Sporting News ranks MSSU basketball 5th in Division II

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball program has been ranked No. 5 in the Sporting News Division II Men's Preseason Poll, the magazine has announced.

Head coach Jeff Boschee returns nine players off a team that went 20-11 last year in his first season as a head coach. The Lions reached the MIAA Tournament finale for the second season in a row.

Austin Wright, Greg Renfroe and Taevaunn Prince all return to the starting lineup for the Lions. Renfroe was a member of the MIAA's All-Defensive Team last year, while Prince was a second-team All-MIAA pick. Wright set the MSSU single-game record for three pointers and he currently sits in fourth place for career three's, just one three from third and 48 three's from the all-time record. The Lions also return six others to the rotation, four of whom saw action including Charlie Brown, Taylor Luster, Blaine Miller and Bruce Marshall. Terrence Pierce and Andrew Ballock redshirted.

Southern welcomes in six newcomers to its roster for 2015-16. LJ Ross comes in from Arkansas-Fort Smith, but he practiced with the team the second part of the year. Braelon Walker (Little Rock Parkview) and Brady Petry (Springfield Hillcrest) are the lone freshmen, while DJ Feitl comes to the Lions from NAIA John Brown Unviersity. He averaged 18.4 points per game last year and shot over 44 percent from the field. Vince Fritz (Sacred Heart) and Isaac Kreuer (UMKC) are Division I transfers.

The Lions open the 2015-16 regular season by playing host to the MIAA/NSIC Challenge on Nov.13 and 14. Southern will play St. Cloud State and Minnesota State. The complete poll is below, while the entire list with more information can be found by clicking in the story links.

2015-16 Sporting News Top 10

1 Tarleton State
2 Augustana (SD)
3 West Liberty
4 Lincoln Memorial
5 Missouri Southern
6 Bellarmine
7 Midwestern State
8 St. Cloud State
9 Montevallo
10 California Baptist

Preview- MSSU Football to play Central Missouri Saturday

The Missouri Southern football team will look to win for the second time in three years against Central Missouri when the Lions travel to Warrensburg for a 1:30 pm kickoff this Saturday.

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU - 1-3, 1-3 MIAA | UCM - 2-2, 2-2 MIAAA
Date: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015
Kick-Off: 1:30 p.m., CT
Location: Warresburg, Mo.
Site: Walton Stadium (12,000)
Series Record:  Central leads the series 19-15-1
Coaches: Denver Johnson (1-3 at MSSU, 70-69 overall) | Jim Svoboda (93-40 overall, 41-21 at UCM)

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 Real American Country - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/mssu/
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/ucmo/football
Lions on Facebook:  Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball

The Coaches: 

Denver Johnson was named the 13th head coach in Missouri Southern history on April 1, 2015. He comes to Southern after serving four seasons at the University of Tulsa as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator.  In his four seasons at Tulsa, four of his offensive linemen earned first-team all-league accolades, including Stetson Burnett (2013), Brian DeShane and Jared Grigg (2012) and Clint Anderson (2011). Tyler Holmes was an honorable mention performer in 2011 and spent the 2012 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in two of his final three seasons at Tulsa. In 2012, Tulsa's offense ranked fourth nationally for fewest sacks allowed, ninth for rushing offense, 21st for fewest tackles for lost yardage allowed and 28th for total offense. Johnson has spent a total of 30 years coaching college football. In the summer of 2012, Johnson was awarded the Merv Johnson Integrity in College Coaching Award by the Jim Thorpe Association. Johnson has been the head coach at two Division I institutions garnering a 69-66 overall record in 12 seasons at Murray State and Illinois State.  An All-Missouri Valley Conference offensive lineman as a senior for Tulsa, Johnson was an eighth round draft choice by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1981. He spent two years (1981-82) with the Bucs and three seasons in the USFL, playing two years (1983-84) with the Los Angeles Express and the 1985 season with the Houston Gamblers. Johnson's USFL tenure included playing stints with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in business management from Tulsa in 1981. He and his wife, Danita Kay, have two daughters: Taylor and Kelsey.

Jim Svoboda is in his sixth year at the helm of the Mules. He has led the Mules to a 41-21 overall mark, including 34-18 in MIAA play. He has led the Mules to two postseason appearances and UCM had the second most wins in a two-year period during his first two seasons in Warrensburg. Last season, he led the Mules to an 8-4 overall mark and a 7-4 record in MIAA play. The Mules made their third postseason appearance under Svoboda with a berth in the Live United Texarkana Bowl, where UCM beat Southeastern Oklahoma State 48-21. Svoboda has an overall career record of 93-40 in 13 seasons as a collegiate coach. 

The Series: Central Missouri holds the all-time series lead against the Lions at 19-15-2.  The Lions have an 8-8-1 record at Hughes Stadium against the Mules, while the Lions are just 7-11-1 in Warrensburg. Central has won 14 out of the last 18 meetings.  Southern defeated the Mules in 2006 and last season, both games at home.  From 1983-1996, the Lions were 7-2 against the Mules. 

The Dish On The Mules:

Central Missouri is coming off of a road win at Nebraska-Kearney this past weekend. The Mules opened the season with a win at home over Missouri Western, but dropped back-to-back games against Emporia State and Northwest Missouri.  Garrett Fugate leads the offense for the Mules as the quarterback has thrown for 1,130 yards on 78-139 through the air. He has nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Markel Smith and Fugate both have 60 carries on the ground with Smith averaging 4.1 per carry on 248 total yards with one score. Fugate has two scores on the ground.  Jaylen Zachery is Fugate's favorite target through the air as he has caught 18 passes for 362 yards, an impressive 20.1 yards per catch. He has three touchdowns. Kyle Echols and Ian Toalson both have ten catches and two scores. 
Defensively, Austin Miller leads the team with 31 tackles, including two for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Alex Lackey has 28 stops with 3.0 tackles for a loss, while Teven Teamer has 23 tackles and one sack. Josh powell leads the team with three sacks, while six different players have an interception each. The Mules are averaging 132 yards per game on the ground, while getting just under 300 (294) yards per game in the air. Central has out scored its opponents in every quarter except the fourth with opponents holding a 38-19 advantage on the Mules.  Central will be back in action next weekend, traveling to Washburn.

