ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon football (3-4, 2-4 MIAA) returns home on Saturday for the 2024 Homecoming game against Nebraska-Kearney (3-3, 1-3 MIAA), which will be featured as the MIAA Game of the Week.
 
Kickoff against the Lopers is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start from Spratt Stadium. The game's theme is "Haunted Halloween," and fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes.
 
Pregame coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. on The Varsity Network app and at GoGriffons.com/listen. Tommy Rezac will provide play-by-play commentary, and Chris Roush from KQ2 will join him in the booth.
 
MIAA GAME OF THE WEEK ON '38 THE SPOT'
MWSU will be featured on the MIAA Game of the Week for the second consecutive week on 38 the Spot. For more information on where and how to watch, visit the link above.
 
WATCH - MIAA NETWORK
All MIAA football, women's soccer, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball, baseball and softball regular season conference games will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The MIAA Network showcased over 1,500 live broadcasts for its 14 member schools last season. For more information, visit https://www.themiaanetwork.com/.
 
LISTEN - GRIFFON SPORTS NETWORK (Varsity Nework App & GoGriffons.com/listen)
Live streams of Missouri Western athletics are now available on The Varsity Network app! All home and away football and men's and women's basketball games will be available to listen to for FREE on the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen. Available on iPhone and Android, fans can access free audio streams for game days on the Varsity Network App. Fans can also receive push notifications as reminders for upcoming games and broadcasts.
 
Once you download The Varsity Network app, search 'Missouri Western' and select which Griffon teams you want to follow. For more information on The Varsity Network and how to listen to the Griffons, click here. Audio broadcasts can also be found at GoGriffons.com/listen. Audio broadcasts will also be archived at GoGriffons.com/listen in the 'On Demand' section, and on the Griffon Sports Insider Podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple and wherever you podcast.
 
MIAA STANDINGS

School	Conf	CPct.	Overall	Pct.	Streak
Central Oklahoma	5-0	1.000	6-0	1.000	W6
Emporia State	4-1	.800	6-1	.857	W2
Pittsburg State	4-1	.800	5-1	.833	W3
Northwest Missouri	4-2	.667	4-3	.571	L1
Fort Hays State	3-2	.600	5-2	.714	W2
Missouri Western	2-4	.333	3-4	.429	W1
Central Missouri	1-3	.250	3-3	.500	L2
Nebraska Kearney	1-3	.250	3-3	.500	L1
Washburn	1-4	.200	1-5	.167	L2
Missouri Southern	0-5	.000	1-6	.143	L2
Northeastern State	0-0	.000	0-1	.000	L1

 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST UNK
Saturday marks the 34^th all-time meeting against Nebraska-Kearney. The Lopers hold a 20-13 advantage in the series, but Western has won six of the last eight meetings since 2013. Missouri Western will look to claim their first win against UNK in Spratt Stadium since 2016.
 
Missouri Western and Nebraska-Kearney battled last year on Oct. 21, 2024, in the Cornhusker State. The closely contested matchup went in favor of the Griffons, as Cody Watson sealed the 20-17 victory with a walk-off 31-yard field goal. Quarterback Armani Edden finished with 257 all-purpose yards and a passing score, while Seth Cromwell added 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. Anthony Villanueva led the team with six tackles, and All-American Dakari Streeter added a pair of sacks.
 
ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney was predicted to finish 10th in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll after ending last season with a 3-8 (2-8 MIAA) record. However, the Lopers have had a positive turnaround from last season and are currently tied for seventh place in the conference standings.
 
UNK opened the season with a win against Chadron State before claiming a 21-14 upset over then No. 22 Northwest Missouri State in the conference opener. Their third win was a 35-0 shutout over Southwest Minnesota State. All three of their losses were to ranked teams, with the latest being a 20-10 loss at home last week to No. 7 Pittsburg State.
 
Former Griffon quarterback #7 Reagan Jones is the offensive player to watch for the Lopers. This season, the senior has gone 64-for-126 for 807 with eight touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
 
The defensive player to watch is #4 Quillan Felton. The senior defensive lineman leads the team with 40 tackles (22 solo) and five sacks. Additionally, the Lithonia, Georgia native leads the MIAA with 10 tackles for loss.
 
#96 Kyle Failing has shined on special teams. He has tallied 28 kickoffs for 1543 yards with seven touchbacks.
 
CLARK NAMED MIAA DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Junior Logan Clark was awarded the title of MIAA Defender of the Week on Monday afternoon. This marks his first time receiving this honor, making him the first Griffon to receive MIAA recognition this season.
 
