Missouri Western Griffons Gameday
	#6 Missouri Western (5-0, 4-0 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (0-5, 0-5 MIAA) Saturday, October 12, 2013 1:30 p.m. CDT Spratt Stadium (7,200) St, Joseph, Mo. Order Tickets  MWSU Game Notes NSU Game Notes MIAA Weekly Notes MIAA Scoreboard Radio: AM680 KFEQ | Online Video: America One Sports Live Stats: Through MWSU AFCA Rankings D2football.com Rankings NCAA Rankings

Tweet #gogriffsSTORY LINES
• The Griffons are in their 44th season of football as the first year was in 1970
• The Griffons are 2-0 at home this season and 1-0 in MIAA at home.
• This marks the 3rd time and 2nd time under Partridge that the Griffons have opened up the season 5-0 (2009, 2012 & 2013).
• The Griffons have have opened up the season 6-0 under Partridge just once which was last season.
• This marks the second time under Partridge that MWSU has went 4-0 in MIAA play to start the season (2012).
• The Griffons have went 5-0  or better to start the season
6 different times in school history. The best start in history was in 1981 when they opened up 7-0.
• MWSU and NSU played two out of three contests in Tahlequah and two of the three as non-conference games when Northeastern State was part of the Lone Star Conference. The only game in St. Joseph was the first meeting between the two schools.
• Currently the Griffons have won eight straight MIAA games dating back to the 2012 season...they won 12 straight ending the 2011 season and opening up the 2012 season 5-0 in MIAA play. The won seven straight MIAA game ending the 2011 season which is the most in a row in a season. They have won 19 of their last 20 MIAA games.
• The RiverHawks are coming off a 40-12 defeat against the 3rd ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats last weekend in Tahlequah, Okla.
• Coach Partridge is 1-0 against NSU winning last season while the Griffons are 3-0.
• The first time the two teams met was on September 10, 1994 when the Griffons defeated the RiverHawks 33-13 in St. Joseph behind head coach Stan McGarvey.
• The Griffon offense has been lighting up the scroeboard as of late averaging 47 points per game which is second in the MIAA behind Pittsburg State's 51.2. The Griffons are averaging 443.4 total yards and 249.8 yards on the ground. The Griffons lead the league in kickoff return average at 29.8 and second in punt return average at 15.9.
• Individually punter Scott Groner is second in the MIAA with a 43.3 yards per punt average. He has punted 28 times for 1231 yards with a long of 61. Raphael Spencer leads the league in rushing averaging 134.8 yards per game. Josh Walker leads the league averaging 27.1 yards per kick return.
• Missouri Western is coming off their best season in school history where they posted a 12-2 record which was the most wins ever in a season. They also made their fourth trip in school history to the NCAA Division II National where they went to the quarterfinals. The Griffons hosted a home playoff game for the second consecutive season and won their first ever playoff game against Minnesota-Duluth by a score of 57-55 in triple overtime on November 17, 2012.  They followed that up by winning their first ever road playoff game by a score of 45-21 against #6 Henderson State on November 24, 2012 in Arkadelphia, Ark.
• The 12 victories was the most in a season and was the seventh time in the last 10 years that they had at least victories in a season. (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 & 2012).
• The Griffons were voted 1st in the 2013 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and 2nd in the MIAA Media Poll.

COACHES
MWSU head football coach Jerry Partridge. . .
• Named the sixth head coach of the Griffon football program in 1997
• Is 129-64 (.668) in his 17th season as the Griffon head coach.
• Is 97-49 (.664) against the MIAA.
• Has led the Griffons to four NCAA Playoff
appearances and six Mineral Water bowl appearance.
• Led the Griffons to the 2012 MIAA Championship and 2003 Co-MIAA regular season championship.
• Led the Griffons to a school record 12 victories this season and to nine victories or more in eight of his 16 seasons.
• Is Missouri Western's all-time winningest coach with 129 wins.
• Is third in all-time wins in the MIAA.
• This marks the 2nd meeting with NSU...Coach Partridge won his only meeting with the RiverHawks on the road in 2012.
• Played four years at Missouri Western (82-85).
• MIAA Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2012.
• Partridge is 72-23 at home in his career with three undefeated seasons at home (2003, 2006, 2010).
• This marks the second meeting between Partridge and Evans.

Northeastern State head coach Kenny Evans. . .
• Is 20-40 in his 6th season as being a head coach.
• Since joining the MIAA the RiverHawks are just 4-11 against MIAA opponents.
• Evans led NSU to its second-consecutive winning campaign in 2011 as the team posted a 7-5 mark as an independent, which included a six-game win streak and a trip to the Mineral Water Bowl against Minnesota State University. The 2011 team was one of the most successful in school history, as the RiverHawks recorded 30 team and individual school records. Evans has coached or recruited nine All-American, 11 conference players of the year, over a dozen who have made it into the National Football League, as well as numerous All-Conference players at seven different colleges.
• Before taking the NSU job, Evans coached linebackers at Louisiana Tech for Derek Dooley in 2008. In 2005, he was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the Football Foundation while coaching at the University of North Texas on the staff of Darrell Dickey.
• His coaching career took him on a 12-year run with the late Jon Lantz to Southeastern Oklahoma and later to Missouri Southern. As defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, Evans helped rebuild both program to national prominence before joining Dickey at North Texas.

TEAM NOTEBOOK
Quick Starts Key for Griffons
• In the last two seasons the Griffons are 19-2 when leading after the first quarter. Last season the Griffons were 11-1 when leading after the first quarter...This season they are 1-0 when trailing, 1-0 when tied and 3-0 when leading after the first quarter.

