Complete Northwest Football Game Notes (PDF)

Game No. 3 - #7/#6 Northwest Missouri State (2-0) at Missouri Southern (1-1)
Sat., Sept. 21 | 6 p.m. | Joplin, Missouri | Hughes Stadium (7,000)

Live Stream ($ - Subscription) - MIAA Network
Live Audio - KXCV

Play-by-Play: John Coffey
Analyst: Matt Tritten
Sideline: Logan Weber

Flagship – KXCV (90.5 FM), Maryville
 
Bearcat Radio Network Affiliates:
KRNW (88.9 FM), Chillicothe
KMA (960 AM), Shenandoah, Iowa
KKWK (100.1 FM), Cameron
KCWJ (1030 AM), Kansas City
 

Live Stats - www.MSSULions.com
Tickets - www.MSSULions.com

THIS WEEK'S GAME
Northwest Missouri State will travel to Missouri Southern Saturday for a 6 p.m. kick at Hughes Stadium in Joplin, Missouri.

ALL-TIME VS. MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Northwest holds a 26-4 lead in the all-time series vs. Missouri Southern. The Bearcats are 14-1 vs. the Lions in Joplin.

23 STRAIGHT WINS FOR NW
The Bearcats have won 23 consecutive games in the series.
    Missouri Southern's last win in the series came Nov. 12, 1994, when the Lions posted a 34-9 win in Joplin.    

THE COACHES
Northwest is led by third-year head coach Rich Wright. Wright was named head coach at Northwest Missouri on Dec. 19, 2016. Wright has posted a 21-6 mark for the Bearcats. Wright arrived at Northwest in 2004 as the defensive line coach and coordinator of special teams. In 2011, Wright was named defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. A native of Hamilton, N.Y., Wright earned his bachelor's degree at Dana College in 1995 and his master's at Northwest in 1996.
    Jeff Sims comes to the Lions with more than 24 years as a high school and collegiate coach. For the past four seasons, Sims has been the head coach at Garden City where he has led the team to a 32-12 record, including the 2016 Junior College National Championship. In 2018, Garden City finished 10-1 and was the NJCAA National Runner Up and finished the season ranked No. 2 in junior college football.


7 SHUTOUTS UNDER WRIGHT
Northwest has recorded seven shutouts under the direction of head coach Rich Wright, including two consecutive 63-0 blankings of Missouri Southern over the past two seasons.
    The Bearcats posted five shutouts in 2017 and added two more in 2018.

WRIGHT NAMED MIAA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore quarterback Braden Wright was named the MIAA's football offensive player of the week.
    Wright passed for a career-high 278 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in leading Northwest to a 38-17 win over Washburn. Wright was 20-29 passing, while rushing six times for 47 yards and a score.
    Wright has accounted for six of Northwest's nine offensive touchdowns in 2019. Wright has passed for four scores and rushed for two others.
    Last season as a redshirt freshman, Wright ranked No. 1 in the nation among freshmen in points responsible for (210). Wright rushed for 11 touchdowns and threw for 24 scores in 2018.

FOURTH QUARTER DEFENSE
Northwest is finishing strong in the fourth quarter in 2019. The Bearcats have outscored both Missouri Western and Washburn, 28-7 in the fourth.

EIGHT DIFFERENT BEARCATS FIND END ZONE
Through two games, eight different Northwest players have found the end zone. Sam Phillips, Justin Rankin and Braden Wright have each scored two touchdowns. Alec Tatum, Isaiah Strayhorn, Kyle Raunig, Imoni Donadelle and Kaden Davis have each scored one touchdown.

BEARCAT NUMBERS HODGEPODGE
In the Rich Wright era, Northwest is 13-0 when the offense produces 400 or more yards. Northwest is 20-0 when leading at the half under Wright's direction.

RANKIN CARRIES THE LOAD
Senior running back Justin Rankin has rushed for 223 yards on 37 carries in the first two games this season.
    Rankin has scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, including a 41-yard burst against Washburn that gave the Bearcats a lead they would not relinquish in a 38-17 victory.
    Rankin has totaled 1,798 career rushing yards on 385 carries in 36 collegiate games. Rankin played his previous three seasons at Kent State University.
    Rankin has produced three 100-yard rushing games in his collegiate career.