A Victory vs. UCM Would:  be the second win in the last three years against the Mules. It would be the first in Warrensburg since 1993.   

NFL Representation: The Lions will have two different starters on NFL rosters to start the season. Brandon Williams is a starter on the defensive line for the Baltimore Ravens, while Allen Barbre will start on the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles.  

NCAA Stat Leaders:  The Lions, lead Division II in both blocked kicks allowed and blocked punts allowed. The team ranks 18th in interceptions, while ranking 26th in fourth down conversion defense. The team ranks 35th in turnovers gained, while ranking 30th and 39th in fewest penalties and fewest penalties per game, respectively. Southern also ranks 47th in both sacks and tackles for a loss. 

MIAA Stat Leaders: The Lions lead the MIAA in blocked kicks and blocked punts allowed, while ranking second in fewest sacks allowed. The team ranks third in both fourth down defense and interceptions. Southern ranks fifth in fewest penalties, fewest penalties per game, passes had intercepted, tackles for a loss and turnovers gained. 

Individual National Leaders: Ricky Green ranks seventh nationally in interceptions, while Johnquavious McBride and EJ McKenzie rank 38th each. Green ranks 17th nationally in passes defended, while McBride ranks 33rd in fumbles recovered. Stetson Broce ranks 34th in punting, while Kyjuan Tate ranks 47th in total tackles. 

MIAA Individual Leaders: Johnquavious McBride ranks third in the MIAA in fumbles recovered, while Ricky Green ranks third in interceptions. McBride and EJ McKenzie rank fifth both in interceptions, while Stetson Broce ranks third in punting. Green ranks sixth in the MIAA in passes defended. 

Spread the Wealth: The Lions had eight different players catch a pass in week one and four, while seven caught passes in week two and three. Six different players rushed the ball in week one, while seven got a rush in week two and five in week three and four. In 2014, only ten different players caught a pass all season, while 14 have caught a pass already this year. 

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has three teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is third, while Pittsburg State is 15th and Emporia State is 23rd. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has nine teams in the top 25. There are 15 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region. 

Two-Minute Drill:  TJ Fleeton near perfectly executed the two-minute drill against Washburn. The Lions took the ball at their own 25-yard line with 1:16 left in the game and drove inside the WU ten-yard line, but couldn't complete the drive. 

Broce With The Boot:  Stetson Broce had a career game this past week against Washburn. The junior had ten punts for 439 yards and an average of 43.9 per kick. He had three over 50 yards, including a 59-yarder and two inside the 50 with one landing at the one-yard line.  

Morrison Is Big Time:  Jordan Morrison nearly single-handedly got the Lions out of their own side of the field on that final drive against Washburn. The junior caught passes of 10, 9 and 8 yards to put the Lion inside WU territory.  

Ricky Green With The Pick:  Junior Ricky Green had another interception in the game at Washburn last week. He currently ranks 7th nationally in picks and 3rd in the MIAA in the category. He also ranks 17th nationally in passes defended, while ranking 6th the MIAA. 

Interceptions 'R Us:  The Lions had three more interceptions at Washburn this past weekend with EJ McKenzie picking up two. He and Ricky Green both have multiple interception games this season. The Lions, as a team, have seven interceptions this year and are on pace to have 20 on the season. That would be the most since the 2007 season when the Lions picked 21 passes. 

Welcome Back Kenny:  Defensive Coordinator Kenny Evans is back in green and gold for MSSU. Evans spent nine seasons on the late John Lantz's staff at Missouri Southern from 1989-97 where he helped guide the program into the ranks of NCAA Division II and help MSSU go 51-35 during that stretch.  

Defensive Depth:  The Lions return five starters on defense from a season ago. Of the 11 starters on defense, however, ten saw significant time over the previous two seasons for MSSU.

Defense Have A Game:  The Missouri Southern defense came up big against UNK with the Lions' defenders providing five sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, 13 pass break ups and 10 quarterback hurries. 

Weather Report:  The weather report for the Warrensburg area on Saturday calls for a high of 64 degrees with mostly sunny conditions and a zero percent chance of rain. 

Up Next:  The Lions will head home and play host to Central Oklahoma at 6 pm next Saturday. 

MSSU golf takes third at Oklahoma tournament

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Kingston, Okla. - The Missouri Southern golf team used a 299 on their final round to move up three spots to finish the Texoma Championships in third place Tuesday afternoon at the Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club.

Junior Taylor Lansford once again led the Lions as he finished in third place with a tournament total of a 4-over 220 (73-75-72). Sophomore Connor Neil finished tied for 12th with a three round total of a 12-over 228 (74-77-77), while juniorCameron Hamilton carded a two day total of 232 (77-80-75) for a share of 20th. Senior Ethan Hutcheson moved up five spots with his final round of 75 to card a 236 for the event, while freshman Tripper Jensen finished with a three round total of 241.

The Lions started the day in sixth place after a first day that saw them drop from being one shot out of the lead following the first round. Southern used another 299 in the final round to move up three spots and into third place while the host Southeastern Oklahoma State carded a final round of 290 to leap frog day one leader Paris Junior College for the team title. Southeastern Oklahoma finished ten strokes ahead of Paris with an 891 (310-291-290), PJC was second with a 901 (298-299-304), then the Lions in third 911 (299-313-299). Defending champions Rogers State (303-307-303) finished in a tie for fourth with Southern Arkansas (306-302-305) at 913 and six strokes back in sixth was East Central at 919 (312-297-310). Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded at the field with a three round total of 937 (322-307-308).

