PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University football team will return to the friendly confines of Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium to host MIAA rival University of Nebraska-Kearney in week four action Saturday (Sept. 23). Kickoff for the Gorillas' Family Day contest is set for 2 p.m. (CDT).

Pitt State, the No. 3 team in this week's AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, is 3-0 on the season after claiming a dramatic 38-37 road win over the University of Central Missouri last Saturday (Sept. 16). The Gorillas also own wins over Washburn University (34-7) and Fort Hays State University (40-14).

Pitt State captured the 2022 MIAA Championship while posting a 12-1 record a year ago. The Gorillas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II national playoffs before falling to eventual national champion Ferris State, 17-14.

Nebraska-Kearney is 1-2 on the young season. The Lopers have a 31-17 victory over Northeastern State University sandwiched around losses to the University of Central Oklahoma (24-21) and Missouri Southern State University (18-13).

The Coaches
Brian Wright is in his fourth 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. In 2022, Wright led the Gorillas to a 12-1 record and an 11-0 unblemished MIAA Championship, garnering 2022 MIAA Coach of the Year honors. He led Pitt State to a 12-1 record as the Gorillas made their 19th all-time trip to the NCAA-II postseason.

Wright has a 25-6 (.806) record leading the Gorillas and a 29-6 (.829) 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 fourth match-up against UNK. He is 1-2 against the Lopers.

Ryan Held is in his first season directing the UNK program.  Held spent the 2022 season as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at FCS member North Alabama. Before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at Central Florida (2016-17).

Additionally, he has held head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Highland Community College; Division II Southwestern Oklahoma and Panhandle State; and NAIA Peru State.

The Pitt State - Nebraska-Kearney Series
This will be the 26th meeting between the Gorillas and the Lopers in a series that dates back to the 1974 season, but it will be just the 11th meeting between the two squads since 1988.
Pitt State holds a 16-9 edge in the series.

Last year, quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. connected with wide receiver Bryce Murphy on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to lift Pitt State to a 35-28 come from behind win over No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 8.

The Lopers jumped out to leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first half, before the Gorillas tightened up on defense in the second half and slowed down UNK's powerful offense in the final 30 minutes of play.

Dodson tossed four touchdowns in the contest, including a pair to tight end Devon Garrison. His 36-yard scoring strike to Garrison with 3:59 to play in the third quarter finished off a 21-0 run by Pitt State as the Gorillas battled back from down 21-7 to push in front, 28-21.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are competing in their 116th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 744-360-48 overall record, winning 66.7 percent of their 1,152 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.

Tuskegee is second on the Division II all-time list with 710 victories, followed by Hillsdale (658), Carson-Newman (651) and Central Oklahoma (649).

UNK has a 563-359-27 (.607) record in 101 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 326 of its last 394 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 326-66-2 (.830) mark during the past 38 seasons (1985-2023). PSU is 171-28-1 at home, 151-29-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Gorillas at Home
Pitt State holds a 367-137-12 (.723) record in 516 games inside Carnie Smith Stadium (including postseason). The Gorillas have won 166 of their last 198 regular season home games, posting a 166-31-1 record (.841) over the last 38 seasons. Pitt State posted an unblemished 7-0 record at home in 2022.

UNK is 15-5 (.750) in its last 20 road games dating back to the start of the 2019 season.

Scouting the Gorillas
Junior quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. improved to 16-1 (.941) as the Gorillas starter following Pitt State's week two road win vs. Central Missouri. Dodson completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns in the contest.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native has completed 307 of 516 career passes (.595) for 4,237 yards and 41 touchdowns. He ranks fourth in Pitt State history for career TD passes and eighth for career passing yards.

Dodson earned third-team All-MIAA honors in 2022, passing for 2,975 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Redshirt sophomore Kolbe Katsis became just the sixth receiver in Pitt State history to record a 200-yard game after catching nine passes for 200 yards and a touchdown vs. UCM.

For the season, Katsis has a team-leading 21 grabs for 276 yards (13.1 ypc) and one touchdown. He ranks third in the MIAA in both receptions (7.0 pg) and receiving yards (92.0 ypg). For his career, the Owasso, Okla., native has 43 catches for 781 yards (18.2 ypc) and six touchdowns.

Katsis was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. UCM.

Sophomore safety Jordan Rogers recorded his third interception of the season against the Mules last Saturday.

The Bellmead, Texas, native has logged a takeaway in each of Pitt State's first three games of the 2023 campaign. He currently leads the MIAA and is tied for second place in Division II in interceptions (1.0 pg).

For the season, Rogers has made eight tackles (two solo) with 2.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 quarterback sack and one pass breakup.

Freshman placekicker Austin Schmitt is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts early in the season, booting a pair of kicks in each of Pitt State's first two games.

The Grain Valley, Mo., native also has connected on all 11 of his PAT trys. He's scored a team-leading 26 points to date (8.7 ppg).