Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team will head back out on the road as Southern travels to St. Joseph this Saturday to take on Missouri Western. Kickoff from Spratt Memorial Stadium is slated for 4 pm.
Game Information
Team Records: MSSU 1-4, 1-4 MIAA | MWSU 3-2, 3-2 MIAA
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2019
Kick-Off: 4:00 pm, CT
Location: St. Joseph, Mo.
Site: Spratt Memorial Stadium (10,000)
Series Record: MWSU leads the series 26-23
Coaches:
Jeff Sims (1-4 at MSSU, 1-4 overall -
first year as a 4-year head coach) | Matt Williamson (14-14 overall, at MWSU)
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.gogriffons.com.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball
Lions on Instagram: @mososports
The Series : The all-time series record between the two teams has Missouri Western leading 26-23. The series is tied at 13 at Fred G. Hughes Stadium and the Lions' record is 10-13 in St. Joseph. Western has won 11 of the last 15 against the Lions, but Southern has two wins against MWSU when the Griffons were ranked including a huge fourth-quarter comeback against then 12th-ranked Western in 2009 in St. Joseph and another fourth-quarter comeback in 2012 in St. Joseph against then fourth-ranked Western. Southern dominated the series with the Griffons early on, winning the first five meetings in a row, and ten out of the first 13. The largest margin of victory for the Lions was in two separate games (1970 & 1972 - 45 points), and for the Griffons was in 2015 (42).
The Dish On The Griffons: The Griffons are 3-2 on the season, but have won the last two games in a row with road wins at Northeastern State and at Washburn. Western has a win at then No. 25 ranked Fort Hays State. The Griffons have three wins on the road, but zero at home this season.
Western has a balanced attack on offense with Markel Smith leading the way on the ground and Wyatt Steigerwald directing the passing attack. Smith has 67 carries for 423 yards and seven scores, while Steigerwald has thrown for 1,206 yards and 12 touchdowns. Shamar Griffith has 298 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while Jared Scott has 167 yards and three scores. Through the air, Steigerwald targets Devon Holmes the most with 24 receptions for 350 yards and two touchdowns. Damen Wheeler (169 yards) and Cam Grandy (121 yards) have a touchdown each.
Defensively, Evan Chohon leads the way with 36 tackles, including four for a loss and two pass breakups. Anthony Williams has 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Kobe Cummings has 28 tackles. Tyler Baska leads the way with a pair of sacks, while Sam Webb has a team-high two interceptions.
The Griffons average 209 yards on the ground each game with 259 coming through the air for 469 of total offense each game.
A Victory vs. The Griffons Would: snap a six-game losing streak to the Griffons and it would be the fourth win in the last 11 matchups against the Griffons. It would be the first win in St. Joesph since the 2012 season for the Lions.
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 third 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 13th and Central Missouri is 15th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has four teams in the top ten and has nine teams in the top 25. There are 13 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, blocked punts allowed and passing offense, while ranking 22nd in total offense, 24th in first downs and blocked punts, 32nd in kickoff returns and 38th in passing yards per completion.
MIAA Team Stats Rankings: This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down defense, blocked punts allowed and passing offense, while ranking second in blocked punts.
Individual Stats Rankings: Jacob Park leads Division II in passing yards, while ranking second in passing yards per game and fifth in both completions per game and total offense. Park ranks 26th in points responsible for and 30th in passing yards per completion. JaTece Wright is third nationally in punt return touchdowns, while Dwayne Lawson ranks 22nd in receiving yards and 24th in receiving yards per game.
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 broke his own school record against Central Missouri as he threw for 519 yards becoming the first Lion quarterback to throw for a half a thousand in a single game. He went 36-of-59 with four touchdowns in the game, helping the Lions set the team record for passing yards in a game with 519, as well. Park also tied the single-game completion record with 36, tying the mark held by TJ Fleeton in 2015 against Fort Hays State. Park's total of 519 yards is also second-best total offense mark 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 and 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 St. Joseph area on Saturday calls for a high of 61 and sunny skies. Precipitation chance is listed at 0% with an west-southwest wind of 15 mph.
Up Next: The Lions will head back home to Fred G. Hughes Stadium where Southern will play host to Washburn on October 19. The game will serve as the annual Hall of Fame game where former Lions coach Jon Lantz will be inducted into the MSSU athletics Hall of Fame.