"Third out of seventh is not good enough," said head coachMike Wheeler. "Southeastern gave us an opportunity with a bad first round but we didn't take advantage of it. We have two weeks to get ready for the MIAA Points Event in St. Joe."

The individual medalist came from host Southeastern Oklahoma as Mason Horner finished the Texoma Championships at 2-under 214 (78-67-69). Second place went to Blake Elliot of Paris Junior College, Elliot had led the tournament for the first 36 holes.

The Lions will take a week off before they travel to the Central Regional Invitation at the St. Joseph Country Club in St. Joseph, Missouri on October 12-13. The Invitational, hosted by Missouri Western, will be the second MIAA Points Event of the fall season.

MSSU soccer falls to Nebraska-Kearney in overtime

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern soccer team picked up a late goal from Hannah Bomar, but the Lions fell 2-1 tonight in overtime at Nebraska-Kearney.

UNK (2-3-2, 1-0 MIAA) scored first in the ninth minute when Montanna Hosterman scored off a direct kick to give the Lopers a 1-0 lead they would take into halftime.

The Lions, however, answered in the 59th minute when Bomar picked up goal number three of the season off an assist from Michaela Altvater from seven yards out.

The Southern defense held strong for the final 30 minutes of the game to force overtime, but UNK's Ashtin Pawloski scored in the first minute of overtime to win the game for the Lopers.

UNK out shot the Lions 12-4 and Shawnee Phillps had six saves in goal.

The Lions will be back in action Sunday when they travel to Fort Hays to take on the Tigers. Match time is slated for 2:30 pm.

Late scores lift Washburn over MSSU 27-21

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Washburn Ichabods scored twice in the final four minutes, and the Missouri Southern football team nearly completed a last-second scoring drive before falling 27-21 at Washburn today inside Yaeger Stadium.

The Lions (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) trailed 13-7 at the half, but scored two third quarter touchdowns to go up 21-13. The Ichabods, however, scored twice in the final 3:44 of the game to go up 27-21 on the Lions.

Southern got the ball with 1:16 left in the game on its own 25-yard line to start the drive. The Lions got passes from TJ Fleeton to Jordan Morrison for ten, nine and eight yards to push the ball to the Washburn 48-yard line. A three-yard rush from Fleeton put the ball on the Ichabods' 45 yard line and the Lions called timeout with 22 seconds left.

Fleeton then completed a pass to Michael Nelson for 36 yards putting the ball at the Washburn nine-yard line. The Lions, however, couldn't complete the comeback and a last-second pass went just through the hands of Chad Nolan in the end zone.

Fleeton went 23-42 in the game for 239 yards and one touchdown. Will Gregory had 46 yards and a touchdown, while Giresse Forchu had 40 yards. Chad Nolan caught a pair of passes for 20 yards and a score, while Michael Nelson had six catches for 99 yards. Morrison had seven catches for 82 yards in the game.

Defensively, Jonquavious McBride led the team with ten tackles, while Justin Tomlinson had nine stops, six solo. EJ McKenzie had a pair of interceptions for a loss of 26 yards, while making eight stops, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Ricky Green had seven stops, six solo, including 2.5 for a loss and an interception.

The Lions will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Warrensburg to take on the Mules. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 pm.

Missouri Southern volleyball falls to Northwest

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team picked up a strong night from Monica White, but the Lions fell three sets to none at Northwest Missouri.

The Lions (0-12, 0-2 MIAA) were led offensively by White's seven kills and .462 attack average. She also added a block.Bridgette Jaeger had six kills and five digs, while Callie Whetstone and Alyx Gepford had five kills each. Whetstone hit .364 and added two blocks. Abby Finder dished out 20 assists and added eight digs, while Katie Wiele had a match-high 13 digs.

Southern hit .187 in the match and the opening set featured four tied scores with one lead change. Set two had two tied scores and two lead changes, while Northwest (9-3, 2-0 MIAA) led from start to finish in the final set.

The Lions will be back in action when they play host to Emporia State next Friday. First serve from Young Gym is slated for 6 pm.

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MSSU volleyball falls to Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Despite getting a near double-double from setter Abby Finder, the Missouri Southern volleyball program dropped a three-set match at Missouri Western tonight. Individual set scores were 21-25, 15-25 and 21-25.

The first set featured eight tied scores and one lead change. Both teams traded scores with the Lions (0-11) tying the set at 16 midway through the opener. A kill from Lauren Darby cut the Western (9-2) lead to just two (23-21), but the Griffons scored the final two points to take the set.

The second set was all Griffons, while set three was much like the fist with seven tied scores and one lead change. The third set was tied at eight and 11, but Western went on a 6-0 run to open up the set and lead 17-11. The Lions cut the lead to one (18-17) after a block from Payton Graves and Monica Whiteand forcing a Western timeout. The Griffons scored a point out of the timeout and went on to win the set.

Bridgette Jaeger and Callie Whetstone led the team with eight kills each, while Alyx Gepford had seven. Finder had 27 assists and a team-high nine digs.

Southern will be back in action tomorrow when the Lions head to Northwest Missouri. First serve is set for 6 pm.

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Southern athletic events provide economic boost to community

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The annual Southern Stampede, coupled with home football and soccer games last weekend proved to be quite the economic blast for the Joplin community.

Over 2,000 runners took place in the First to the Finish Southern Stampede which sees four collegiate races, as well as four high school races run on the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on the campus at MSSU. Nearly 2,000 fans paid to see that race, as well, and it proved to be quite the busy morning.

Move into mid-afternoon and the Lions' soccer team hosted Northeastern State. A 6 pm football game at Fred G. Hughes Stadium followed thereafter and the Southern campus saw more than 10,000 people roaming for various events throughout the day.

What this means to the city of Joplin is huge. It means approximately $490,000 being spent on food, clothes and other items in town. It also means more than $42,000 being spent on hotel rooms within the Joplin area.

