PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Topeka Saturday (Sept. 21) for a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up against Washburn University.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (CDT) at Yager Stadium.

Pitt State, the No. 10 team in this week's AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, enters Saturday's action at 2-1 overall (1-1 MIAA). The Gorillas dropped a hard-fought 24-21 decision to then No. 21 ranked Emporia State University last Saturday (Sept. 14) at Carnie Smith Stadium. The Hornets snapped a 14-game home winning streak by the Gorillas.

Pitt State ushered in the 2024 campaign with a 19-3 home win over previously No. 3 ranked Ferris State University on Aug. 31 and the Gorillas notched a 42-10 road win over Missouri Southern State University on Sept. 7.

Washburn is 0-2 on the season (0-1 MIAA). The Ichabods dropped a 31-28 home decision to No. 5 Colorado School of Mines in their last outing last Saturday (Sept. 14). Washburn opened its 2024 campaign with a 30-14 week zero road loss to Emporia State on Aug. 29. The Ichabods were idle in week one.

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 Washburn.

Craig Schurig is in his 21st season directing the Ichabods program and his 21st year as a collegiate coach.  Schurig (Colorado Mines, '87), who became head coach at Washburn in 2002 after eight seasons as an assistant at Pitt State (1994-2001), has a 139-102-0 (.577) record leading the Ichabods. He is 10-10 all-time vs. Pitt State.

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

The Gorillas have posted a 118-37-1 (.760) record in its last 156 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season. The Gorillas are 54-14 (.794) in their last 68 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010.

WU has compiled a 39-30 (.565) home record since the start of the 2011 season.

The Pitt State - Washburn Series
This will be the 94th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Ichabods in a series that dates all the way back to the 1921 season.

The two teams met annually from 1941-2011, but did not face one another in 2012-13 thanks to an unbalanced MIAA schedule.

Pitt State holds a commanding 65-27-1 advantage in the series. The Gorillas are 32-14-0 vs. the Ichabods at Topeka.

Last year, Pitt State scored 21 unanswered fourth quarter points to pull away for a 34-7 season-opening win over Washburn on Aug. 31 at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Gorillas defense limited the Ichabods to 217 total yards in the contest. Linebacker Jack Barkley made a career best 14 tackles with 3.5 TFLs and a quarterback sacks to garner MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors.

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

Pitt State has posted a 257-67-1 (.796) 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).

WU has posted a 150-175-0 (.462) record since joining the MIAA along with Pitt State in 1989.

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 754-363-48 overall record, winning 66.8 percent of their 1,165 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 714 victories, followed by Hillsdale (663), Carson-Newman (657) and Central Oklahoma (655).

WU has a 579-606-44 (.489) record in 131 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 335 of its last 405 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 335-68-2 (.830) mark during the past 40 seasons (1985-2024). PSU is 176-29-1 at home, 155-30-1 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 25-4 (.862) 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 58 of 96 passes (.604) for 829 yards (276.3 ypg) and six touchdowns this season.

For his career, he has completed 525 of 838 passes (.626) for 7,042 yards and 62 touchdowns. He ranks No. 2 in PSU history for career passing yards and career touchdown passes. Dodson moved into second place in career touchdown passes following the ESU game. Anthony Abenoja (2011-14) holds the PSU career records for passing yards (9419 yds) and TD passes (80).

Redshirt senior linebacker Alex Gaskill has posted a team-leading 27 tackles (11 solo) on the young season. The Webb City, Mo., native also has recorded an interception and a pass breakup.

A three-time All-MIAA performer, Gaskill has made 197 tackles (99 solo) including 23.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.0 quarterback sacks. He also has recorded seven interceptons and 21 PBUs. Gaskill currently ranks sixth all-time at Pitt State in PBUs (21) and passes defended (28).

Redshirt senior Noah Hernandez rushed for a career best 99 yards and a touchdown against Emporia State last week.

The Tulsa, Okla., native carried the ball 16 times for 99 yards, including a one-yard scoring plunge against the Hornets. He is currently averaging a team-leading 70.3 rushing yards per game this season.

For his career, Hernandez has 183 rushes for 908 yards (5.0 ypc) and nine touchdowns. He's also caught 18 passes for 172 yards (9.6 ypc) and a pair of scores.