Rankin's 100-Yard Games
9/8/18 vs. Howard - 147 yds.
10/6/18 vs. Ohio - 123 yds.
9/5/19 at Missouri Western - 130 yds.

ON THE MARQ
Senior tight end Marqus Andrews leads the Bearcats in both receptions (5) and receiving yards (112) through the opening two games.
    Andrews caught three passes for 72 yards, including a 43-yard reception that set up a two-yard touchdown run by Justin Rankin in the fourth quarter against Washburn.

THE TRUFFLE SHUFFLE
Sophomore Zach Howard has recorded a sack in each of the first two games this season. Howard has also performed "The Truffle Shuffle" following each sack to the delight of the Bearcat fans.

BAYER IS BEARCATS'S ASPIRIN
Junior safety Blake Bayer is the leading tackler through the first two games with 13 stops.
    Bayer has also posted a team-best 11 solo stops.

RIDING RANKIN
Senior running back Justin Rankin rushed for seven first downs, including five in the fourth quarter of the Bearcats's 45-35 win at Missouri Western.
    Rankin rushed for a game-high 130 yards on 20 carries. Rankin posted a team-best 143 all-purpose yards.
    
4TH QTR LOCKDOWN
The Northwest defense put up a wall in Missouri Western's final three possessions last week.
    After Missouri Western took a 38-35 lead, the Griffons ran eight total plays for minus-15 yards. Included in those eight plays were two sacks and an interception.

TWO DEFENSIVE SCORES
Sophomore linebacker Sam Phillips scored two defensive touchdowns (fumble, interception) in Northwest's 45-35 win at Missouri Western and was named the MIAA defensive player of the week.
    His brother, Spencer, scooped up an errant shotgun snap by the Griffons and then lateraled the ball to Sam for a 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown for the first score of the game.
    Prior to Phillips fumble return for a touchdown, the last Bearcat to score on an opponents' fumble came when Brandon Yost recovered a fumble for a touchdown at Pittsburg State (Oct. 17, 2015).
    Phillips then added a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Bearcats a 28-7 lead over the Griffons.
    Phillips finished the game with six tackles to go along with his two defensive touchdowns.

TREY MAKES BIG PLAYS
Sophomore cornerback Trey Washington had a huge impact on the outcome of Northwest's 45-35 win at Missouri Western.
    With Northwest clinging to a 38-35 lead and Missouri Western facing a 3rd-and-5 at the Griffon 35-yard line, Washington blitzed off the corner and sacked quarterback Wyatt Steigerwald forcing MWSU to punt with 7:20 to play in the contest.
    On Western's next possession, Washington stepped in front of a Steigerwald pass and picked him off with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter.

DONADELLE DOES DAMAGE
Junior wide receiver Imoni Donadelle touched the ball three times against Missouri Western and averaged 34.7 yards per touch.
    Donadelle's first touch came on a 60-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
    Donadelle also rushed two times for 16 yards and 28 yards (44 total rushing yards).
    His three touches accounted for 104 all-purpose yards in Northwest's 45-35 win at Missouri Western.

RAUNIG MAKES IT COUNT
Senior tight end Kyle Raunig made his first career catch count.  Raunig latched on to a four-yard touchdown reception from Braden Wright to close out Northwest's 45-35 win at Missouri Western.

PROGRAM OF THE DECADE
Northwest is the winningest NCAA Div. II program of this decade from 2010-2018. Northwest is 109-16 for an .872 winning percentage since 2010. The Bearcats have been ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Div. II Top 25 poll 38 times since the start of the 2010 season.

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
It's not easy to get on the Academic All-America list. The Bearcats do a pretty good job of filling it up though, placing 17 players on the list, including 16 since 2003. In 2016, Kyle Zimmerman (QB) took home the top honor – Academic All-American of the Year – something no Bearcat had ever done. Last season, Northwest had Marqus Andrews and Ryan Spelhaug each named first-team Academic All-Americans.

DIVISION II'S ELITE PROGRAM
Northwest has reached the NCAA Division II national championship game 10 times. Northwest owns six national championships (1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016).
    The Bearcats are 48-17 all-time in the playoffs, which marks the most victories in Division II playoff history.
    The Bearcats (.738) also rank No. 1 in highest winning percentage in the Division II playoffs.