Missouri Southern will serve as the host to the 2015 NCAA Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships, as well as the 2015 Division II Cross Country National Championships. It is safe to say that MSSU continues to be quite the economic boon for the Joplin community.

Preview: MSSU football to play at Washburn Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will look to win two in a row this week as the Lions travel to Washburn University for a 1 pm kickoff from Yaeger Stadium against the Ichabods.

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU - 1-2, 1-2 MIAA | WU - 2-1, 2-1 MIAAA
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015
Kick-Off: 1:00 p.m., CT
Location: Topeka, Kan.
Site: Yaeger Stadium (7,200)
Series Record: Series tied 21-21-1
Coaches: Denver Johnson (1-2 at MSSU, 70-68 overall) | Craig Schurig (93-59 at WU, overall)

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 Real American Country - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/mssu/
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/washburn/football
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball

The Coaches: 
Denver Johnson was named the 13th head coach in Missouri Southern history on April 1, 2015. He comes to Southern after serving four seasons at the University of Tulsa as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. In his four seasons at Tulsa, four of his offensive linemen earned first-team all-league accolades, including Stetson Burnett (2013), Brian DeShane and Jared Grigg (2012) and Clint Anderson (2011). Tyler Holmes was an honorable mention performer in 2011 and spent the 2012 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in two of his final three seasons at Tulsa. In 2012, Tulsa's offense ranked fourth nationally for fewest sacks allowed, ninth for rushing offense, 21st for fewest tackles for lost yardage allowed and 28th for total offense. Johnson has spent a total of 30 years coaching college football. In the summer of 2012, Johnson was awarded the Merv Johnson Integrity in College Coaching Award by the Jim Thorpe Association. Johnson has been the head coach at two Division I institutions garnering a 69-66 overall record in 12 seasons at Murray State and Illinois State. An All-Missouri Valley Conference offensive lineman as a senior for Tulsa, Johnson was an eighth round draft choice by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1981. He spent two years (1981-82) with the Bucs and three seasons in the USFL, playing two years (1983-84) with the Los Angeles Express and the 1985 season with the Houston Gamblers. Johnson's USFL tenure included playing stints with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in business management from Tulsa in 1981. He and his wife, Danita Kay, have two daughters: Taylor and Kelsey.

Craig Schurig is in his 14th year at the helm of the Ichabods. A 1987 graduate of Colorado School of Mines, Schurig has built one of the most respected programs in the MIAA with three NCAA playoff appearances as well as the 2005 MIAA title coming on the heel's of a 2007, 2009 and 2011 runner-up finish in the conference race. He has completed a 93-59 record at Washburn. The 93 wins are on top of the all-time wins chart at Washburn.

Through his first eleven seasons, in addition to three NCAA playoffs and a conference title, Schurig has led the Washburn football program to the 2004 Mineral Water Bowl Championship and the 2010 Kanza Bowl Championship.

The Series: The series between the two teams sits at 21-21-1. The Lions hold an 11-9-1 mark at Hughes Stadium and a 10-12 mark in Topeka. Southern last defeated the Ichabods in 2014 when the Lions won 42-21 at home. Washburn had won eight in a row before the Lions' win last season. From 1989 to 1997, the Lions won nine games in a row in a stretch that included ten of 11, as well.

The Dish On The Ichabods:

Washburn is coming off of a huge road win at No. 4 Pittsburg State this past weekend. After dropping a road contest at Lindenwood to begin the season, the Ichabods have defeated Nebraska-Kearney and PSU in successive weekends. Derek McGinnis leads a balanced offensive attack for the Bods. He is 59-100 for 757 yards and eight scores. Brandon Bourbon has 292 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while Hayden Groves has 151 yards on 31 carries, as well. Bryce Chavis has 14 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while Jordan Hart has 237 yards for an average of 19.8 per catch and two scores. Connor Crimmins, who was also a baseball player for the Ichabods, is third on the team with 11 receptions for 125 yards and two scores. Defensively, Alec Steuber has 23 tackles, including three for a loss, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Shay Wooten has 23 tackles, as well, while Spenser Matthews leads the team with four sacks. Cody Heiman, Dwane Simmons and Jaime Myers are tied for the team-lead with one interception. The Ichabods, as a team, are averaging 153 yards on the ground and 252 through the air per game. They, however, also average 100 yards in penalties per game. Washburn will be back in action next week when they travel to Fort Hays next week.

A Victory vs. WU Would: be the second win in a row over the Lions. It would also be just the third win in the last 12 games against the Bods.

NFL Representation: The Lions will have two different starters on NFL rosters to start the season. Brandon Williams is a starter on the defensive line for the Baltimore Ravens, while Allen Barbre will on the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles.

NCAA Stat Leaders: The Lions, after three games, lead Division II in fourth down conversion defense, blocked kicks and blocked punts allowed. Southern ranks 9th in fewest penalties per game and 14th in fewest penalties, while ranking 19th in fewest penalty yards per game and 24th in fewest penalty yards. The team ranks 19th in sacks, while ranking 38th in passes intercepted, 27th in tackles for a loss, 40th in sacks allowed (fewest) and 45th in kickoff return defense.

MIAA Stat Leaders: The Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down conversion percentage, blocked kicks allowed, blocked punts allowed, fewest penalties and fewest penalties per game, fewest penalty yards, fewest penalty yards per game and sacks allowed (fewest). They also rank second tackles for a loss, third in team sacks and kick off defense, while ranking fourth in passes intercepted.

Individual National Rankings: Ricky Green ranks 12th nationally in passes defended and 16th in interceptions.Johnquavious McBride is 24th in passes defended and 16th in interceptions, while ranking 23rd in fumbles recovered.Kyjuan Tate ranks 29th in total tackles, while ranking 46th in forced fumbles. Chris Williams is 41st in sacks, while Brock Ranken ranks 34th and 38th in field goal percentage and field goals per game, respectively.

