The Missouri Southern football team will play host to the University of Central Missouri this Saturday as the Lions host the Mules for Homecoming 2019. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium is slated for 2 pm.
Game Information
Team Records: MSSU 1-3, 1-3 MIAA | UCM 4-0, 4-0 MIAA
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2019
Kick-Off: 2:00 pm, CT
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Fred G. Hughes Stadium (7,000)
Series Record: UCM leads the series, 23-15-2
Coaches:
Jeff Sims (1-3 at MSSU, 1-3 overall -
first year as a 4-year head coach) | Jim Svoboda (126-53 overall, 74-34 at UCM)
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 101.7 and AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats: https://www.mssulions.com.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball
Lions on Instagram: @mososports
The Series : Central Missouri holds the all-time series lead against the Lions at 23-15-2. The Lions have an 8-9-1 record at Hughes Stadium against the Mules, while the Lions are just 7-14-1 in Warrensburg. Central has won 17 out of the last 20 meetings. Southern defeated the Mules in 2006 and 2013, both games at home. From 1983-1996, the Lions were 7-2 against the Mules.
The Dish On The Mules: The Mules are 4-0 on the season and are ranked No. 17 coming into the game. Central has a win against then 11th-ranked Fort Hays State, while also defeating Northeastern State, Missouri Western and Washburn.
Central is led offensively by quarterback Brook Bolles. Bolles has thrown for 1,150 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 172 and another two scores. On the ground, both Koby Wilkerson and Devante Turner have nearly 50 carries each, while posting five touchdowns apiece. Through the air, Bolles likes big plays. He has hit Shae Wyatt and Zach Davidson on an average of more than 30 yards per catch with each pulling down four touchdowns. Cameron Saunders has 171 yards on 11 receptions for two scores.
Defensively, John Embrey leads the team with 28 tackles, while Kolesen Crane has the team's lone interception and Ubong Udom has 12 tackles, but four of those have been for sacks.
As a team, the Mules average 239 yards on the ground and 323 through the air for 562 of total offense a game. They work quick as their opponents are averaging seven more minutes of possession each game.
A Victory vs. The Mules Would: snap a five-game losing streak to the Mules. It would also be just the second win in the last 13 tries against Central.
NFL Representation: The Lions will have Brandon Williams as the lone MSSU alum in the NFL this season. Williams has blossomed into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and in 2017 became one of the highest-paid, as well, signing a five-year, $54 million contract.
NFL Executive: Former Lion and former NFL wide receiver James Thrash is in his second season serving as the NFL and NFLPA's Appeals Officer. He hears all appeals for the NFL regarding on-field player discipline. Thrash played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.
Lions On Radio: The Lions will partner with Fox Sports Joplin this year as Southern can now be heard on three separate FM stations, as well as an AM station. Fox Sports Joplin will air the Lions' games on 101.3 and 101.7 FM, as well as AM 1560. MSSU's KXMS 88.7 will also simulcast the games giving the Lions a larger reach in the four-states than they've ever had.
Tough League/Region: The MIAA has three teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is 7th, while Pittsburg State is 15th and Central Missouri is 17th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has four teams in the top ten and has eight teams in the top 25. There are ten teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region.
Lions On TV: Missouri Southern's KGCS will air every Lions home game live this year during the season. They will also re-broadcast the games on Sunday evenings at 6 pm.
Lions On The Web: All of MSSU's football games are carried live online as part of the MIAA Network. Fans can go to www.mssulions.com to view live and on-demand games.
Streaming Options: Fans now have even more options to view the Lions online in their homes and on the road. Not only can you view on your computer, fans can now view The MIAA Network on its over the top apps for either Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV.
New Head Coach: Jeff Sims was announced as the new head coach for the Lions at the conclusion of the 2018 football season.
NFL Pedigree: In his career, Sims has coached more than 50 players to NFL careers, including two first-round NFL Draft picks, (Jason Pierre-Paul and Mike Hughes), well as NFL All-Pro Lavonte Davis. In total, seven players he has coached have been drafted. Two former players, Pierre-Paul and Jacquian Williams, both played for the New York Giants in a Super Bowl victory.
NCAA Team Stats Rankings: The Lions lead Division II in fourth down defense and blocked punts allowed, while ranking seventh in passing offense, 19th in blocked punts, 32nd in fumbles recovered, 33rd in total offense, and 37th in tackles for a loss.
MIAA Team Stats Rankings: This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down defense and blocked punts allowed, while ranking second in blocked kicks and blocked punts, passing offense and third in tackles for a loss.
Individual Stats Rankings: Individually, Dwayne Lawson ranks seventh in both receiving yards and receiving yards per game, while ranking 27th in receptions per game. Jacob Park is ninth in passing yards, 10th in passing yards per game, 12th in total offense, 21st in completions per game and 31st in passing touchdowns. Park also ranks 35th in passing yards per completion. JaTece Wright is second in punt return touchdowns, while Paul Wolf ranks 27th in punting and 33rd in field goal percentage. John Ejizu, Levi Marlay, Logan Vandervelden and Colton Winder all rank 33rd in fumbles recovered, while David Rose is 36th in passes defended.
Defensive Touchdowns: The Lions had a pair of defensive touchdowns against Northwest Missouri as Southern blocked a punt that JaTece Wright returned for a score, while Jaylon Alexander returned an interception 55 yards for a score.
Record Setting Passer: Park set a new school record with 442 passing yards against Northwest Missouri, surpassing the previous record of 422 from Adam Hinspeter in 2008. He also became the first quarterback since Hinspeter to throw for 400 or more yards in a game, as well as being the first player since 2008 to be responsible for 400 or more yards in a game (Hinspeter). Park's total of 442 yards is also fifth-best all-time in a single game at Southern.
Lawson With The Catch: Dwayne Lawson made the switch from quarterback to receiver rather nicely as the junior caught six passes for 179 yards and two scores. That included a 93-yard touchdown catch. The 179 yards is tied for fifth-best all-time in a single game at MSSU. Lawson now has three 100-plus yard games this season and has caught 24 passes for 465 yards this year.
Run, Sean, Run: Sean Kelly came into the game at Lincoln in the second half and ran for 126 yards (zero negative yardage) and two touchdowns.
Takeaways a Plenty: The Lions had three takeaways at Fort Hays State with an interception and a fumble recovery from John Ejizu, a fumble recovery from Levi Marlay.
Hall of Fame: On October 19, former Missouri Southern head coach Jon Lantz will be inducted into the Missouri Southern Athletics Hall of Fame (posthumously). Lantz coached the Lions to the program's only MIAA Title in 1993 when the team went 9-1-1.
Watch Party Headquarters: For those wanting to catch the Lions on the road, but not able to travel, Gusanos in Joplin will host the official road watch party each Saturday. Come by their location at 7th and Duquesne to check out all the action.
Defensive Lineage: Three former Lions' defensive coaches, all whom current assistant coach Joe Bettasso learned under, are in high-profile positions. Scottie Hazelton (04-05) is the Defensive Coordinator at Kansas State, Brian Ward (2005) is the Defensive Coordinator at Syracuse and Todd Wash (2004) is the Defensive Coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.
Weather Report: The weather report for the Joplin area on Saturday calls for a high of 80 and scattered thunderstorms. Precipitation chance is listed at 50% with an south-southwest wind of 10-15 mph.
Up Next: The Lions will head back out on the road with a trip to St. Joseph to take on Missouri Western. Kickoff on Saturday, October 12 is slated for 4 pm.
