Kickoff
The 11th ranked Missouri Western football will look to stay undefeated on the road this season when they travel to Maryville, Mo. to take on the 4th ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats in the biggest game of the the year. Kickoff is set for 2:37 pm on November 10, 2012 in Bearcat Stadium. The winner will take home the MIAA Title.

Game Information Date / Time: November 10, 2012 / 2:37 p.m. CST Site: Maryville, Mo. - Bearcat Stadium (6,500) Radio: Griffon Sports Network (KFEQ 680 AM St. Joseph & KMRN 1360 AM Cameron)     Talent: Dave Riggert (pxp), Bob Orf (analyst),       Brett Esely (sideline)     Television: MIAA Broadcasting Network Twitter Updates: @gogriffons Series: NWMSU leads 22-11     St. Joseph, Mo.: NWMSU leads 12-4     Maryville, Mo.: NWMSU leads 10-7 First Meeting: September 19, 1981 - at MWSU         MWSU won 20-8 Last Meeting: November 19, 2011 - at MWSU     NWMSU won 35-29 in NCAA Playoff Game

Missouri Western Grffons (9-1, 8-1 MIAA) Football Page Roster Statistics (2012) Schedule Game Notes Athletic Website

Northwest Missouri State (9-1, 8-1 MIAA) Football Page Roster Statistics Schedule Game Notes Athletic Website

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STORY LINES
• This marks just the 34th meeting between the Bearcats and the Griffons and is arguably the biggest game as it will be for the MIAA Title.
• This marks the 18th meeting in Maryville. The Griffons and the Bearcats split two games last season both of which were in St. Joseph. The Griffons won the regular season match-up 31-28 on Nov. 5 but fell 35-29 in the NCAA Playoffs on Nov. 19.  The last time MWSU won in Maryville was on Nov. 3, 2001 by a score of 37-30. Since then Nothwest has won five straight in Maryville.
• The Griffons are  a perfect 4-0 on the road this season and 4-0 in MIAA play on the road...MWSU beat Fort Hays State 21-7, Northeastern State 45-31, #7 Pittsburg State 63-14 and #15 Emporia State 57-28.
• The Griffons will be looking to break the school record for wins in a season with ten on Saturday...they will also be looking for their first outright MIAA title...they tied for the title in 2003.
• The Griffons and the Bearcats are even when playing in the month of November with both teams winning three of the six games. The Griffons won the first two while the Bearcats have won three of the final four which includes two playoff games (2010, 2011).
• The last time the two teams played in November was on November 19, 2011 when the Bearcats beat the Griffons 35-29 in St. Joseph, Mo. in the MIAA playoffs.
• The Griffons highest ranking ever in the AFCA poll is 4th while their highest in the D2Football.com poll is 3rd.
• Dating back to last season the Griffons have won 16 of 17 regular season games with 15 being MIAA games.
• 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 57 and has made 63 straight in his career.
• MWSU leads the MIAA in rushing yards per game averaging 300.9 yards per game while senior running back Michael Hill is second in the the nation averaging 168.8 yards per game.
• Senior defensive end David Bass leads the MIAA in sacks per game averaging 0.97...he is tied for 14th in the nation...he set the MWSU record for tackles for a loss in a career with 51.
• Hill is 5th in the nation in All-Purpose yards per game averaging 186.70 per game.
• Missouri 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 30 touchdowns in MIAA games this season...he leads the MIAA and is 11th in the nation in passing efficiency at 163.28.
• The nine victories tied a school record for most victories in a season. Missouri Western has done it seven times (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012).

COACHES
MWSU head football coach Jerry Partridge. . .
• Named the sixth head coach of the Griffon football program in 1997
• Is 121-63 (.658) in his 16th season as the Griffon head coach.
• Is 92-48 (.657) 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 secured his seventh winning seasons in last eight years
• Led the Griffons to a school record nine victories in seven of his 15 seasons which included last and this season.
• Is Missouri Western's all-time winningest coach with 121 wins.
• Is third in all-time wins in the MIAA.
• This marks Coach P's 18th meeting with Northwest Missouri State...He is 3-14 overall against Northwest.
• Played four years at Missouri Western.
• Partridge is 69-23 at home in his career with three undefeated seasons at home (2003, 2006, 2010).
• Marks the 3rd meeting against coach Dorel...Is 1-1 against Dorel.