MIAA Individual Rankings: Kyjuan Tate is second in the MIAA in forced fumbles, while Johquavious McBride ranks second in fumble recoveries. Ricky Green and McBride rank third in interceptions, while Steston Broce ranks third in punting. Chris Williams ranks fourth in sacks, while Brock Renken ranks fourth in field goal percentage and field goals per game.

Spread the Wealth: The Lions had eight different players catch a pass in week one and seven in week two and three. Six different players rushed the ball in week one, while seven got a rush in week two and five in week three. In 2014, only ten different players caught a pass all season, while 14 have caught a pass already this year.

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has two teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is third, while Pittsburg State is 15th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has eight teams in the top 25. There are 15 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region.

Have A Day TJ: TJ Fleeton accounted for all three of the Lions' touchdowns against UNK this week as he ran for two and threw for another.

Johnny on the Spot: Johnquavious McBride was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week this week. He had 14 stops for the Lions (nine solo), including a big interception on UNK's opening drive. He also had two pass break ups. He currently ranks 16th nationally in interceptions.

Nolan With The Catch: Chad Nolan had the Lions' longest play from scrimmage this year when he took a pass from TJ Fleetonand converted it for a 73-yard touchdown catch against UNK.

Ricky Green With The Pick: Junior Ricky Green had two interceptions in the game with Emporia State. The two picks are the first time since last year against Central Missouri where a Lion had multiple interceptions in the same game. He currently ranks 16th nationally in picks and 3rd in the MIAA in the category. He also ranks 12th nationally in passes defended, while ranking 5th the MIAA.

Welcome Back Kenny: Defensive Coordinator Kenny Evans is back in green and gold for MSSU. Evans spent nine seasons on the late John Lantz's staff at Missouri Southern from 1989-97 where he helped guide the program into the ranks of NCAA Division II and help MSSU go 51-35 during that stretch.

Defensive Depth: The Lions return five starters on defense from a season ago. Of the 11 starters on defense, however, ten saw significant time over the previous two seasons for MSSU.

Defense Have A Game: The Missouri Southern defense came up big against UNK with the Lions' defenders providing five sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, 13 pass break ups and 10 quarterback hurries.

Weather Report: The weather report for the Joplin area on Thursday calls for a high of 82 degrees with mostly sunny conditions and a zero percent chance of rain.

Up Next: The Lions will start continue their road trip with a game at Central Missouri next Saturday.

MSSU's Kiprop named Cross Country Runner of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern freshman distance runner Vincent Kiprop has been named the MIAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Kiprop, a native of Kericho, Kenya, won the Southern Stampede this weekend. He ran the 8k course in a time of 24:15.96 and is the second-straight MSSU runner to take home the individual title joiningEric Schott from 2014. His time was three seconds in front of his nearest competitor and is 17 seconds better than Schott's time from 2014. Kiprop was running in his first collegiate race.

The Lions will be back in action on Oct. 3, when Southern travels to the University of Arkansas for the Chili Pepper Invite.

MSSU golf finishes ninth at NSU Fall Classic

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Golf team dropped two spots in the final round of the 17th Annual NSU Men's Fall Classic to finish in ninth place at the Hillcrest Golf Club.

Junior Taylor Lansford once again led the Lions as he finished the third round with a 4-over 75. Sophomore Connor Neilcarded a 5-over 76 while senior Ethan Hutcheson finished the tournament with a final round of 77, 6-over. Junior Cameron Hamilton had carded an 80 while freshman Tripper Jensenfinished the tournament with a third round of 82. As a team the Lions carried a 308 final round to finish the tournament with a three round total of 911 (301-302-308). Lansford finished tied for 15th with a 223 (74-74-75), Hutcheson finished tied for 39th with a three round total of 230 (75-78-77), Hamilton was one stroke back tied for 42nd at 231 (76-75-80), Neil was one stroke back of Hamilton with a 232 (76-76-80) tied for 46th, and Jensen finished tied for 64th with a 54 hole total of 240 (76-82-82).

Bryce Burke of Arkansas Tech won the individual title as he carded a 210 (72-70-68) for the three rounds. Henderson State won the team title as they finished with a three round 874 (296-293-285). Southwestern Oklahoma moved up one spot after day one into second place behind a third round of 285 for a total of 879 while Arkansas Tech dropped to third place with a total of 881 (299-292-290). Washburn was the top MIAA finisher at fourth place as they carded a 44-over 896 (302-302-292), while host Northeastern State finished two strokes behind the Ichabods in fifth with a three round total of 898 (298-299-301). The Lions were the next MIAA finisher in ninth with the 911, while Missouri Western finished two spots back of Southern with a total of 922 (304-310-308), followed by Southwest Baptist in 13th with a 945 (318-309-318) and Fort Hays State rounded out the MIAA schools in 15th with a 981 (321-339-321).

The Lions will be back in action next Monday and Tuesday as they head to Durant, Oklahoma for the Texoma Championships hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

MSSU volleyball falls to Drury

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team dropped a non-conference match this evening at Drury. Individual set scores were 16-25, 23-25 and 10-25.

The Lions (0-10) opened up the first set on a 6-2 run, but Drury (9-2) fought back and tied the set at ten. The Panthers went ahead 11-10 and then went on to outscore the Lions 15-6 to end the set.

Southern controlled the second set early on and led 13-5 coming out of a Drury timeout. The lead was 17-11, but the Panthers fought back and tied the set at 20. Both teams traded points, but the Lions went ahead 22-21 to force a Drury timeout. The Panthers scored two points out of the timeout to force set point, but a kill from Bridgette Jaeger got the Lions to within one. Drury, however, scored the final point to take the set.

The Panthers controlled the final set, leading from start to finish.

Southern was led by Callie Whestone as the senior had six kills and three blocks, hitting .278 in the match. Abby Finder dished out 14 assists, while Katie Wiele had a team-high 11 digs.Monica White added five kills, while Jaeger had seven digs.

