PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University football team will return to Carnie Smith Stadium Saturday (Nov. 7) for a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up against the University of Central Missouri. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CST).

Pitt State will bring a 3-6 overall record (3-4 MIAA) into Saturday's action. The Gorillas saw their two-game winning streak snapped in a 23-13 road loss to Missouri Southern State University last Saturday (Oct. 31) at Joplin. Pitt State had posted back-to-back wins over Missouri Western State University (45-42) and the University of Central Oklahoma (52-14) the previous two weeks.

Saturday's regular season home finale will serve as both Senior Day and Pitt State's Salute to Service contest. The Gorillas will honor their 22-member outgoing senior class during pregame ceremonies.

Central Missouri is 6-3 overall and 5-2 in MIAA play entering Saturday's tilt. The Mules are fresh off a 31-13 home win over Fort Hays State University last Saturday.

The Coaches
Tom Anthony is in his third year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. He has a 21-12 (.636) career record leading the Pitt State program.

Anthony guided the Gorillas to a 10-3 record as well as the program's third MIAA title in four seasons and Pitt State's fourth consecutive NCAA Division II playoffs berth in 2025, He posted an 8-3 record and led the Gorillas to an NCAA-II playoff berth in his debut season as head coach in 2024.

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 third meeting vs. UCM. He's 2-0 against the Mules.

Josh Lamberson is in his fifth season as head coach at UCM and his eighth year as a collegiate head coach. Lamberson (NWMSU, '05) has compiled a 39-50 (.438) career record, including a 35-21 (.530) 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 eighth meeting vs. Pitt State. He is 1-6 against the Gorillas.

The Pitt State - Central Missouri Series
This will be the 63rd 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 47-13-2 advantage in the series. The Gorillas are 24-7-0 vs. the Mules in Pittsburg all-time.

Last year,  Pitt State scored 21 points in the pivotal third quarter to gain separation and eventual claim a 48-35 road win over Central Missouri on Nov. 8 at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

Quarterback Jackson Berry passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns against the Mules, while running back Zahmari Palode-Gary rushed for 144 yards and a pair of scores.

Safety Jordan Rogers jumped a slant route and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the second half to break a 14-14 tie. After UCM knotted the score at 21-21 on its next possession, the Pitt State offense struck for a 67-yard scoring jaunt by Palode-Gary and a 71-yard scoring connect from Berry to wide receiver Tyjuan Atkins Jr. on back-to-back offensive plays.

The Gorillas added a 30-yard field goal from Austin Schmitt at the 13:30 mark of the fourth quarter for a 38-21 advantage; and Pitt State struck again 46 seconds later when linebacker Steven Ward II forced a fumble and defensive end Ely Wilcox converted it into a 25-yard scoop and score play.

Berry completed 14 of 26 passes in the game for a season-high 296 yards. He connected with tight end Luke Niggemann on a six-yard TD pass for the game's first points early in the second quarter. Atkins hauled in four passes for a season best 142 yards. Running back Cleo Chandler Jr. also caught five passes for 82 yards in the game.

Schmitt raised his NCAA Division II leading field goal total to 17 on the season with his 30-yarder and a 42-yard kick with 3:02 to play in the game.

Gorillas at Home
Pitt State holds a 382-142-12 (.724) record in 536 games inside Carnie Smith Stadium (including postseason). The Gorillas have won 180 of their last 216 regular season home games, posting a 180-35-1 (.836) record over the last 42 seasons.

Central Missouri is 14-14 (.500) in its last 28 road games dating back to the start of the 2022 season. 

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

Pitt State has posted a 275-73-1 (.789) record against its MIAA opponents since joining the conference in 1989. The Gorillas have won 15 MIAA titles since joining the conference, including MIAA crowns in three of the last four seasons (2022, 2023, 2025).

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 353 of its last 432 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 353-77-2 (.819) mark during the past 42 seasons (1985-2026). PSU is 185-32-1 at home, 163-36-1 on the road and 5-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program. The Gorillas, who are playing in their 119th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 773-374-48 overall record, winning 66.7 percent of their 1,195 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 728 victories, followed by Hillsdale (682), Carson-Newman (679) and Central Oklahoma (674).

UCM has a 615-547-51 (.528) record in 130 seasons of intercollegiate play.

Scouting the Gorillas
Redshirt freshman quarterback Bobby Bacon has passed for 881 yards (293.7 ypg) and four touchdowns in Pitt State's last three outings.

Bacon was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 19 after passing for 384 yards and accounting for three touchdowns in the Gorillas 45-42 win vs. Missouri Western. He completed 21 of 28 passes for 301 yards and three TDs vs. Central Oklahoma on Oct. 24.

Bacon (Iowa City, Iowa) has started the last seven games under center. He has completed 133 of 217 passes (.613) for 1,681 yards (240.1 ypg) and nine touchdowns in seven games played. Bacon passed for the seventh-highest yardage total in school against MWSU and he became the first Pitt State QB since 2016 to post back-to-back 300-yard passing games with 301 yards vs. UCO.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Greyson Holbert became the 10th player in school history to eclipse 100 career receptions and 1,000 career receiving yards on Oct. 17. Holbert (Overland Park, Kan.), who made seven catches for 90 yards against UCO, now has 116 career catches for 1,164 yards and three touchdowns in 48 games played for the Gorillas. He also has rushed the football 24 times for 229 yards (9.5 ypc) and two scores.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver T.J. Starks has 29 receptions for 469 yards (16.2 ypc) and three touchdowns in his debut season for the Gorillas. Starks (Jonesboro, Ark.) had four grabs for 102 yards vs. ESU (Sept. 5) and he added five catches for 51 yards and a score vs. UNK (Oct. 3). Starks transferred to Pitt State in January from NCAA Division I Arkansas State.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Blake Carr and sophomore safety Quintin Kirby lead the Gorillas defense with 59 and 58 tackles, respectively.

Carr (Clyde, Texas) has registered 139 career tackles (53 solo) in 23 career games played for the Gorillas. He has added 19.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 quarterback sacks, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He matched his career high with 10 tackles, including 4.0 behind the line of scrimmage, against UNK (Oct. 3).

Kirby (St. Louis, Mo.) posted a career best 10 tackles against Ferris State on Aug. 27. He added two stops and an interception he returned 44 yards for a TD vs. UCO. Kirby saw action in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2025. He made 27 stops (14 solo), one fumble recovery and one forced fumble last season.

Redshirt sophomore Tyler Antle has punted 38 times for a 44.8-yard average, with 12 kicks traveling 50+ yards to date including a career best 74 yarder vs WU (Oct. 10).  He leads the MIAA and ranks fourth in Division II in punting this season. The Frontenac native has 86 career punts for a 42.4-yard average, placing 31 kicks inside the opponent 20 yard line.

Senior Austin Schmitt has converted 12 of 17 field goal tries on the season. Schmitt, who set the Pitt State career record for field goals against UNK on Oct. 3, ranks 10th in Division II this season in field goals per game (1.33 pg). The Grain Valley, Mo., native has converted 52 of 73 (.712) career kicks.