Kickoff
The 4th ranked Missouri Western football team returns to Spratt Stadium for an MIAA contest against Missouri Southern State University on Saturday, October 13 in the annual homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 1:30 pm in Spratt Stadium.

Game Information Date / Time: October 13, 2012 / 1:30 p.m. CST Site: St. Joseph, Mo. - Spratt Stadium (8,000) Radio: Griffon Sports Network (KFEQ 680 AM St. Joseph & KMRN 1360 AM Cameron)     Talent: Dave Riggert (pxp), Bob Orf (analyst),     Nick McCutcheon (sideline) Twitter Updates: @gogriffons Series: MSSU leads 22-20     St. Joseph, Mo.: MWSU leads 11-9     Joplin, Mo.: MSSU leads 13-9     First Meeting: November 7, 1970 - at MSSU         MSSU defeated MWSU 63-18     Last Meeting: October 1, 2011 - at MSSU     MWSU won 35-23

Missouri Western Griffons (6-0, 5-0 MIAA) Football Page Roster Statistics (2012) Schedule Game Notes Athletic Website

Missouri Southern (4-2, 3-2 MIAA) Football Page Roster Statistics Schedule Game Notes Athletic Website

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STORY LINES
• This marks just the 43rd meeting between the Lions and the Griffons.
• This marks the 21st meeting in St. Joseph with the last coming in 2009 when the Griffons lost 35-34 on October 24.
• The Griffons are 4-0 at home this season and 3-0 in MIAA play at home.
• This marks the 1st time under Partridge that the Griffons have opened up the season 6-0.
• The Griffons have never opend up a season 7-0 under Partridge.
• This marks the first time under Partridge that MWSU has went 5-0 in MIAA play to start the season.
• This marks the fourth time that MWSU has opened up home action going 4-0 under Partridge (2003-2006-2010-2012).
• The Griffons have went 6-0  or better to start the season 3 different times in school history. The best start in history was in 1981 when they opened up 7-0.
• The Griffons are ranked 4th in the AFCA Coaches poll which is the highest ranking ever for the Griffons.
• The longest winning streak for the Griffons is seven games...1981 and 2011...After starting last season 2-2 the Griffons rattled off seven straight victories...dating back to October 1, 2011 the Griffons are 13-1 and 13-0 in MIAA play with their only loss coming in the playoffs to NW Missouri State.
• Missouri Western broke the single game record for yards per rush against William Jewell with 8.8 yard per carry average. The old record was 7.8 which was set on October 22, 2005 vs. Southwest Baptist.
• Taylor Anderson broke the record for most consecutive PATs made in a season with 33 and has made 39 straight in his career.
• MWSU leads the MIAA in rushing yards per game averaging 284.8 yards per game while senior running back Michael Hill is second in the the nation averaging 179.17 yards per game.
• The Missouri Southern Lions lead the MIAA in rushing defense giving up just 88.8 yards per game.
• Hill is third in the nation in All-Purpose yards per game averaging 194.83 per game.
• Western is coming off a season where they went 9-3 and made their third trip in school history to the NCAA Division II National Playoffs and hosted its first ever playoff game at Spratt Stadium.
• Travis Partridge has thrown for or ran for 19 touchdowns in MIAA games this season.
• The nine victories tied a school record for most victories in a season. Missouri Western has done it six times (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011).

COACHES
MWSU head football coach Jerry Partridge. . .
• Named the sixth head coach of the Griffon football program in 1997
• Is 118-62 (.656) in his 16th season as the Griffon head coach.
• Is 89-48 (.650) against the MIAA.
• Has led the Griffons to three NCAA Playoff
appearances and six Mineral Water bowl appearance.
• Led the Griffons to the 2003 Co-MIAA regular season championship.
• Has recorded six winning seasons in last seven years
• Led the Griffons to a school record nine victories in six of his 15 seasons which included last season.
• Is Missouri Western's all-time winningest coach with 118 wins.
• Is third in all-time wins in the MIAA.
• This marks Coach P's 11th meeting with Missouri Southern.
• Played four years at Missouri Western.
• Partridge id 68-22 at home in his career with three undefeated seasons at home (2003, 2006, 2010).
• Marks the first meeting against coach Daye.