September Success
• In the month of September under Partridge the Griffons are 42-24 overall and 21-12 in Spratt Stadium and 21-12 on the road. The Griffons went 4-0 last seaosn and this season in September. They are a perfect 8-0 in the last two years.

Outstanding October
• In the month of October under Partridge the Griffons are 50-22 overall, 25-9 in Spratt Stadium and 25-13 on the road...This marks the second meeting between the two schools in October where they Griffons won last season. The Griffons are 1-0 in October and 2-0 in September.

In Spratt Stadium
• The Griffons are 125-64-3 since 1979 in Spratt Stadium...MWSU was  6-1 last season...Partridge is 66-22 at home since 1997.

Red Zone Success
• In their 14 games last season Missouri Western was 61-68  with 53  touchdowns and eight field goals when in the red zone...In their first five games this season the Griffons are 24-of-26 in the redzone with 23 touchdowns. They were 2-of-3 against Central Missouri and 3-for-3 against Missouri S&T in red zone opportunities. The Griffons were 5-for-5 against Nebraska-Kearney with four touchdowns and one field goal. Against Fort Hays State the Griffons converted on 6-of-7 red zone opportunities with all six being touchdowns. This past week against UCO the Griffons were 8-for-8 in the redzone with all of them being touchdowsn.

• 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.

Playing on October 12
• The Griffons have played pretty good on October 12 holding an all-time record of 3-2.
• The Griffons are 1-0 in the Partridge era winning at Missouri S&T 29-9 in 2002.
• The Griffons are 2-2 at home and 1-0 on the road. They are 1-1 in MIAA play with the only victory coming in 2002 against S&T.

Rushing Attack
• The Griffon rushing attack continued to rack up the yards going for 319 yards against UCO. Raphael Spencer rushed for 221 yards while Travis Partridge plunged in for four touchdowns.
•They Griffons went for 240 yards against Fort Hays State. Raphael Spencer, Dominic Thomas and Dalton Krysa all had rushing touchdowns in the game.
• Against Nebraska-Kearney the Griffons rushed for 210 yards. Raphael Spencer had a career day with 171 yards on 27 carries.
• The Griffons had two players rush for over 100 yards against the Miners of Missouri S&T. Raphael Spencer rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns while Tra Brown rushed for 109 and a touchdown.
• The last time two Griffons ran for over 100 yards was on November 12, 2011 when Michael Hill ran for 182 yards and Travis Partridge rushed for 105.

Non-Conference Success Under Partridge
• Under Partridge the Griffons are 31-11 in non-conference games.
• Missouri Western is 4-2 in neutral site games with all six games coming in the Mineral Water Bowl.
• The Griffons are 17-3 in home games in non-conference games which includes a victory in the playoffs last season against Minnesota-Duluth and this years victory against Missouri S&T.
• Missouri Western is 10-6 in road non-conference games with three of the losses coming in the NCAA Playoffs against Midwestern State in 2006, Northwest Missouri State in 2010 and Minnesota State in 2012.

Success when going over 200 yards rushing
When the Griffons rush for over 200 yards in a game they are almost perfect. The Griffons are 4-0 this year when racking up over 200 yards on the ground. They had over 300 against UCO & Missouri S&T, 210 against Nebraska-Kearney and 240 against Fort Hays State. Last season the Griffons were 11-1 when rushing for over 200 yards as a team with their lone loss coming against Missouri Southern. In 2011 the Griffons were a perfect 8-0 when going over 200 yards on the ground.

Missouri Western when ranked since 1989
• When the Griffons are ranked and play at home under coach Partridge they are 20-8.
• When on the road the Griffons are 17-9.
• The Griffons are 38-19 when they are ranked since 1989.
• Missouri Western is 37-17 when ranked under Partridge.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents
MWSU is 26-37 against DII ranked opponents after going 6-1 last season against ranked opponents. The Griffons only loss against a ranked opponents was against #5 Minnesota State. The Griffons defeated #7 Pittsburg State, #15 Emporia State, #25 Washburn, #4 Northwest Missouri State, #7 Minnesota-Duluth and #6 Henderson State. All those games were consecutive.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents at home
The Griffons are 14-14 under Partridge at home against ranked opponents. Last season the Griffons defeated #25 Washburn and #7 Minnesota-Duluth at home.

Missouri Western against ranked opponents on the road Under Partridge
Missouri Western is 8-16 under coach Partridge on the road against ranked opponents after going 4-1 last year. The Griffons defeated #7 Pittsburg State and #15 Emporia State in back to back weeks on the road and then won the MIAA Title in Maryville against #4 NW Missouri State before defeating #6 Henderson State on the road in the NCAA II Playoffs. 

Griffons in TV Games Under Partridge
Western is 7-4 under Partridge after their victory over Central Missouri last Thursday which was aired on the MIAA Broadcasting Network. Last season the Griffons went 3-0 in televised games. The Griffons defeated Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State and NW Missouri State in televised games. Missouri Western went 2-1 in 2011 in televised games beating UCM and NWMSU and losing to Washburn. 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. MWSU 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. Missouri Western is 0-1 in nationally televised games falling to Washburn in 2011.

Double Numbers
For the rest of the season two Griffons will have two separate numbers. Sophomore Chris Kottwitz will wear 68 or 82 depending on if he is playing offensive line or tight end while long snapper Cameron Glenn will be wearing 51 at home and 48 on the road.

Return Game
The Griffons return game has been outstanding this season. They are 29.8 yards per kickoff return and 15.9 yards per punt return. If Dominic Thomas were to have one more kick return he would lead the league in average. He is averaging 34.6 yards per return while Josh Walker currently leads the MIAA with 27.1 yards per return.