Most Division II Playoff Victories
Northwest Missouri    48-16 (23 years)
Grand Valley State    35-15 (19 years)
North Alabama    35-18 (21 years)

PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE
Northwest earned its 15th straight bid and 23rd overall appearance in the Division II playoffs in 2018.
    Northwest ranks No. 1 all-time in Division II in playoff appearances.

Most Div. II Playoff Appearances
Northwest Missouri    23
North Alabama    21
Grand Valley State    19
Indiana (Pa.)    18
Pittsburg State    18
UC Davis    18

SIX-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPS
Northwest has captured six NCAA Div. II national championship – the most national titles by any Division II program. Northwest won national championships in 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
    The Bearcat have played in the NCAA Div. II national championship game 10 times in the last 21 years. Northwest has played for the crown in 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

MIAA CHAMPS
Northwest earned a share of the program's 29th MIAA regular season title in 2018. The Bearcats have claimed five of the last six MIAA crowns.

MEASURE UP WITH BEARCATS
Northwest owns an NCAA Division II playoff record 48 victories. The other current members of the MIAA have won a combined 39 playoff games.

MIAA Playoff Records
Northwest Missouri    48-17 (23 years)
Pittsburg State    25-16 (18 years)
Central Oklahoma    3-4 (4 years)
Emporia State    3-4 (4 years)
Northeastern St.    2-2 (2 years)
Central Missouri    2-3 (3 years)
Missouri Western    2-4 (4 years)
Washburn    1-3 (3 years)
Nebraska-Kearney    1-4 (4 years)
Fort Hays State    0-4 (4 years)
Missouri Southern    0-1 (1 year)

FOR OPENERS
The Bearcats have won nine consecutive season openers. Northwest last lost its opening game of the season on Sept. 2, 2010, in a 16-7 setback vs. No. 14-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Last Eight Season-Opening Contests
9/5/18        W, 45-35 at Missouri Western
8/30/18    W, 28-6 vs. Missouri Western
8/31/17    W, 34-0 vs. No. 4 Emporia State
9/1/16        W, 41-14 at No. 24 Emporia State
9/3/15        W, 31-0 at Nebraska-Kearney
9/14/14    W, 31-7 vs. Nebraska-Kearney
9/15/13    W, 45-24 vs. No. 22 Saginaw Valley
8/30/12    W, 33-3 vs. East Central
9/1/11        W, 65-3 at Truman State

PRESEASON FAVORITES
Northwest was picked as the preseason favorite by media to win the 2019 MIAA football title. Northwest received 32 first-place votes and 471 points. Fort Hays State was picked second with seven first-place votes and 433 points.
    Fort Hays State was tabbed as the favorite in the preseason coaches poll. The Tigers notched six first-place votes and 114 points, while the Bearcats posted five first-place votes and 112 points.

SIX CAPTAINS
Head coach Rich Wright has designated six captains for the 2019 football season. Wright has named tight end Marqus Andrews (Blue Springs, Mo.), defensive back Jacob Gassman (Kearney, Mo.), linebacker Andy Hessler (Hartland, Wis.), offensive lineman Tanner Owen (Kearney, Mo.), defensive lineman Spencer Phillips (Glenwood, Iowa) and offensive lineman Ryan Spelhaug (Bettendorf, Iowa).

GPA DECALS
Every Northwest football player with a 3.0 or higher grade point average will have a special decal on their helmet with their GPA, major and advisor. Student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA will have a gold decal on their helmet.

HUGHES FAMILY FIELDHOUSE
Located just northwest of College Park and Bearcat Stadium on the Northwest campus, the Carl & Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse will serve as a host site for a wide range of University and community activities. The project represents the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest's 112-year history – and one of the largest public-private partnerships ever in the region.

The Hughes Fieldhouse features:
• 137,250 square-foot recreation and multipurpose facility featuring recreation and exhibition space,
• indoor flooring system,
• 90-yard practice turf,
• 300-meter indoor track,
• spectator seating and
• tiered meeting rooms
    The Hughes Fieldhouse is an estimated $20 million project with multiple financing sources, including commitments from the University, private support and community support. The facility is named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes family, who committed a significant gift to the project through the Hughes Family Foundation.