NW Missouri State head coach Adam Dorrel.. .
• Dorrel was named head coach at Northwest Missouri State University after the passing of long-time assistant coach Scott Bostwick on June 5, 2011.
• In addition to a celebrated playoff run, the Bearcats led the nation in scoring, averaging more than 50 points per game during the regular season and scoring the second most points in college football regardless of division. The 2011 season also ushered in the program's 500th win (508-390-22) on Sept. 17 with a 73-7 thrashing of Lincoln.
• Prior to being named head coach, Dorrel was no stranger to Bearcat football or its expectations. He was the offensive coordinator at Northwest from 2007 to 2010, helping the Bearcats to an unprecedented five consecutive NCAA Division II Championship appearances and their third national title in 2009. In Dorrel's eight seasons with the Bearcats since returning in 2004, they have a 98-17 record and added five MIAA Championships.
• Dorrel's offensive unit averaged 42 points and 474 yards per game, ranking in the top 10 nationally in four major offensive categories before leading the nation in scoring at more than 50 points per game in 2011. The Bearcats were second in scoring, sixth in total offense, third in pass efficiency and eighth in passing.
• Is 1-1 against the Griffons and 1-0 in playoffs.

TEAM NOTEBOOK
Quick Starts Key for Griffons
• Missouri Western was 5-1 when leading after the first quarter last season and are 9-1 this season...The Griffons were ahead 21-0 against WU on Saturday after the first quarter. MWSU won 56-28.

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 49-22 overall, 25-9 in Spratt Stadium and 24-13 on the road.

Playing in November
The Griffons are 22-12 in November under coach Partridge...MWSU is 15-4 at home and 7-8 on the road...two of the road losses came in the Division II playoffs.

Playing on November 10
• The Griffons are 0-3 all-time on November 10. The
Griffons are 0-1 at home and 0-2 on the road. MWSU is 0-2 on November 10 under Partridge going 0-2 on the road with both losses coming against Truman State.

In Spratt Stadium
• The Griffons are 122-64-3 since 1979 in Spratt Stadium...MWSU is 5-1 this season.

Red Zone Success
• In their first 10 games of the season Missouri Western is 46-50  with 39 touchdowns and seven 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 17-8.
• The Griffons are 29-18 when they are ranked since 1989.
• Missouri Western is 29-16 when ranked under Partridge.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents
Western is 23-36 against DII ranked opponents after defeating 25th ranked Washburn Ichabods 56-28 on November 3, 2012 in Spratt Stadium. MWSU beat 15th ranked Emporia State 57-28 on October 25, 2012 in Emporia. MWSU beat #7 Pittsburg State on October 20, 2012 in Pittsburg. Under head coach Jerry Partridge the Griffons are 20-29 against ranked opponents as their previous victory  before the PSU win came 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 13-14 under Partridge at home against ranked opponents after their victory against Washburn last weekend. The previous victory at home against a ranked opponent was last season on November 5 against No. 3 Northwest Missouri State 31-28. Before that it came  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 6-15 under coach Partridge on the road against ranked opponents. MWSU's last victory on the road came last week by a score of 63-14 against Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan. Before that it was in 2010 defeating #15 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 6-4 under Partridge in television games after defeating Emporia State 58-17. MWSU defeated Nebraska-Kearney 38-14 earlier this season. 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 11-0 when they rushed for over 200 yards as a team. This season they are 9-1 as they went for 418 against Washburn. The went for 382 against Emporia State and 240 in their victory against PSU. They went for 260 loss against MSSU. In their victories they went for 237 against Northeastern State, 243 against Central Oklahoma, 264 against Fort Hays State., 358 against Nebraska-Kearney, 216 yards against Central Missouri Mules and 398 against William Jewell.

When controlling the time of possession
When the Griffons lead in time of possession they are 14-1 since last season. They were 8-1 in 2011 and 6-0 this season controlling the ball.

Defensive Success
This season the Griffons defense has been outstanding. MWSU is second in the MIAA and is 22nd in the nation giving up just 19.80 points per contest. They are tied for 22nd in the nation and second in the MIAA sacking the quarterback 2.70 times per game. David Bass is T14th in the nation and 1st in the MIAA averaging 0.95 sacks per game.

