.

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 22-5 (.815) record leading the Gorillas and a 26-5 (.839) mark as a collegiate head coach.

Wright, who was named the 2022 MIAA Coach of the Year on Nov. 15, 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 first meeting against Ferris State.

Tony Annese is in his 10th season as head coach at Ferris State. Annese (Alma College, 1983) has compiled a 111-17-0 (.867) record leading the Bulldogs. He led Ferris State to a 14-0 record and the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship. Annese also directed the Bulldogs to a national runner-up finish in 2018. His Bulldog squads are a combined 51-3 (.944) since the 2018 season.

Prior to assuming the head coach role at FHSU in 2012, Annese posted a 30-4 (.884) record in three seasons as head coach at Grand Rapids Community College. This will be his first meeting vs. Pitt State.

The Pitt State - Ferris Series
This will be the first all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Bulldogs.

Pitt State has faced a GLIAC foe just once previously, with the Gorillas meeting Wayne (Mich.) State University in the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship Game at Florence, Ala. The Gorillas defeated the Wildcats, 35-21, to claim the national crown.

Pitt State-Ferris in the NCAA-II Playoffs
Pitt State is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs since joining the NCAA ranks 34 years ago, prior to the 1989 season.

The Gorillas have compiled a 26-16 (.619) mark in the NCAA-II playoffs.

Pitt State captured the 1991 and 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships and finished as the National Runner-Up in 1992, 1995 and 2004.

The Gorillas have posted one or more wins in 12 of their 19 NCAA-II playoff appearances.

Ferris State is making its eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA-II playoffs (2014-19, 2021-22). The Bulldogs are 18-6 (.750) in 24 postseason games.

Gorillas on the Road
Historically, Pitt State has compiled an impressive record in road games.

The Gorillas have posted a 112-34-1 (.765) record in its last 147 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season.

The Gorillas are 48-11 (.814) in their last 59 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010, including an 12-2 (.857) record in three seasons under head coach Brian Wright.

Ferris State has compiled a 57-10 (.851) home record in the past 10 seasons under Coach Annese.

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 741-359-48 overall record, winning 66.6 percent of their 1,148 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 707 victories, followed by Hillsdale (658), Carson-Newman (650) and Central Oklahoma (648).

Ferris State has a 488-442-42 (.524) record in 113 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 323 of its last 391 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 323-66-2 (.829) mark during the past 38 seasons (1985-2022). PSU is 170-28-1 at home, 149-29-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Gorillas vs. Ranked Opponents
Pitt State has fashioned a 61-52 (.540) record against nationally ranked NCAA Division II opponents, including a 3-0 mark this season. The Gorillas are 39-18 at home, 17-23 on the road and 5-11 in neutral site match-ups against top 25 squads.

Pitt State is 26-32 against top 10 foes and 3-7 all-time against No. 1 ranked squads.

Scouting the Gorillas
Sophomore quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. has completed 190 of 325 passes (.585) for 2,798 yards and 29 touchdowns with eight interceptions on the season.

Dodson (5-11, 191) is averaging 233.2 passing yards per game and is sporting a 155.30 passer rating. He currently leads the MIAA and ranks 15th in NCAA Division II in passing efficiency.

Dodson, who garnered third-team All-MIAA honors on Nov. 15, ranks 13th in Division II in passing yards per completion (14.73 ypc) and tied for sixth in the country in passing touchdowns (29). He is responsible for 180 points on the season – the 16th best (tie) total in D2 this year.

Dodson's 2,798 passing yards this season ranks fourth all-time at Pitt State and his 29 touchdowns ranks third all-time on the Gorillas' single season record list.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native has completed 235 of 391 passes (.601) for 3,458 yards and 36 touchdowns in 18 career games played for Pitt State. He broke into the school's top 10 list for career passing yards vs. UIndy last week.

Dodson is 13-0 as Pitt State's starting quarterback.

Sophomore running back Caleb Lewis has enjoyed one of the most productive seasons among MIAA running backs this fall, carrying the ball 199 times for 874 yards (4.4 ypc) and 11 touchdowns and averaging 72.8 rushing yards per game.

The Burleson, Texas, native was tabbed as a first-team All-MIAA selection

He has posted four 100-yard rushing games on the season: 19 carries for 153 yards and a TD vs. NSU (Sept. 17), 19 carries for 117 yards ad a TD vs. ESU (Sept. 24), 20 carries for 101 yards and a TD vs. MWSU (Oct. 22) and 26 carries for 102 yards and a TD vs. WU (Nov. 5).

Lewis (5-11, 183) has carried the ball 325 times for 1,407 yards (4.3 ypc) and 14 touchdowns in 24 career games for the Gorillas.

Sophomore wide receiver Christian Carter has made a team-leading 46 receptions for 617 yards (13.4 ypc) and five touchdowns on the season, earning second-team All-MIAA honors.

The Kansas City, Mo., native has 90 career receptions for 1,241 yards (13.8 ypc) and 10 touchdowns in 25 career games played.

Junior Devon Garrison has been one of the top receiving threats in Division II from the tight end position this season. Garrison (6-6, 221) has caught 34 passes for 607 yards (17.9 ypc) and seven touchdowns – the second-highest tight end receiving total in the country this year.

The Elk River, Minn., native earned first-team All-MIAA honors for his play. He has made 43 career receptions for 719 yards (16.7 ypc) and nine scores.

Sophomore Dubem Okonkwo earned first-team All-MIAA honors as a defensive lineman for the Gorillas this season.

Okonkwo (6-2, 218) has 10.5 quarterback sacks and 14.0 tackles-for-loss on the season, ranking second in the MIAA (16th in Division II) in QB sacks and fith in the league in TFLs (1.17 pg).

The Kansas City, Mo., native was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Gorillas win vs. UCO on Oct. 29 when he posted 3.5 QB sacks and a forced fumble.

For his career, Okonkwo has made 75 tackles (50 solo), 17.0 tackles-for-loss, 12.5 quarterback sacks, four pass breakups and four forced fumbles.

Graduate linebacker P.J. Sarwinski has made a team leading 76 tackles (39 solo) on the season. He's also registered 10.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 quarterback sacks. The Galena, Kan., native – a two-time first-team All-MIAA performer – posted nine stops against FHSU on Nov. 12.

Sarwinski (6-1, 207) earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 10 after making a team-leading nine tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 quarterback sacks and a pass breakup vs. NWMSU (Oct. 8).

For his career, Sarwinski has compiled 168 tackles (93 solo), 22.0 tackles-for-loss, 7.5 quarterback sacks, one interception and five pass breakups.

Wide receiver/return specialist Kolbe Katsis was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year earlier on Nov. 15 for his play during the 2022 regular season.

Katsis (6-1, 166), who also garnered third-team All-MIAA honors as a return specialist, has returned 15 kickoffs for a 32.8 yard average. He ranks fifth in NCAA Division II in kickoff return average.

The Owasso, Okla., native also has caught 21 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns on the season, averaging a team-leading 23.4 yards per reception.

Sophomore cornerback Antione Nunn Jr. posted a pass breakup and two interceptions – including one he returned 68 yards for a touchdown – against UIndy last week.

The Belton, Mo., native has made 22 tackles (17 solo) with 2.5 tackles-for-loss, five interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 11 games played on the season. He has returned three of his five interceptions for touchdowns.

Nunn ranks in a tie for 17th place in Division II in interceptions (0.5 pg) and leads Division II in "pick sixes". He also ranks in a tie for 14th place nationally in passes defended (1.4 pg).