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By David Boyce  |  Northwest Missouri at Fort Hays State  |  Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016  |  2 p.m.  |  Lewis Field Stadium - Hays, Kan.
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - On the long bus ride through scenic Kansas, Northwest Missouri State senior running back Phil Jackson II will joke with teammates. He will make the final regular-season road trip as enjoyable as possible.
 
"It will be bittersweet," Jackson said. "Bitter because it will be our last road trip for a while. Sweet just because it is that last long road trip. We had a lot of long bus road trips this year. But we have so much fun, hanging out, talking to each other and trying to build camaraderie. It is a testament to how well we have played."
 
Lurking somewhere in his mind will be thoughts on how to beat Fort Hays State Saturday afternoon at Lewis Stadium in Hays, Kan.
 
The Tigers are coming off their first victory over Missouri Western since 2000. They are 6-3 overall and 4-0 at home.
 
"They are a great team," Jackson said. "Their defense is solid. They have two great running backs in the backfield. Their offense is pretty good. We have watched them all year against other defenses. We have to be ready to play.
 
"This isn't a game that we can go in and think we are going to win. We have to have a good week of preparation and go in there with the right mindset. We have to play them tough, be physical like we always do. If we do that, I think we can win the game."
 
One reason Northwest, ranked No. 1 in the AFCA Top 25, is 9-0 and winners of its last 24 games is because the Bearcats never treat any opponent lightly.
 
During this amazing run this season, the Bearcats have made winning look shockingly easy. They are outscoring opponents by an average of 37 points per game.
 
The closest contest they have had this season was a 45-21 win at Missouri Southern on Sept. 24. In that game, Northwest gave up two quick touchdowns and fell behind 13-0 before reverting back to form to dominate the rest of the way.
 
Northwest has made scoring over 40 points a given. The fewest points the Bearcats have scored this season is 41 in week two against Washburn.
 
"Sometimes our guys make stuff look too easy and it is not," Northwest coach Adam Dorrel said. "The process I talk about, that is not easy. It takes discipline, a lot of attention to details and a lot of sacrifice on their part to do it right."
 
Some of the things that go unnoticed by fans are the players staying in shape during January and February, running outside in the winter winds that howl through Maryville.
 
"We are running in the cold and your feet are frozen," Jackson said. "We have to stay focus. It all starts then."
 
Instead of taking it easy and resting on the laurels of an undefeated, national championship season, the Bearcats begin work on the upcoming season when college basketball is at fever pitch. They continue to build on it during the hot summer months.
 
The work they put in is not easy nor is it exciting. They are running up hills and lifting weights. They sweat. There are days when they probably don't feel like putting in the work, but they do because they know the reward awaits them on Saturday afternoons in the fall.
 
Despite winning game after game, Jackson said the coaches make sure they never get complacent. It would be easy for the Bearcats to feel satisfied after a thoroughly enjoyable 69-10 victory over their rival Pittsburg State last Saturday on Homecoming.
 
The coaching staff made sure the Bearcats were locked in on the next opponent.
 
"They feed that into us every minute of every day," Jackson said. "Obviously, it is on us to take that in and focus and do the things we need to do. But I have to give it up to our coaches for getting us ready and keeping us mentally strong."
 
Dorrel reminded the Bearcats throughout this week why they need to be prepared against Fort Hays.
 
"No. 1," Dorrel said, "it is their senior day. No. 2, they haven't lost a game at home. No. 3, if you win, you at least put yourself in position for a share of the conference championship. And No. 4, if you win, you get a spot in the national playoffs.
 
"It is a huge week for our program. Our kids know that."
 
Like last year's seniors, the seniors on this year's team make sure everybody is enjoying the process of getting ready for the game.
 
"We are where we are at because of our seniors," Dorrel said. "I really feel like they care for our younger kids and for each other. They care about this team. They have done everything we ask them to do."
 
It has been a fun ride for the 2016 Bearcats, even on long trips through Kansas, a state that some consider flat with mundane scenery.
 
"I have had a great time hanging out with the guys and playing the games," Jackson said.