PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will return to the friendly confines of Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium Saturday (Oct. 1) as the Gorillas host MIAA rival Missouri Southern State University. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CDT).

The Gorillas are 4-0 on the season and ranked No. 10 in the most recent American Footbal Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Monday (Sept. 26). 

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.

MSSU brings a 3-1 record into Saturday's action. The Lions claimed a 25-24 road win over Fort Hays State University last Saturday. MSSU also scored wins against NSU (30-13) and the University of Central Oklahoma (40-21). The Lions lone loss came in the season opener in a 24-7 decision against No. 14 UNK.

Pitt State will honor its Hall of Fame Class of 2022 at halftime of Saturday's game. The formal HOF Induction Ceremony will take place Friday evening (Sept. 30) at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.

The Class of 2022 includes former football players Caleb Farabi (2004-08), Chris Grantham (1981-84) and Dennis Watson (1963-66). Additional inductees are:  Kiara Jones, track & field, 2008-12; Tom Myers, baseball, 1996-98, Ed Nealy, men's basketball, 1956-57; Sammie Williams, volleyball, 2005-08; and, Steve High, women's basketball coach, 1990-2007.

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 14-5 (.737) record leading the Gorillas and an 18-5 (.783) 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 MSSU. He is 2-0 vs. the Lions.

MSSU's Atiba Bradley is in his second full year leading his alma mater and his second year as a collegiate coach. Bradley guided the Lions to a 1-0 record during the Covid-19 altered 2021 spring season. He has a 7-9 mark leading MSSU.

Bradley returned to MSSU after serving most recently as defensive coordinator at NCAA Division II member McKendree University. He also served as co-defensive coordinator at the University of South Dakota from 2016-18.

This will be his second meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 0-1 vs. the Gorillas.

Gorillas at Home
Pitt State holds a 361-137-12 (.720) record in 510 games inside Carnie Smith Stadium (including postseason). The Gorillas have won 160 of their last 192 regular season home games, posting a 161-31-1 record (.841) over the last 37 seasons.  

MSSU has posted a 7-7 (.500) road record in its last 14 road games since of the 2019 season.

The Pitt State - Southern Series
This will be the 54th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Lions in a series that dates back to the 1968 season – Southern's first year as a four-year school. Pitt State holds a commanding 43-9-1 advantage in the series.

The Gorillas are 22-3-1 vs. the Lions in Pittsburg, including a 17-1 record at Carnie Smith Stadium since 1985.

Pitt State and Southern have played every year since 1968, but the two teams began competing for the Miner's Bowl Trophy in 1986.

While the series has produced its share of close contests and memorable moments, the Gorillas have dominated the series, winning 33 of the 35 meetings. All told, Pitt State has averaged a 36-14 victory in the 35 meetings.

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 733-359-48 overall record, winning 66.4 percent of their 1,140 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. 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 701 victories, followed by Hillsdale (656), Carson-Newman (645) and Central Oklahoma (644).

MSSU has a 300-299-7 (.501) record in 55 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 316 of its last 384 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 316-66-2 (.826) mark during the past 37 seasons (1985-2022). PSU is 166-28-1 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 Monday (Sept. 12) for his efforts in the Gorillas 35-28 road win over Nebraska-Kearney last 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 119 of 197 passes (.604) for 1,727 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 career games played for Pitt State.

He is 5-0 as Pitt State's starting quarterback.

Sophomore running back Caleb Lewis has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in the Gorillas' last two contests.

Lewis carried the ball a career high 19 times for a career best 153 yards and a touchdown vs. Northeastern State (Sept. 17). He followed that up with 19 carries for 117 yards and a TD vs. Emporia State last week.

The Burleson, Texas native has carried the ball 61 times for 338 (5.5 ypc) and three touchdowns on the season, averaging 84.5 yards per game. He currently ranks fifth in the MIAA in rushing.

Lewis (5-11, 183) has carried the ball 188 times for 874 yards (4.6 ypc) and six touchdowns in 16 career games for the Gorillas.

Sophomore cornerback Antione Nunn Jr. recorded an interception and three pass breakups last week vs. ESU. The Belton, Mo., native also posted three tackles (two solo) and 1.0 tackle-for-loss.

Nunn (5-9, 170) also returned an interception for a touchdown against NSU on Sept. 17 while making his first career start in that game.

For the season, Nunn has made nine tackles (five solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups.