ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western football team (2-4, 1-4 MIAA) goes on the road for a fifth time in seven weeks, as the Griffons head to Warrensburg for a showdown against Central Missouri (3-2, 1-2 MIAA) this Saturday. Kickoff from Kennedy Field at Walton Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m.
Pregame coverage starts at noon on The Varsity Network app and at
GoGriffons.com/listen. Tommy Rezac will provide play-by-play commentary. Kyle Schmidt of the St. Joseph News-Press will be the color analyst and Ryan Menley will be the sideline reporter.
Missouri Western looks to snap a three-game losing streak and also look to win at Central Missouri for the first time since 2013.
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 GAME OF THE WEEK ON '38 THE SPOT'
Missouri Western fans will be able to watch the Griffons twice on local television this season on Optimum Channel No. 17. The first chance is this week against Central Missouri on October 12 at 1:00 p.m., followed by a home game against Nebraska-Kearney on October 19 at 2:00 p.m.
MIAA STANDINGS
School CONF CPCT. OVR. PCT. STREAK
| Central Oklahoma |
4-0 |
1.000 |
5-0 |
1.000 |
W5 |
| Emporia State |
4-1 |
.800 |
5-1 |
.833 |
W1 |
| Northwest Missouri |
4-1 |
.800 |
4-2 |
.667 |
W4 |
| Pittsburg State |
3-1 |
.750 |
4-1 |
.750 |
W2 |
| Fort Hays State |
2-2 |
.500 |
4-2 |
.667 |
W2 |
| Central Missouri |
1-2 |
.333 |
3-2 |
.600 |
L1 |
| Nebraska Kearney |
1-2 |
.333 |
3-2 |
.600 |
W1 |
| Washburn |
1-3 |
.250 |
1-4 |
.200 |
L1 |
| Missouri Western |
1-4 |
.200 |
2-4 |
.33 |
L3 |
| Missouri Southern |
0-4 |
.000 |
1-5 |
.200 |
L1 |
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST UCM
Saturday marks the 40
th all-time meeting against Central Missouri. The Mules hold a slim 20-18-1 advantage in the series, though UCM has won seven of the last eight meetings dating back to 2015. Missouri Western seeks its first win in Warrensburg since Sept. 5, 2013.
Missouri Western and Central Missouri opened the season against each other last year on August 31, 2023 in St. Joseph. In a back-and-forth and high scoring affair, UCM outlasted Missouri Western, 45-38, at Spratt Stadium.
Jonas Bennett, in his first game as a WR, led the Griffons in that game with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Kienen Gaskin led the Griffons with 10 tackles in that game as well.
LAST WEEK AT PITTSBURG STATE
Missouri Western regained the lead to open the second half against No. 10 Pittsburg State (4-1, 3-1 MIAA), but the Gorillas scored 21 unanswered points in the second half that propelled them to a 31-20 win at Carnie-Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, KS.
Pitt State struck first with a field goal in their first possession of the contest. The Griffons responded immediately with a lengthy 13-play, 94-yard drive that was capped off with a 1-yard TD run from
Jayden Williams - his second career rushing score and his first of the season.
The Gorillas regained the lead with a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Noah Hernandez with three seconds remaining in the first quarter and held the 10-6 advantage into the halftime break.
Missouri Western began the second half strongly, with the Griffon defense forcing a three-and-out in the opening possession.
Kody Kirk followed up with a 38-yard touchdown toss to
Jonas Bennett, giving MWSU a 13-10 lead. Pitt responded with a rushing touchdown on the next drive and later extended their lead to 24-13 with a 44-yard pick-six by Alex Gaskill.
In the fourth quarter, Pitt State added to its lead with a rushing touchdown at 10:06 to go up 31-13. The Griffons did not go away quietly, as Kirk found
Tyler Carey for a 50-yard score. However, the Gorillas bled the final 7:38 off the cloak with 12 rushes and a fourth-down pass to secure the victory.
Branden Berwald received the nod at starting quarterback for the first time this season. The junior was 10-14 for 111 yards before exiting the game in the second quarter with illness. Kirk remained in the game for the remaining 30:23, finishing 9-17 for 173 with two touchdowns and an interception.
Bennett reached the century mark for the second straight week with 115 yards on six receptions and his first touchdown of the season. Carey (70) added the second-most receiving yards, followed by senior
Jake Berrey (31). On the ground, Western tabbed 107 yards on 26 attempts.
Marrell Fountain led the way with 65 yards on eight carries.