Against NWMSU when Ranked Under Partridge
The Griffons are 0-4 against NWMSU when we are ranked under Partridge...he is 0-2 at home.

Against NWMSU Under Partridge when NWMSU is ranked
The Griffons are 2-14 against NWMSU when  NWMSU is ranked in the top-25 and are 0-7 in Maryville.

Super Region 3      
Team                                       D2       Overall
1. Minnesota State              10-0     10-0
2. Henderson State             9-0       9-0
3. Northwest Missouri        9-1       9-1  
4. Harding                             8-1       8-1  
5. Missouri Western           9-1        9-1  
6. Minnesota Duluth           9-1        9-1  
7. Winona State                   8-2        8-2  
8. Emporia State                 8-2        8-2
9. Sioux Falls                       8-2        8-2  
10. Southern Arkansas     6-2         7-2

About NWMSU:
• Something will have to give as the Bearcats hold the top ranked defense and Missouri Western enters with the MIAA's tope ranked offense.
The Bearcats are the only team in the league to hold opponents under 300 yards per game and 12.3 points per game. The Griffons are averaging 474.2 yards per game.
• The Bearcats and Griffons will lock up in a top 25 battle as Northwest looks for its 23rd win all-time against Missouri Western and the 2nd straight. Northwest also extended its winning streak against Emporia State to 19 games in week ten as it represents the longest current winning streak against any MIAA opponent on the Bearcats schedule.
• Both the Bearcats and Griffons have been on the positive side of the turnover battle through ten weeks. Northwest is an amazing +15 and ranks second in NCAA II in turnover margin while Missouri Western is +4.
• Northwest enters Saturday's game ranked
4th in the AFCA Top 25 while Missouri Western stands at 11th. The Bearcats are 23-3 all-time playing as the fourth ranked team, however the more impo tantly Northwest sits at No. 4 in the NCAA Super Region 3 rankings with Missouri Western at No. 5. The top six teams in the Regional Rankings earn a berth to the NCAA II Playoffs and at 9-1 a loss for either team this week looms large in the playoff picture.

Griffon Football History
Western is 254-204-9 in their 43rd year of Griffon football.

A win for Missouri Western would
Lift the Griffons to 255-204-9 in their football history...lift the Griffons to 12-22 all-time against the Bearcats and 8-10 in Maryville...give MWSU  a record 10 wins in a season...give MWSU their first ever solo MIAA Title and second in school history (Last was in 2003)...lift Partridge to 4-14 against NWMSU and 2-7 in Maryville...lift Partridge  3-3 in November against NWMSU...give Travis Partridge a 2-1 record against Northwest as the starting quarterback.

A loss for Missouri Western would
Drop the Griffons to 254-205-9 in their football history...drop Partridge to 3-15 against the Bearcats...drop MWSU to 11-23 against NWMSU...drop MWSU to 7-11 in Maryville...drop Partridge to 2-4 in November against NWMSU...drop Travis Partridge to 1-2 in 3 starts against the Bearcats.

Series Notes
This marks the 34th meeting between the two schools and fifth time in three years. The Bearcats hold a 22-11 advantage in the series. Northwest has won 15 of the last 18 meeting which includes the two playoff meetings. The Bearcats have won 10 of the 17 meetings in Maryville and 12 of the last 16 meetings in St. Joseph. The last time the Griffons defeated the Bearcats was on November 5, 2011 by a score of 31-28 in St. Joseph. The victory snapped an eight game losing streak to the Bearcats. The last victory in Maryville came in 2001 by a score of 37-30 on November 3, 2001. The Bearcats longest winning streak was from 2004-2010 where they won eight straight meetings against the Griffons. MWSU's longest winning streak was from 1993-1995. The largest margin of victory for the Griffons was in 1994 when they won 20-0 in Maryville. The largest margin of victory for the Bearcats was in 2010 when they defeated the Griffons 42-0 on October 3 in Maryville. Coach Partridge is 3-14 all time against the Bearcats. Coach Partridge is just 2-7 in St. Joseph and 1-7 in Maryville. MWSU has scored 20 or more points against the Bearcats in eight of the last nine meetings but the Bearcats have scored 24 or more in all nine of those meeting which includes over 40 in four of the last seven meetings. Coach Partridge is 2-3 in November against Northwest which includes.

