Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team will play its one and only game of the 2020 season tomorrow as the Lions head to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southern Nazarene. Kickoff is slated for 3 pm.   

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU 0-0 | SNU 0-2
Date: Thursday, March 18
Kick-Off: 3:00 pm, CT
Location:  Bethany, Okla.
Site: SNU Football Stadium  (5,000)
Series Record:  First-ever meeting
Coaches: Atiba Bradley (0-0, overall/at MSSU) | Dustin Hada (0-2, overall/at SNU)

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
Live Coverage: www.mssulions.com/coverage 
Lions on Facebook:  Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball
Lions on Instagram: @mososports

The Series:  This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Lions Last Time Out: This will be the first game for the Missouri Southern football team since the end of the 2019 season when the Lions played at Pittsburg State. Southern is under the leadership of new head football coach Atiba Bradley and the Lions have a relatively new coaching staff for the Green and Gold. Southern will play this one game against outside competition at Southern Nazarene and then will continue with Spring Ball, culminating in the Spring Game on April 24.

The Dish On The Storm: The Crimson Storm are 0-2 on the season with losses at Texas - Permian Basin and East Central to start the spring season. This will be the second home game of the year for the Storm. SNU is led by quarterback Gage Porter who is the leading passer and rusher for the team. He has 435 yards in the air on 27-51 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, Porter has 45 carries for 320 yards and 7.1 per carry with two scores. Chris Shelmire has also rushed for nine carries for 50 yards and two scores, while Reid Roelofs, Andrew Tisdale and Angel Ramirez. Roelofs has caught 14 passes for 221 yards and no touchdowns, while Tisdale has two catches for 76 yards and a score. Jaren Alvarado has the lone other receiving touchdown on the team. Defensively, the Crimson Storm is led by Trenton Smith with 17 tackles on the year. Josh Lopez has 15 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss of 6 yards and a sack, while Josh Johnson has 13 stops and eight pass break ups. SNU will finish up the spring season with a game at Central Oklahoma on March 27.

A Victory vs. The Storm Would: be the first in the series with SNU as this is the first overall meeting between the two teams. It would also be the first win for the Lions since October 26, 2019.

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.

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 MIAA 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. This game can be seen on SNU's YouTube channel and the link can be found on the MSSU football schedule page. 

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: Former Lion Atiba Bradley will be the new head coach for the Lions this year. Bradley played for the Lions and graduated in 2005. He was a student assistant in 2006 and returned as an assistant coach before making other coaching stops at Missouri, Quincy, South Dakota and McKendree.