Missouri Southern head coach Daryl Daye. . .
• Daryl Daye comes back to Southern after serving two seasons with the NFL's Buffalo Bills as Assistant to the Head Coach. He assisted Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt in coaching the inside linebackers and also helped to coach the special teams units. He was responsible for assisting head coach Chan Gailey in the team's day-to-day administrative operation as well as numerous travel and training camp duties.
• Prior to his stint with the Bills, Daye served for four
years with the Lions as the team's defensive coordinator. In 2008, the Lions once again led the MIAA in pass defense.
• The Lions held opponents to 172 passing yards per game and recorded 58 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks and recovered all 15 fumbles the team forced.
• The 2007 MSSU defense helped the Lions to their first winning season in 12 years. The defense led the MIAA in total defense for the 1st time in school history and also led the MIAA pass defense, opponents' first downs, passing efficiency and were ranked second in Opponents third and fourth down conversions. The Lions' defense was ranked 21st nationally in total defense and also broke a 17 year old division II school record with 21 interceptions. Coach Daye's defenses have now forced a total of 113 turnovers
in 4 years.
• Prior to Southern, Daye worked as special teams coach for the Southern University and also served as head coach at Nicholls State University in Thibodeaux, La., from 1999-2003, and as an assistant at Liberty, LSU and Southern Miss.

TEAM NOTEBOOK
Quick Starts Key for Griffons
• Missouri Western was 5-1 when leading after the first quarter last season and are 6-0 this season...The Griffons were ahead 14-3 against NSU on Saturday.

September Success
• In the month of September under Partridge the Griffons are 38-24 overall and 19-12 in Spratt Stadium and 19-12 on the road.

Outstanding October
• In the month of October under Partridge the Griffons are 47-21 overall and 25-8 in Spratt Stadium and 22-13 on the road...Against Missouri Southern under Partridge in October the Griffons are 5-2 at home and 4-1 on the road. The last victory at home against the Lions in October came on October 27, 2007 when they defeated the Lions 30-14.

Playing on October 13
• The Griffons are 4-2 all-time on October 13. The
Griffons are 2-1 at home and 2-1 on the road. MWSU is 2-0 on October 13 under Partridge going 1-0 at home and 1-0 on the road. The last time the Griffons played on October 6 was in 2007 when they beat Southwest Baptist 49-14 in St. Joseph, Mo.

In Spratt Stadium
• The Griffons are 121-63-3 since 1979 in Spratt Stadium...MWSU is 4-0 this season.

Red Zone Success
• In their first five games of the season Missouri Western is 24-27 with 20 touchdowns and four field goals when in the red zone.

• In 2011 the Griffons continued that trend scoring on 46 of 51 trips into the red zone with 29 touchdowns and 17 field goals. Opponents scored on 29 of 37 trips in the Griffons red zone collecting 21 touchdowns with eight field goals.

• In the 2009 and 2010 seasons the Griffons were outstanding in the red zone converting on a combined 95 of 115 trips into the red zone scoring 71 touchdowns with 24 field goals.

Missouri Western at home when ranked since 1989
• When the Griffons are ranked and play at home under coach Partridge they are 16-7.
• The Griffons are 25-17 when they are ranked.
• Missouri Western is 25-15 when ranked under Partridge.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents
Western is 20-36 against DII ranked opponents after defeating 3rd ranked NW Missouri State 31-28 on November 4, 2011 in Spratt Stadium. Under head coach Jerry Partridge the Griffons are 16-29 against ranked opponents as their previous victory came on September 10, 2011 by a score of 23-6 against the 12th ranked Central Missouri Mules.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents at home
The Griffons are 12-14 under Partridge at home against ranked opponents after their victory against Northwest last season. The previous victory at home against a ranked opponent was on September 10, 2011 when they beat #12 Central Missouri by a score of 23-6.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents on the road Under Partridge
Missouri Western is 4-15 under coach Partridge on the road against ranked opponents. Western's last victory on the road came last season in Washburn by a score of 36-33 on September 18, 2010. The Griffons first victory against a ranked opponent under Partridge on the road was on October 2, 2004 when they defeated 16th ranked Central Missouri 49-44.

Griffons in TV Games Under Partridge
Missouri Western is 5-4 under Partridge in television games after defeating Nebraska-Kearney 38-14 on Saturday evening. Missouri Western went 2-1 last season in televised games. Last season MWSU defeated UCM and NWMSU on the MIAA Television Network and lost to Washburn on CBS College Sports. In 2010 the Griffons went 1-1 in television games defeating Pittsburg State 42-24 on September 25 in St. Joseph and falling 42-0- against Northwest Missouri State on October 2. Western fell at 10th ranked Pittsburg State 21-14 back on November 6, 1997 and to #18 Emporia State on October 8, 1998 by a score of 42-34 in St. Joseph, Mo. Western is 0-1 in nationally televised games falling to Washburn last season.

When rushing for over 200 yards since 2011
Last season the Griffons were 10-0 when they rushed for over 200 yards as a team. This season they are 6-0 as the went for 237 in their 45-31 victory over Northeastern State. They rushed for 243 in their 45-23 victory over Central Oklahoma. The Griffons went for 264 yards in a 21-3 victory over Fort Hays State. They rushed for 358 yards on the ground in a 38-14 victory over Nebraska-Kearney. Earlier this season they went for 216 yards in a 38-26 victory over the Central Missouri Mules and for 398 n a 56-0 victory over William Jewell.