On defense, junior
Kienen Gaskin led the team with nine tackles. Garret Watson added seven tackles and a sack, while
Evan Williams recorded a team-high 1.5 sacks, and
Trey Nesbitt added a sack himself.
Chad Dodson Jr. was 16-26 for 230 yards passing for Pitt, and Hernandez contributed 74 of the team's 146 yards rushing. Alex Gaskill finished with a team-leading six tackles on defense.
POUND THE ROCK
The Griffons are second in the MIAA with 1032 rushing yards. Missouri Western is also second in the league, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
DEFENSE: STRONG AS A LION
Missouri Western continues to show the way in the MIAA when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks. The Griffons are No. 1 in the league and tied fourth in the country with 19 total sacks.
Garrett Watson is tied for fourth in the MIAA with 3.5 sacks.
What's more, Missouri Western ranks second in the MIAA and sixth in the country with 48 tackles for loss.
Jaden Brown and
Garrett Watson are tied for third in the league with 6.5 TFLs each.
Kienen Gaskin is up to second in the MIAA with 47 total tackles.
HOLDING THE LINE
While Missouri Western's defense gets after QBs regularly, the Griffons' offensive line has done an excellent job at protecting their own. Missouri Western has allowed only seven sacks through six games – tied for the fewest sacks allowed in the MIAA. That's just seven sacks allowed in 246 dropbacks this season.
BACK DEEP TO RECEIVE
Javerius McGuinn leads the MIAA with 261 kick return yards, including a 100+ yard kickoff return for a TD against Missouri Southern on Sept. 14. McGuinn is one of just three players in the league so far this season with a kickoff return for a TD.
MULLING THE MULES
Central Missouri (3-2, 1-2 MIAA) was preseason ranked No. 2 and were the preseason favorites to win the MIAA, receiving eight first place votes in the preseason coaches' poll. But for the Mules, who went 11-2 last season and shared the MIAA championship with Pittsburg State in 2023, have had a rollercoaster of a season thus far.
UCM's season started with a 63-21 win over Northeastern State on Sept. 7, but that was followed by a 57-40 loss at Central Oklahoma on Sept. 14. UCM then skated by with a 32-31 win at Davenport (Mich.) and a 36-35 win at home against Nebraska-Kearney.
UCM was back on the road last week at Fort Hays State, where the Tigers beat the then 12
th-ranked Mules, 31-21, in a primetime battle. That loss was enough to drop UCM out of the AFCA Division II Top 25, but the Mules are the first team out of the poll and still received 45 votes.
ZEBROWKSI: STILL GOOD
Central Missouri brings back their Harlon Hill Trophy winning quarterback Zach Zebrowski. Zebrowski spent the 2021 and '22 seasons at Division I Southern Illinois. He made his debut in a Mules uniform against Missouri Western in the season opener last August. Entering that game in the second quarter, Zebrowski shined against the Griffons that night, completing 29-of-39 passes for 390 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2024, Zebrowski continues to set a high bar for quarterbacks in the MIAA, as he leads the league in passing yards (2281), completions (176), passing touchdowns (21) and passing yards per game (456.2).
Offense has been Central Missouri's bread and butter this season. Led by their All-American at QB, UCM is second in the MIAA in scoring (38.4), second in total yards (558.6) and first in passing offense (458.4). Zebrowski is also second on the team with 146 rushing yards this season. He's also ran for a touchdown.
Zach Patterson has been Zebrowski's top target. He leads the Mules with 26 catches for 552 yards (3
rd in MIAA) and three touchdowns. Central Missouri has struggled to run the ball this season, as the Mules rank 9
th in the MIAA in rushing yards with just 100.2 yards per game. UCM is down their top running back in Marcellous Hawkins, who's missed two games due to injury. LaAngelo Bell, another running back, sustained an injury this past week at Fort Hays State.
DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES
Defensively, UCM has struggled at times, as the Mules are 9
th in the MIAA in scoring defense (35), 10
th in total defense (446.6), 10
th in pass defense (295.4), 8
th in rush defense (151.2), 9
th in sacks (7), 9
th in third down defense (42.9%) and 10
th in fourth down defense (76.9%).
Austin Bressler, a linebacker, is UCM's leading tackler with 36 total stops, including 4 TFLs. Cornerback LaDarian Paulk leads the team with two interceptions and three pass breakups.
WHAT'S NEXT
Missouri Western returns home to face Nebraska-Kearney on Homecoming. Kickoff in that game is set for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Varsity Network App and GoGriffons.com/listen. It'll also be televised on 38 The Spot (Optimum Channel No. 17 in St. Joseph).
UCM is at Northwest Missouri State next Saturday at 2 p.m.
