PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University football team will return travel to Warrensburg, Mo., Saturday (Nov. 8) for a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up against the University of Central Missouri. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (CST) at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

Pitt State enters Saturday's game with a 7-2 record (6-1 MIAA) and ranked No. 8 in the most recent American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Gorillas have posted seven straight victories after starting the season 0-2. Pitt State posted a 30-10 home win over Missouri Southern State University in its last action on Nov. 1. The Gorillas have averaged a 33-12 victory over their last four opponents.

Central Missouri is 4-5 (4-3 MIAA) on the season. The Mules snapped a three-game losing streak with a 28-24 road win over Fort Hays State University last Saturday at Hays, Kan. UCM is averaging 31.3 points per game on the season, but the Mules are allowing 30.1 points each time out.

The Coaches
Tom Anthony is in his his second year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. He guided the Gorillas to an 8-3 record during his debut season in 2024, including guiding Pitt State to the program's third straight trip to the NCAA Division II national playoffs. He has a 15-5 (.750) career mark.

Anthony returned to campus in December 2023 after a six-month absence to become the Gorillas 16th all-time head coach.

He served as Pitt State's defensive coordinator from 2020-22 under former head coach Brian Wright, helping the Gorillas fashion a 21-7 record and an MIAA title and NCAA-II playoff appearance in 2022.

Anthony was elevated to the role of associate head coach/defensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. He helped fashion one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II during his three years with the Gorillas.

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.

In 2021, Anthony's squad led the MIAA in interceptions (14) and the Gorillas ranked second in the conference in scoring defense (19.5 ppg), total defense (341.2 ypg) and rushing defense (120.5 ypg).
This will be Anthony's second match-up against UCM. He is 0-1 vs. the Mules.

Josh Lamberson is in his fourth season as head coach at UCM and his seventh year as a collegiate head coach. Lamberson (NWMSU, '05) has compiled a 32-46 (.410) career record, including a 28-17 (.622) mark leading the Mules. He also served as three seasons as head coach at MIAA rival Nebraska-Kearney from 2015-17.

Lamberson served as associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Abilene Christian from 2018-21. He also served as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at UCM from 2010-14.
This will be his seventh meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 1-5 against the Gorillas.

The Pitt State - Central Missouri Series
This will be the 62nd all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Mules in a series that dates all the way back to the 1916 season.

Pitt State holds a commanding 46-13-2 advantage in the series. The Gorillas are 22-6-2 vs. the Mules at Warrensburg all-time.

Last year,  Zach Zebrowski passed for 382 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a pair of scores in leading UCM to a 37-13 road win over No. 5 Pitt State on Nov. 2 at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Gorillas led 10-7 late in the second quarter, but the Mules outscored Pitt State 30-3 the rest of the way.

UCM scored 17 points in the final 3:39 of the second quarter to take a 24-10 halftime lead. Brett Grupe booted a 22-yard field goal to tie the game at 10-10 with 3:39 remaining in the first half. Two minutes later, Zebrowski connected with Michael Fitzgerald on a 62-yard scoring pass three plays after the Mules defense forced a quick four-and-out series by the Gorillas.

UCM forced another Pitt State three-and-out to get the ball back with 41 seconds to play and the Mules cashed in again with Zebrowski tossing a 15-yard TD pass to Cristian Dixon to cap a four-play, 69-yard drive with 12 ticks on the scoreboard.

The Mules stretched their lead to 27-10 on Grupe's 31-yard third quarter field goal, before Pitt State got a 25-yard field goal from Gentry Cole to break the scoring run.

Chad Dodson Jr. completed 16 of 36 passes for 231 yards in the game, including a nine-yard second quarter touchdown pass to tight end Mario Kirby Jr.. The Gorillas managed just 99 net rushing yards on 32 carries in the game.

Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has compiled an impressive record in road games over the past 32 years.

The Gorillas have posted a 124-39-1 (.759) record in its last 164 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season. The Gorillas are 60-16 (.789) in their last 76 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010.

UCM has posted a 15-6 (.714) home record the past four seasons under Coach Lamberson.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 348 of its last 421 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 348-71-2 (.829) mark during the past 41 seasons (1985-2025). PSU is 183-30-1 at home, 161-32-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

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

Pitt State has posted a 269-69-1 (.795) 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 in 2022 and 2023.

Central Missouri has posted a 208-131-1 (.613) record in conference action since 1989.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are playing in their 118th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 767-367-48 overall record, winning 66.9 percent of their 1,182 all-time games.

Pittsburg State is one of just two NCAA Division II institutions to have recorded 700 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 722 victories, followed by Hillsdale (674), Carson-Newman (670) and Central Oklahoma (668).

 UCM has a 608-543-51 (.527) record in 129 seasons of intercollegiate play.

Scouting the Gorillas
Redshirt senior quarterback Jackson Berry has completed 165 of 269 passes (.613) for 1,893 yards (210.3 ypg) and nine touchdowns for the Gorillas. He also has rushed the ball 65 times for 182 yards and three scores.
He currently ranks fifth in the MIAA in passing yards (210.3 ypg), fifth in the league in total offense (230.6 ypg) and fourth in the conference in passing efficiency (127.8 rating).

Berry (6-0, 201), who transferred to Pitt State in January from NCAA Division I Southern Utah University, also has 38 carries for 109 net yards (2.9 ypc) and a touchdown on the ground on the season. He passed for a season-high 294 yards in the season opener against Ferris State.

The Prosper, Texas native completed 129 of 205 passes (.629) for 1,558 yards (155.8 ypg) and 12 touchdowns with just three interceptions at SUU last year.

Redshirt senior safety Jordan Rogers has made a team-leading 59 tackles (25 solo) and recorded two interceptions, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

The Bellmead, Texas native has registered 136 career tackles (75 solo), 12 interceptions and 24 pass breakups. A two-time All-MIAA performer, Rogers (5-10, 188) recorded 42 tackles, four interceptions and eight PBUs as a junior in 2024.

He currently ranks in seventh place in Pitt State history in career interceptions (12); and Rogers ranks fifth all-time in passes defended (36).

Redshirt junior running back Zahmari Palode-Gary has rushed the ball 99 times for 600 yards (6.1 ypc) and seven touchdowns in eight games played on the year.

The Kansas City, Mo., native currently ranks second in the MIAA in rushing, averaging 75.0 yards per game. He posted three straight 100-yard rushing games between Sept. 27 (vs. ESU) and Oct. 11 (vs. WU); and he carried the ball 13 times for 54 yards and three scores against MWSU on Oct. 25.

Palode-Gary transferred to Pitt State in August from Garden City Community College where he was an honorable mention All-Jayhawk Conference performer in 2024.

Junior placekicker Austin Schmitt earned MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week honors for third time in four weeks following his efforts against MSSU.

Schmitt booted three field goals and scored 12 points in the Gorillas' 30-10 win over MSSU last Saturday (Nov. 1). The Grain Valley, Mo., native converted kicks of 34, 26 and 30 yards in the game. He also made all three of his PAT attempts.

Schmitt, who also earned MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week honors against Washburn on Oct. 11 and Missouri Western on Oct. 25, has made an NCAA Division II leading 15 field goals this season.