Griffons in the National Polls
The Missouri Western Griffons were tabbed No. 11 in the AFCA preseason top 25 poll. Missouri Western has been ranked in the top 25 in the last 18 polls and has received votes in 38 of the last 39 polls by the American Football Coaches Association. Missouri Western was listed at No. 10 in the d2football.com media poll. The #3 ranking the Griffons had earlier this season is the highest ranking for the Griffons. The #4 ranking was the highest by the AFCA. The Griffons are 5th and the Bearcats are 3rd in this weeks Super Region 3 polls.

Up Next
The Griffons will have to wait and see their destiny. If they win they will be in the playoff and if they lose they will have to wait and see if they get in.

THE LAST TIME...
MWSU shut out an opponent: 9/8/12, William Jewell (56-0)
MWSU was shut out: 10/2/10, at #7 Nortwest Missouri State (42-0)
MWSU rallied from a 4th quarter deficit: 11/6/10, at Nebraska-Omaha (Trailed 14-10; won 16-14)
MWSU lost 4th quarter lead: 10/13/12, vs. MSSU (Led 30-24; lost 31-30)
MWSU eclipsed 200 yards rushing: 10/20/2012 @ Pittsburg State (240)
MWSU eclipsed 300 yards rushing: 10/25/2012 @ Emporia State (382)
MWSU eclipsed 400 yards rushing: 11/5/2012 vs. #25 Washburn (418)
A Griffon eclipsed 100 yards rushing: 10/25/2012, Michael Hill (185) @ Emporia State
A Griffon eclipsed 200 yards rushing: 11/3/12, Michael Hill (259) vs. #25 Washburn
A Griffon rushed for 3 or more TDs: 11/3/12, Michael Hill (3) vs. #25 Washburn
MWSU eclipsed 400 yards passing: 10/9/10, vs. Truman State (412)
A Griffon eclipsed 250 yards passing: 10/22/11, Travis Partridge vs. Truman State (278)
A Griffon eclipsed 300 yards passing: 10/9/10, Drew Newhart vs. Truman State (412)
A Griffon passed for 4 touchdowns: 10/20/12, Travis Partridge at Emporia State (4)
MWSU eclipsed 500 yards of total offense: 11/3/12, vs. #25 Washburn (569)
MWSU eclipled 600 yards of total offense: 10/22/11, vs. Truman STate (632)
A Griffon eclipsed 200 yards of total offense: 11/3/12, Michael Hill (259) vs. #25 Washburn
A Griffon eclipsed 100 yards receiving: 10/13/12, Kyle Knox (103) vs. Missouri Southern
A Griffon eclipsed 200 yards receiving: 9/5/09, Cedric Houston at Mesa State (229)
A Griffon caught 2 TDs: 10/6/12, Reggie Jordan at Northeastern State
A Griffon caught 3 TDs: 9/9/10, Andrew Mead vs. Lincoln
MWSU returned a punt for a TD: 10/8/11, Tarrell Downing vs. Lincoln University (72 yd)
MWSU returned a kickoff for a TD: 10/8/11, Tarrell Downing vs. Lincoln University (88 yd)
MWSU returned an interception for a TD: 10/25/12, Mike Jordan @ Empoira State (91 yds)
MWSU returned a fumble for a TD: 11/6/10, Nic Burrell vs. Fort Hays State (14 yd)
MWSU had a fumble returned for a TD against them: 8/30/12, vs. Central Missouri
MWSU had a punt returned for a TD: 9/18/10, at #15 Washburn
MWSU had a kickoff returned for a TD: 9/15/07, vs. Northwest Missouri State
MWSU had an interception returned for a TD: 10/16/10 at #11 Central Missouri
MWSU had three field goals: 10/25/12, Taylor Anderson @ Emporia State (43, 30, 44)
MWSU had four field goals: 9/17, Taylor Anderson vs. Langston
MWSU had five field goals: 10/1/11, Greg Zuerlein at Missouri Southern