PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Kearney, Neb., Saturday (Oct. 3) for a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up against the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CDT) at Ron & Carol Stadium.

Pitt State is 0-4 (0-2 MIAA) on the season. The Gorillas dropped back-to-back home games to No. 1 Ferris State University, 42-14, on Aug. 27 and to Emporia State University, 21-10, on Sept. 5. Pitt State has since dropped a hard-fought 24-23 decision to the University of West Alabama on Sept. 12 at Livingston, Ala., and a 42-17 decision to Fort Hays State University on Sept. 19 at Hays, Kan. The Gorillas are entering the UNK match-up following a bye week.

Nebraska-Kearney also is seeking its first win of the season. The Lopers suffered a 42-7 home loss to Washburn University last Saturday (Sept. 26). Emporia State also handed UNK a 19-9 setback on Sept. 19.

UNK posted a 6-5 record last year, including a 5-4 mark in MIAA play.

The Coaches
Tom Anthony is in his third year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. He has an 18-10 (.643) 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. UNK. He's 2-0 against the Lopers.

Ryan Held is in his fourth 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.

He has an 13-22 record leading the Lopers and an 0-3 mark against the Gorillas.

The Pitt State - Nebraska-Kearney Series
This will be the 29th meeting between the Gorillas and the Lopers in a series that dates back to the 1974 season and the 14th meeting between the two squads since 1988. Pitt State holds a 19-9 edge in the series.

Last year, the Pitt State defense turned in a dominant performance and the No. 17 ranked Gorillas posted a 23-6 victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Oct. 4 at Carnie Smith Stadium.

Pitt State registered four quarterback sacks and limited the visiting Lopers to just 48 net rushing yards on 27 carries in the contest. UNK came into the contest averaging an MIAA-leading 221.4 rushing yards. The Lopers managed just 157 total yards on the day.

Wide receiver Damien Long II hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jackson Berry on the game's opening drive as Pitt State covered 75 yards in 10 plays for a 7-0 lead.

Austin Schmitt, who converted three of five field goal attempts on the day, booted a 27-yard attempt for a 10-0 halftime advantage. He added kicks of 33 and 35 yards in the third quarter to build a 16-0 advantage.

UNK's only score in the contest came on a muffed punt return that Kolten Tilford recovered in the Pitt State end zone for a touchdown with 14:06 to play in the game. The Pitt State defense closed out the game in style with Kristian Cross returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown with 3:51 to play in the game.

Berry completed 24 of 31 passes for 256 yards in the game, including eight connections to wide receiver Kuron Parchmon for 83 yards. Wide receiver Greyson Holbert also had six grabs for 71 yards. Running back Zahmari Palode-Gary carried the ball 14 times for 105 yards, including 11 touches for 90 yards in the second half. It marked Palode-Gary's second straight 100-yard rushing game.

Safety Steven Ward II made a team-leading seven tackles for the Gorillas, while safety Jordan Rogers registered six tackles, including a QB sack. Linebacker Blake Carr also posted six stops, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage. Defensive end James Smith also made 1.5 tackles-for-loss in the contest.

Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has compiled an impressive record in road games over the past 33 years.

The Gorillas have posted a 125-42-1 (.747) record in its last 168 road games (including post-season play) dating back to the start of the 1994 season. The Gorillas are 61-19 (.763) in their last 80 road games dating back to Oct. 23, 2010.

UNK has compiled a 16-12 (.571) home record in the past 28 home games dating back to the start of the 2021 season.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 350 of its last 427 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 350-75-2 (.822) mark during the past 42 seasons (1985-2026). PSU is 183-32-1 at home, 162-34-1 on the road and 5-9-0 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 272-71-1 (.792) 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).

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 770-372-48 overall record, winning 66.7 percent of their 1,190 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 725 victories, followed by Hillsdale (679), Carson-Newman (675) and Central Oklahoma (671).

UNK has a 576-380-27 (.600) record in 104 seasons of intercollegiate play.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has utilized three quarterbacks through the first three games of the season:  redshirt junior Jake Wolff , redshirt freshman Bobby Bacon and freshman Billy Middleton III.
Wolff started the first two games under center, completing 39 of 60 passes (.650) for 349 yards (174.5 ypg) and one touchdown. The Overland Park, Kan., native has seen action in nine career games for Pitt State. He missed the past two contests due to injury.

Bacon (Iowa, City) has completed 24 of 48 passes (.500) for 369 yards (184.5 ypg) and three touchdowns in two games played. Middleton (Glenn Heights, Texas) also completed three passes for 22 yards on the season and rushed the ball 14 times for 55 yards.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Greyson Holbert has 89 career receptions for 888 yards and three touchdowns in 42 games played for the Gorillas. Holbert (Overland Park, Kan.) also has rushed the football 24 times for 229 yards (9.5 ypc) and two scores.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver T.J. Starks has 12 receptions for 249 yards (20.8 ypc) and a touchdown 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 87 yards vs. West Alabama. Starks transferred to Pitt State in January from NCAA Division I Arkansas State.

Sophomore safety Quintin Kirby posted a career best 10 tackles against Ferris State. Kirby (St. Louis, Mo.) added eight stops, including 2.0 TFLs, and an interception vs. UWA. He leads the team and ranks seventh in the MIAA with 29 tackles (19 solo). 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 Blake Carr has registered 109 career tackles (38 solo) in 18 career games played for the Gorillas. Carr (Clyde, Texas) has added 13.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 quarterback sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He posted 10 tackles, including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage, against ESU on Sept. 5.

Redshirt sophomore Tyler Antle has punted 21 times for a 47.2-yard average in Pitt State's first four games, with 11 kicks traveling 50+ yards to date.  He leads the MIAA and ranks fourth in Division II in punting this season. The Frontenac native has 69 career punts for a 42.6-yard average, placing 27 kicks inside the opponent 20 yard line.