The Lions will be back in action this weekend when they start MIAA play with matches at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri.

Wainwright to resume baseball activities

McBride named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern junior safety Johnquavious McBride has been named the MIAA Football Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced today.

McBride, a 5-11 junior from Lithonia, Ga., led a defense that helped the Lions to a 24-14 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. The Lions' defense held the Lopers scoreless for the final 26:28 of the game. McBride had a big interception on the Lopers' opening drive that led directly to the Lions' first score of the game.

McBride had a game-high 14 tackles, including an interception, and two pass break-ups. He helped the Lions' defense record five sacks on the night, as well as 13 pass break ups.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions travel to Washburn University.

MSSU golf to compete at Bartlesville

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Golf team looks to take advantage of their momentum from a second place finish last week in the MSSU Men's Golf Fall Invitational as they head to Bartlesville, Oklahoma to take part in the 17th annual NSU Men's Fall Classic at the par-71, 6,607-yard Hillcrest Country Club.

The tournament will consist of 36 holes played Sept. 22, followed by an 18-hole final round beginning at 8 a.m. Sept. 23. The first round will begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m., and the second round will be contested directly following the first 18 holes of play.

Southern's team will be made up of senior Ethan Hutcheson, who paced the Lions in their opener with a 4-over 220 (71-70-79) and a share of seventh place, juniorsTaylor Lansford, who finished two strokes back of Hutcheson with a 222 (71-72-79), and Cameron Hamiltonwho finished last week with a three round total of 224 (80-72-72). Joining them will be sophomore Connor Neil, who carded a 229 (72-79-78), and freshman Tripper Jensenwho shot a three round total of 232 (78-74-80). As a team last week Southern carded a three round total of 887 (294-289-304) for second place behind Central Missouri who shot an even par 864.

"The field is full of regional teams from both the Great American Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Confernce," said head coach Mike Wheeler. "The guys are playing well and they are ready to go. Our intention is to bring home a first place trophy."

Last Season the Lions finished in 13th place with a three round total of 932 (319-301-312) at the tournament. Lansford and Hutcheson both saw action in that tournament finishing tied for 59th and 70th, respectively. Lansford shot a three round total of 235 (79-77-79) and Hutcheson carded a total of 239 (88-74-77).

Live scoring for the tournament can be found atwww.mssulions.com.

2015 Participating Teams
Arkansas-Fort Smith
Arkansas Tech
Concordia-St. Paul
East Central
Fort Hays State
Harding
Henderson State
Minnesota-Crookston
Minnesota State
Missouri Southern
Missouri Western
Northeastern State
Southern Nazarene
Southwest Baptist
Southwestern Oklahoma State
Upper Iowa
Washburn

MSSU football wins Hall of Fame Game 24-14

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team scored ten un-answered points in the second half and held on for a 24-14 victory over visiting Nebraska-Kearney in the Hall of Fame Game tonight at Fred G. Hughes Stadium inside the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex.

Southern (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) wins game number one under head coach Denver Johnson. The Lions picked up three touchdowns from TJ Fleeton as the quarterback rushed for two and threw for another. He had 15 yards on the ground and went 13-22 for 194 yards and a score in the air. Terrell Crawford caught five passes for 52 yards, but the big catch came from Chad Nolan as he busted open a screen pass for a 73-yard touchdown reception. Will Gregory rushed for 49 yards, whileJay Hadley added 37.

Kearney (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) gained 180 yards on the ground, led by 116 from Romero Cotton. Quarterback Bronson Marsh went 16-41 for 96 yards and a touchdown and interception.

Southern won the toss and deferred to the second half. The defense forced the Lopers to punt on their first possession and the Lions turned that punt into points as Fleeton completed a 10-play drive for 62 yards with a one-yard sneak into the endzone to put the Lions up 7-0 early on.

The Lopers' next possession lasted just two plays as Marsh's pass on the second play was intercepted by Johnquavious McBride at the Southern 35 yard line. UNK, however, would get on the board as the first quarter ended when Marsh hit Tityus Mitchell for an eight-yard score.

Fleeton added his second rushing touchdown of the half, this time with 8:54 left in the second quarter to end a scoring drive that went just three plays and 33 yards. The Lions went into the locker room with a 14-7 lead at the break.

Southern went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half and Kearney scored quick as Cotton picked up a 33-yard score to tie the game at 14.

Brock Renken added a 26-yard field goal on the Lions' next possession to put Southern up 17-14 and Fleeton found Nolan for a 73-yard catch and run to provide the final tally.

Defensively, the star of the game was McBride. The junior had a game-high 14 tackles with an interception and two pass break-ups. Kyjuan Tate had eight stops, while Justin Tomlinsonhad seven tackles, a sack, two stops for a loss of 14 yards and a pass breakup. Chris Williams had two sacks for a loss of 20 yards, while David Smith and Laynce Sanders had a sack each. The Lions, as a team, had 12 stops for a loss of 50 yards, 13 pass break ups and ten quarterback hurries.

Offensively, Southern passed for 194 yards and 296 total in the game. The Lions averaged 14.9 yards per completion and had five sacks for 37 yards lost.

Southern will be back in action next weekend when the Lions travel to Washburn University. Kickoff is slated for 1 pm.

MSSU women finish fifth at Southern Stampede

(From MSSU Lions Athletics)

The Missouri Southern women's cross country program finished fifth overall and Emily Harris was seventh in the Division II portion of the First to the Finish Southern Stampede ran at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course this morning.

Harris traversed the 5k course in a time of 17:34.80. Cynthia Torres was 25th in a time of 18:26.35, while Sarah Usher was 33rd in a time of 18:36.81.