When controlling the time of possession
When the Griffons lead in time of possession they are 12-1 since last season. They were 8-1 in 2011 and 4-0 this season controlling the ball.

Defensive Success
This season the Griffons defense has been outstanding. MWSU is second in the MIAA and is 14th in the nation giving up just 16.17 points per contest. They are also 17th in the nation and third in the MIAA sacking the quarterback 3.17 times per game. David Bass is tied for 29th in the nation and 4th in the MIAA averaging 0.83 sacks per game.

About MSSU:
• The Lions snapped a two game losing streak on Saturday by defeating South Dakota School of Mines 47-20 in Joplin, Mo. The Lions opened up the season winning their first three games. Missouri Southern defeated Central Oklahoma, (25-20), Northeastern State (27-21) and Lincoln (21-14) before falling against Southwest Baptist (16-14) and Central Missouri (35-10).
• The Lions have outscored their opponents 143-126 and have given up just 88.8 yards on the ground per game.
• MSSU has been led offensively by their quarterback Kellen Cox. He is averaging 93.7 yards on the ground per game and is throwing for just 60 yards per game.
• Landon Zerkel has led the way receiving catching 14 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns.
• On defense the Lions are led by Alex Wong. He has 40 tackles with 20 being solo and two being for a loss. Brandon Williams leads the charge on the defensive line with 38 tackles with 16 being solo and 7.5 being for loss. He also has 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Griffon Football History
Western is 251-203-9 in their 43rd year of Griffon football.

A win for Missouri Western would
Lift the Griffons to 252-203-9 in their football history...lift Western to 21-22 all-time against Missouri Southern..lift coach Partridge to 119-62 in his career...lift Travis 2-0 against the Lions...lift Partridge to 5-2 in St. Joseph and lift MWSU to 12-9 in St. Joseph....lift Partridge to 11-5 against the Lions...lift MWSU to 7-0 for the first time under Partridge and give them a 7-0 start for the first time since 1981.

A loss for Missouri Western would
Drop the Griffons to 251-204-9 in their football history...drop Partridge to 10-6 against the MWSU...drop Missouri Western to 20-23 all-time against the Lions...drop Missouri Western to 11-10 against MWSU in St. Joseph, Mo....Give the Griffons a home loss for the second straight time against MSSU...drop Travis Partridge to 1-1 against MWSU...Drop Partridge to a 47-22 record in October and 25-9 at home.

Series Notes
This marks the 43rd meeting between the two schools. The Lions hold a 22-20 advantage in the series. MWSU has won the five of the last seven meetings. The Griffons trail the series in Joplin 13-9 but lead the series in St. Joseph 11-9. The Longest winning streak for the Griffons has been five games from 1999-2003. The Lions have won just three games in the series since 1999 with one coming in 2004 and the others coming in 2009 and 2010. The Griffons trail the series when played in October 13-11 and trail 7-5 when played in October in Joplin. The Griffons are 6-6 at home in October. Coach Partridge is 10-5 all time against the Lions. Coach Partridge is 5-3 in Joplin and 5-2 in St. Joseph. The Griffons have scored 20 or more points in 10 of the last 12 meetings.

Climbing The Record Books
Griffon senior running back Michael Hill keeps climbing the record book in the rushing category. Hill sits in 1st all-time with 3,876 yards in his career. He is also first all-time in carries with 762 which broke the career mark of Thomas Hodges (693). Defensively David broke the MWSU record for sacks in a career with 34. He broke the record the second week of the season against William Jewell.  In 2011, Bass sent a single season record with 20.0 tackles for a loss last season. He broke Eric McDowells mark of 18.5 which was set in 2003. He had 14.5 sacks which was .5 sack behind Eric McDowell's record of 15 set in 2003 and he has 33.0 sacks in his career broke Kinney Redding 30.5 which he set during the stretch of 1974-1977. He is 4.5 tackles for a loss away from tying Michael Cobbins 50 which was set between 2002-2006. Taylor Anderson broke the school record for most PAT's made consecutively in a season with 33.

Griffons in the National Polls
The Missouri Western Griffons were tabbed No. 4 in the AFCA preseason top 25 poll. Missouri Western has been ranked in the top 25 in the last 14 polls and has received votes in 32 of the last 36 polls by the American Football Coaches Association. Missouri Western was listed at No. 3 in the d2football.com media poll. The #3 ranking is the highest ranking for the Griffons.

Up Next
The Griffons hit the road for a stiff test on Saturday, October 20 when they travel to Pittsburg, Kan. to take on the top ranked team in Division II. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm against Pittsburg State University at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium. MWSU has won the last two games played in Pittsburg.