PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Maryville, Mo., Saturday (Nov. 16) to battle Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association rival Northwest Missouri State University in the regular season finale. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. (CST) at Bearcat Stadium.

Pitt State, the No. 13 team in this week's AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, enters Saturday's action at 7-2 overall (6-2 MIAA). The Gorillas trail the University of Central Oklahoma by one game in the conference standings. Pitt State needs a win over the Bearcats and a UCO loss to Emporia State University Saturday to clinch a share of the 2024 MIAA Championship – the program's third straight MIAA title. UCO (9-1, 7-1 MIAA) clinched a share of the 2024 MIAA crown last week.

Pitt State, which is coming off a bye in week 10, dropped a 37-13 home decision to the University of Central Oklahoma in its last action Nov. 2 at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Gorillas held firm at No. 3 in the final set of NCAA Super Regional Rankings released Monday. The top seven teams in Super Region Three at the end of the season qualify to the 28-team NCAA Division II national playoff field.

Northwest Missouri is 6-4 on the season and 5-3 in MIAA play. The Bearcats posted a 33-23 road win over Missouri Western State University last Saturday (Nov. 9) at St. Joseph, Mo.

The Coaches
Tom Anthony is in his first year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. Anthony returned to campus after a six-month absence to become the Gorillas 16th all-time head coach in December 2023.

Anthony, who served as Pitt State's defensive coordinator from 2020-22, replaced Brian Wright who accepted the head football coach position at NCAA FCS member Northern Arizona University. Wright fashioned a 33-8 record the previous four seasons (2020-23).
Anthony joined Wright on his initial staff in December 2019 as defensive coordinator. He was elevated to the role of associate head coach/defensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. Anthony helped fashion one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II during his three years with the Gorillas. He stepped away from his position in June 2023 to pursue a non-coaching professional opportunity in Ohio.

In 2022, Anthony's Pitt State defensive squad led the MIAA in scoring defense (14.1 ppg) and ranked second in the conference in total defense (282.6 ypg), rushing defense (93.0 ypg), passing defense (189.6 ypg) and sacks (31). The Gorillas ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense and 19th nationally in total defense. Pitt State was one of just four defensive units to return four or more interceptions for touchdowns in 2022.

This will be Anthony's first match-up against Northwest Missouri.

Rich Wright is in his eighth 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 64-21-0 (.753) career coaching record.

This will be his seventh meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 3-3 against the Gorillas.

Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has compiled an impressive record in road games over the past 31 years.

The Gorillas have posted a 121-37-1 (.764) record in its last 159 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season. The Gorillas are 57-14 (.803) in their last 71 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010.

NWMSU has compiled a 28-3 (.903) home record since the start of the 2017 season under head coach Rich Wright.

The Pitt State - Northwest Missouri Series
This will be the 57th meeting between the Gorillas and the Bearcats in a series that dates all the way back to the 1932 season. Northwest holds a 29-27-0 advantage in the competitive series.

The Gorillas are 9-10-0 against the Bearcats at Maryville, Mo., but the two teams have met just five times at Bearcat Stadium since the 2001 season.

Last year, No. 2 ranked Pitt State built a 21-0 halftime advantage and rode that momentum to a 28-7 victory over Northwest on Oct. 21 at Bearcat Stadium.

Reserve quarterback Ty Pennington capped three Pitt State scoring drives with short touchdown runs, while running back Noah Hernandez added a fourth score.

The Gorillas defense forced three turnovers and limited the Bearcats to 290 total yards in the game. Pitt State also held NWMSU on downs three times, including a goal-line stand midway through the third quarter.

Pitt State in the MIAA
Pitt State has enjoyed consistent success in the MIAA during the past three decades.

Pitt State has posted a 262-68-1 (.793) record against its MIAA opponents since joining the conference in 1989. The Gorillas have won 14 MIAA titles since joining the conference, including consecutive MIAA crowns past two years (2022-23).

Northwest has posted a 227-28-0 (.890) record in MIAA action since the start of the 1996 season.The Bearcats have won 34 MIAA titles in the school's history.

Either Pitt State or Northwest has won outright or shared the MIAA crown 30 times in the last 34 seasons (1989-2023, no MIAA title awarded in 2020).

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are competing in their 117th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 759-364-48 overall record, winning 66.9 percent of their 1,171 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 719 victories, followed by Hillsdale (668), Carson-Newman (663) and Central Oklahoma (662).

NWMSU has a 638-417-33 (.602) record in 109 seasons of intercollegiate play.


PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 340 of its last 411 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 340-69-2 (.830) mark during the past 40 seasons (1985-2024). PSU is 178-30-1 at home, 158-30-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Scouting the Gorillas
Senior quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. is in his third season directing the Pitt State offense. Dodson (5-11, 202) has fashioned a 30-5 (.857) record as the Gorillas starting quarterback, leading the Gorillas to a pair of MIAA titles and NCAA-II playoff appearances the past two seasons.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native has completed 166 of 301 passes (.551) for 2,244 yards (251.6 ypg) and 12 touchdowns this season.

For his career, he has completed 633 of 1,043 passes (.607) for 8,457 yards and 68 touchdowns. He ranks No. 2 in PSU history for career passing yards and career touchdown passes; and he ranks third in school history in career total offense (8,671 yards).

Redshirt senior linebacker Alex Gaskill has posted a team-leading 58 tackles (26 solo) on the season. The Webb City, Mo., native also has recorded two interceptions and two pass breakups.

A three-time All-MIAA performer, Gaskill has made 230 tackles (114 solo) including 24.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. He also has recorded eight interceptions and 15 PBUs.

Redshirt senior Jack Roberts has caught 32 passes for 481 yards (15.0 ypc) and four scores on the season, including the game-winning grab with 1:00 to play in regulation against FHSU on Oct. 19. He currently ranks 14th in the MIAA in receiving yards, averaging 53.4 yards per game.

For his career, the Overland Park, Kan., native has made 73 receptions for 981 yards (13.4 ypc) and eight TDs. He needs 19 yards to join the 1,000-yard receiving club.

Redshirt senior defensive end Malik Berry was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after posting six tackles, 1.5 TFLs and two pass breakups against UCO on Oct. 26.

The Lawrence, Kan., native has posted 19 tackles (six solo) in seven games played this fall with 3.5 tackles-for-loss, five PBUs and seven QB hurries.