Kindra Emberton raced to a time of 18:45.96, finishing 41st, while Sierra Gray was 55th in a time of 18:58.94. Shelby Werner was 85th (19:25.38), while Amber White (19:38.82),Sara Lin (19:47.25) and Alessandra Moss (19:50.18) finished 102nd, 109th, and 113th, respectively. Cora Butcher Spellman finished 182nd in a time of 21:10.20.

UC - San Diego won the team title with a total of 56 points, while Southwest Baptist was second, Dallas Baptist third, Oklahoma Baptist fourth and Southern fifth.

The meet featured 25 teams running in the University Division. The University of Arkansas won the Division I portion with Missouri State finishing second.

The Lions will be back in action on October 3 when they travel to Fayetteville, Ark. to compete in the Chili Pepper Invite at the University of Arkansas.

Freshman Kiprop wins Southern Stampede

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern freshman Vincent Kipropmade a splash of his first collegiate event by winning the First to the Finish Southern Stampede this morning at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

Kiprop ran the 8k course in a time of 24:15.96 and is the second-straight MSSU runner to take home the individual title joining Eric Schott from 2014. Nathan Henry placed 42nd in a time of 25:39.22, while Jared Haltom was 95th in a time of 26:22.17.

Jacob Coffman placed 151st in a time of 27:16.03, while Luke Johnson was 194th in a time of 27:56.71. Ryan Drendelfinished 208th in a time of 28:12.48.

Southern finished 14th s a team, earning 392 team points. East Central University was the team champion with 121 points. Nebraska-Kearney placed second, followed by Pittsburg State, Harding and UC - San Diego to round out the top five team scores.

The Lions will be back in action on October 3 when they travel to Fayetteville, Ark. to compete in the Chili Pepper Invite at the University of Arkansas.

MSSU soccer falls to Northeastern State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Soccer Lions (2-4-0) fell 5-1 to visiting Northeastern State (5-1-0) 5-1 Saturday afternoon at Hal Bodon Field.

The RiverHawks got the scoring started in the 9th minute as Jennifer Cudjoe put home her third goal of the season off the assist from Kelsey McIntyre. Brooklyn Barnett added an unassisted goal in the 44th minute to give Northeastern State a 2-0 halftime lead. NSU scored two more goals one in the 47th minute by McKenzie Musella and 55th minute by Anastasia Robinson to take a 4-0 before the Lions would answer. Freshman Bailey North provided the lone goal for Southern as she put home a header in the upper 90 off a free kick from sophomore Brooke Ishmael. The RiverHawks would add one more goal in the 73rd minute as Barnett added her second one of the game to make the final 5-1 score.

The Lions were outshot by NSU 20-11 and 9-5 in shots on goal. The RiverHawks out shot Southern 9-3 in the first half and took an 11-8 advantage in the second half.

Junior Kelly Sutton led the way for Southern with three shots, senior Hannah Ishmael and sophomoreHannah Bomar each added two, while North scored on her only shot of the game.

Senior Shawnee Phillips once again played all 90 minutes in the net allowing five goals while recording four saves.

Up next for the Lions will be a trip to Nebraska-Kearney on September 25 at 7 pm.

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Preview- MSSU to play host to Nebraska-Kearney in Hall of Fame Game

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will play host to Nebraska-Kearney this weekend as the Lions and Lopers will tangle as part of Hall of Fame weekend. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium is slated for 6 pm. 

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU - 0-2, 0-2 MIAA | UNK - 0-2, 0-2 MIAAA
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015
Kick-Off: 6:00 p.m., CT
Location: Joplin, Mo.  
Site: Fred G. Hughes Stadium (7,000)
Series Record:  UNK leads 8-5
Coaches: Denver Johnson (0-2 at MSSU, 69-68 overall) | Josh Lambertson (0-2 at UNK, overall)

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 Real American Country - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/mssu/
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/mssu/football
Lions on Facebook:  Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball

The Coaches: 
Denver Johnson was named the 13th head coach in Missouri Southern history on April 1, 2015. He comes to Southern after serving four seasons at the University of Tulsa as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. In his four seasons at Tulsa, four of his offensive linemen earned first-team all-league accolades, including Stetson Burnett (2013), Brian DeShane and Jared Grigg (2012) and Clint Anderson (2011). Tyler Holmes was an honorable mention performer in 2011 and spent the 2012 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in two of his final three seasons at Tulsa. In 2012, Tulsa's offense ranked fourth nationally for fewest sacks allowed, ninth for rushing offense, 21st for fewest tackles for lost yardage allowed and 28th for total offense. Johnson has spent a total of 30 years coaching college football. In the summer of 2012, Johnson was awarded the Merv Johnson Integrity in College Coaching Award by the Jim Thorpe Association. Johnson has been the head coach at two Division I institutions garnering a 69-66 overall record in 12 seasons at Murray State and Illinois State.  An All-Missouri Valley Conference offensive lineman as a senior for Tulsa, Johnson was an eighth round draft choice by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1981. He spent two years (1981-82) with the Bucs and three seasons in the USFL, playing two years (1983-84) with the Los Angeles Express and the 1985 season with the Houston Gamblers. Johnson's USFL tenure included playing stints with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in business management from Tulsa in 1981. He and his wife, Danita Kay, have two daughters: Taylor and Kelsey.

Josh Lamberson was named the 17th head football coach in UNK history on December 14th. The Nebraska native is just fourth Loper head coach since 1955.
Lamberson, 32, is a native of Wilber and has a career record of 80-30 in nine years as an assistant coach at Central Missouri (39-19), Southeastern Oklahoma State (13-9) and Northwest Missouri State (28-2). He spent the past five seasons at UCM, including four as offensive coordinator. He also coached wide receivers and was the recruiting coordinator. Lamberson worked two seasons at SEOSU as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator from 2008-10. He also was a graduate assistant at Northwest during the 2006-07 seasons, helping lead the Bearcats to a 28-2 record and spot in two national championship games as the quarterbacks coach.

