Wednesday, October 9, 2019

MSSU football on the road against Missouri Western Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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