The Haddonfield, New Jersey native collected his first career interception in the first quarter and added his second pick late in the first half, preventing UCM from extending their lead in the final minute before halftime.
 
RACKING UP THE RUSHING YARDS
The Griffons have been effective rushing the football this season, ranking second in the MIAA in rushing yards (1149), yards per game (164.1) and yards per attempt (5.6).
 
LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD
Missouri Western remains at the forefront of the MIAA when it comes to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Griffons lead the league and rank ninth in the nation with 20 sacks. Garrett Watson is tied for second in the league with 4.5 sacks.
 
Moreover, MWSU is ranked second in the MIAA and is tied for 16th in D2 with 50 tackles for loss. Watson is tied for third in the league with 8.0, followed by Jaden Brown with 6.5. Junior Kienen Gaskin is third in the MIAA with 53 total tackles (25 solo).
 
FLYING TO THE FOOTBALL
Western's defense has frustrated opposing quarterbacks all season. They rank tied for second in the MIAA with six interceptions. Junior Desmond Green currently ranks tied for second in the conference with three picks.
 
WINNING THE BATTLE AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
Missouri Western's defense has consistently pressured opposing quarterbacks, while the Griffons' offensive line has excelled in protecting their own quarterback. Missouri Western has only given up eight sacks in seven games, tied for the lowest number allowed in the MIAA.
 
READY TO RETURN
Javerius McGuinn is currently second in MIAA in kick return yards with 261, which includes a 100+ yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Missouri Southern on Sept. 14. McGuinn is one of only three players in the league this season to have a kickoff return for a touchdown.
 
LAST WEEK AT CENTRAL MISSOURI
The Berwald-Carey connection that accounted for three touchdowns in the second half helped the Griffons snap a three-game losing skid with a 38-28 at Central Missouri (3-3, 1-3).
 
The Mules struck first in the opening drive of the game with a seven-yard passing score from Zach Zebrowski to Jake Zippe. MWSU answered with a 49-yard field goal from Watson in the ensuing drive to make the score 7-3.
 
The Griffon defense stood tall in the opening quarter, forcing two turnovers. The first turnover occurred at 5:42 of the opening quarter after Antonio Taylor recovered a fumble that was mishandled by Christian Davis. Their second takeaway was junior Logan Clark's first career interception at 2:42.
 
In the second quarter, UCM extended their lead to two scores with a 12-yard reception from Derrick Rose, but the Griffs didn't let it faze them. Branden Berwald and Jonas Bennett answered strongly with a 50-yard touchdown, eventually cutting the lead to three with a two-point conversion hauled in by Traveon James.
 
Central Missouri was driving late and had a first-and-goal opportunity with less than a minute remaining in the half. However, Clark notched his second interception of the game, which swung the momentum back in favor of MWSU. With the help of 44 yards rushing and a UCM personal foul, Watson was able to drive through a 31-yard field goal, tying the game at 14-14.
 
It didn't take long for the Missouri Western to find pay dirt in the second half, as Berwald found Tyler Carey for 68 yards on the opening play to give MWSU its first lead of the afternoon. Watson later added his third field goal from 29 yards out to put the Griffs up by 10 late in the quarter.
 
The two teams went blow-for-blow in the fourth quarter, with the Mules scoring from a yard out before Carey added his second score of the contest after collecting a 36-yard strike from Berwald. The duo's final touchdown connection occurred at the 6:43 mark of the fourth quarter, following Green's third interception of the season that halted the Mules' previous drive.
 
Central Missouri attempted to rally late with a touchdown, but a heavy dose of Griffon ground and pound led by Rickie Dunn and Marrell Fountain put the game on ice, securing Western's first win over Central Missouri in Warrensburg since 2013.
 
Missouri Western's offensive was humming all afternoon. They outgained Central Missouri 512 to 431, a season-high in total yards. Additionally, they controlled the time of possession with 34:07 minutes and recorded 27 first downs.
 
In his second start of the season, Berwald finished with a career-high 404 passing yards, throwing four touchdowns and one interception. In addition, his 481 all-purpose yards established a new program record. 
 
Carey led the game with six catches for 178 yards and tied a school record with three touchdown receptions, extending his season total to six touchdowns. Bennett added seven catches for 156 yards, marking his third straight game reaching the century mark.
 
The Griffon defense forced four turnovers on the afternoon, highlighted by Clark's two-interception game. Kameron Langford led the defense with 10 tackles, while Watson tallied a sack for MWSU.
 
THE FINAL STRETCH
Following Saturday's matchup, Missouri Western will have a bye week before returning home for the final three games of the regular season against No. 11 Central Oklahoma (11/2), Northwest Missouri State (11/9) and Quincy (11/16).