VICIS ZERO1 HELMET
Northwest Missouri State will outfit the football team with VICIS ZERO1 Helmets.
    "The VICIS ZERO1 is a game-changer and is delivering a completely new approach to player safety," head coach Rich Wright said. "We've been extremely impressed with the research we've seen on the ZERO1, and we're excited to have our players wearing the helmet this year."
"Northwest Missouri State University is a powerhouse program, winning six NCAA Division II titles in the last two decades," VICIS CEO and co-founder Dave Marver said. "We're honored to protect them in their pursuit for number seven."
Ranked as the best helmet in the National Football League and surpassing all expectations of the NFL Players Association helmet performance tests, VICIS ZERO1 Helmets are currently equipping athletes on over 400 high school teams. Additionally, more than 110 professional and collegiate teams have committed to the ZERO1 Helmet coming into the 2018 season.
"Our team has worked hard to bring the ZERO1's breakthrough protective technology to players across the country," says Marver.
VICIS designs the ZERO1 with a unique structure compared to other helmets on the market. A deformable outer shell and columnar layer slows and reduces impact forces in a similar function to the bumper of a car. The helmet is also priced to be accessible to college and high school programs.

NORTHWEST, UCO FEATURED IN DIVISION II SHOWCASE
The Sept. 28 football game between Central Oklahoma and Northwest at Bearcat Stadium in Maryville, Missouri, has been selected for the showcase with the hybrid model of the NCAA's Division II Showcase.
    Kick is set for 1:35 p.m. (CT) for the Bronchos and Bearcats. The game can be viewed on the MIAA Network, Facebook and Twitter.
    Now in its second year, the division's media agreement features two distribution models for football and basketball. Eleven additional football games are part of the hybrid model, and they have the flexibility to be distributed on TV and online. The division will work with the TV partners of the participating conferences and schools on the opportunity to air games on TV. These games also will be distributed online through NCAA social media accounts — specifically, Division II Facebook (facebook.com/ncaadivisionii) and Twitter (@NCAADII) — and through conference and school digital networks.

BEARCATS, GORILLAS RETURN TO ARROWHEAD OCT. 12
Tickets for the Oct. 12 Northwest Missouri State University football game vs. Pittsburg State University at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City went on sale Aug 13.
    Tickets can be ordered through Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office located between the Founder's Plaza and the Hy-Vee Gate.
    Lower Level tickets are $25 (plus fees) while tickets on the CommunityAmerica Club Level are $50 (plus fees). Student tickets are available for $10 (plus fees) through a special link distributed by each university or the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office. Suites are available by calling (888) 99-CHIEFS (24433). All tickets for this event will be electronic.
    Parking will be $15 while RV and bus parking is $25. Fans are encouraged to buy parking passes in advance to alleviate long lines on game day.
"We are so appreciative of the Kansas City Chiefs and their partnership to bring us back to Arrowhead Stadium," Northwest Missouri State Director of Athletics Andy Peterson said. "There are so many positives for us to play this game in K.C., it's an opportunity we cannot pass up. Allowing our student-athletes the ability to suit up and play football in one of 31 NFL stadiums in the country is tremendous for them, their families and our alumni base that is so strong in the area."
    Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, played host to 12 annual meetings between the Bearcats and the Gorillas from 2002-2013. Northwest is 11-3 all-time at Arrowhead having also defeated Central Missouri in both 2016 and 2017. In the 14 contests at Arrowhead, the Bearcats have averaged more than 30 points per game and have drawn seven crowds of more than 20,000 fans.
    Bearcat head football coach Rich Wright talked about the benefits of playing this game in Kansas City.
    "We want our student-athletes to have the best experience possible and the opportunity to play in Arrowhead Stadium is tough to top," Wright said. "Not only is it a highlight for our players and staff, but it is a showcase for our Bearcat fans and Division II football. There is a lot of excitement when you know you are playing in an NFL stadium and our fans help immensely when they fill it up."

BEARCATS IN THE NFL
Northwest was represented in the National Football League in 2019 training camps by wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. (Atlanta Falcons) and running back Josh Caldwell (Chicago Bears).