The Series:  Nebraska-Kearney holds an 8-4 record in the overall series, however the two teams have only played each other once since the 1988 season, the last year the Lions participated as a member of the NAIA and the Central States Intercollegiate Conference. The series features one of the most unique situations as both teams historically have been better at the other team's facility. The Lions are 1-5 at home, while 4-3 in Kearney. UNK won the first four meetings, but Southern took the next three. The Lions won the last meeting 38-18 in 1988 in Kearney. 

The Dish On The Lopers: The Lopers are 0-2 to start the season after losses at #5 Northwest Missouri (31-0) and Washburn (34-14). The Lopers' game last week at Washburn was suspended due to weather on Thursday night and finished Friday morning. UNK is led offensively by its quarterback Bronson Marsh. Marsh is 23-60 through the air with a touchdown and 368 yards, averaging 184 per game. Marsh also has 32 carries for 1.4 per rush and a score on the ground. Romero Cotton is the leading rusher with 30 carries and 92 yards for 3.1 per rush. Cougar Williams and Tityus Mitchell are Marsh's favorite targets through the air as Williams has caught 11 passes for 68 yards and Mitchell has six receptions for 107 yards and a score. Defensively, Tyke Kozeal leads this team from his linebacker position. He has 31 tackles with 12 solo on the season, including two sacks and five stops for a loss. Steven Burns has two tackls for a loss, while Dexter Becker has a sack and eight tackles. The Lopers are averaging 184 yards in the air per game, while picking up 88.5 yards per game on the ground for a 272.5 per game total offense average. They have yet to intercept a pass on the season and are giving up on average 100 more yards of offense per game. 
UNK will be back in action next weekend when the Lopers are at home against Central Missouri. 

A Victory vs. UNK Would:  be the second win in a row over the Lopers. It would also be the second in the last five tries against UNK and move the overall series record with the Lopers to 8-6 in favor of UNK.  

NFL Representation: The Lions will have two different starters on NFL rosters to start the season. Brandon Williams is a starter on the defensive line for the Baltimore Ravens, while Allen Barbre will on the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles.  

NCAA Stat Leaders:  The Lions, after two games, lead Division II in fourth down conversion defense, blocked kicks and blocked punts allowed. Southern ranks seventh in fewest penalties per game and ninth in fewest penalties, while ranking 17th in fewest penalty yards per game and 20th in fewest penalty yards. The team ranks 27th in turnovers gained and 28th in passes intercepted, while ranking 30th in punt returns and 33rd in fumbles recovered. Southern ranks 41st in sacks and 55th in sacks allowed (fewest).

MIAA Stat Leaders: The Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down conversion percentage, blocked kicks allowed, blocked punts allowed, fewest penalties and fewest penalties per game. They also rank second in passes intercepted, sacks allowed, fewest penalty yards and fewest penalty yards per game. The team ranks third in punt returns, fourth in turnovers gained and seventh in sacks. 

Individual National Rankings: Brock Renken leads the NCAA in field goal percentage, while ranking 43rd in field goals per game. Ricky Green is sixth in interceptions, while Johnquavious McBride ranks ninth in fumbles recovered. Green is 17th in passes defended, while Kyjuan Tate ranks 18th in both forced fumbles and total tackles. 
  
MIAA Individual Rankings: Renken leads the MIAA in field goal percentage and is fourth in field goals per game. McBride leads the team in fumbles recovered, while Tate is fourth in both total tackles and forced fumbles. Green ranks second in interceptions and fifth in passes defended, while Stetson Broce ranks fifth in punting. 

Spread the Wealth: The Lions had eight different players catch a pass in week one and seven in week two. Six different players rushed the ball in week one, while seven got a rush in week two. In 2014, only ten different players caught a pass all season, while 11 have caught a pass already this year. 

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has two teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is third, while Pittsburg State is four. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has eight teams in the top 25. There are 15 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region. 

New Quarterback:  TJ Fleeton picked up his first start of his career at MSSU at Northwest Missouri. 

Renken's Day:  Sophomore kicker Brock Renken (Joplin) had a day in the Lions' opener against Emporia State, going 2-2 in both field goals and extra points. He hit a career-high 40-yarder in his first attempt and nailed a 32-yarder later in the game. Renken leads the NCAA in field goal percentage and ranks 43rd in field goals per game. 

Broce With the Boot:  Junior punter Stetson Broce had six punts for an average of 40 yards per kick in the Lions' opener. He is averaging 39.1 yards per punt with a long of 53 and three inside the 20. He ranks 53rd nationally in punting and 5th in the MIAA. 

Ricky Green With The Pick:  Junior Ricky Green had two interceptions in the game with Emporia State. The two picks are the first time since last year against Central Missouri where a Lion had multiple interceptions in the same game. He currently ranks sixth nationally in picks and second in the MIAA in the category. He also ranks 17th nationally in passes defended, while ranking 5th the MIAA. 

Welcome Back Kenny:  Defensive Coordinator Kenny Evans is back in green and gold for MSSU. Evans spent nine seasons on the late John Lantz's staff at Missouri Southern from 1989-97 where he helped guide the program into the ranks of NCAA Division II and help MSSU go 51-35 during that stretch.  
 
Defensive Depth:  The Lions return five starters on defense from a season ago. Of the 11 starters on defense, however, ten saw significant time over the previous two seasons for MSSU.

New Quarterback II:  For the first time since the 2007 season (Nathan Emmert), the Lions will not have the previous season's opening game starting quarterback on its roster (not including graduation). Jay McDowell left the program in the off season. 

Hall of Fame:  This week is Hall of Fame weekend where MSSU will induct four individuals into the Athletics Hall of Fame. Among them is former football standout Josh Chapman.

Weather Report:  The weather report for the Joplin area on Thursday calls for a high of 76 degrees with partly cloudy conditions and a 20 percent chance of rain. 

Up Next:  The Lions will start a two-game road trip when Southern travels to Washburn next Saturday.