ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western football team (3-6, 2-6 MIAA) will conclude MIAA play against rival Northwest Missouri State (5-4, 4-3 MIAA) in the Gray Manufacturing 'Battle of Highway 71'.  Action will take place this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. from Spratt Stadium.

There will be a "Biker" theme, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will give away black bandanas to the first 100 students who attend.
 
Pregame coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. on The Varsity Network app and GoGriffons.com/listen. Tommy Rezac will provide play-by-play commentary, and Kyle Schmidt of the St. Joseph News-Press will be the color analyst.

The Griffons aim to end their 10-game losing streak against the Bearcats and secure their first win in St. Joseph since 2011.
 
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	6-1	.857	8-1	.889	W1
Pittsburg State	6-2	.750	7-2	.778	L1
Emporia State	5-2	.714	7-2	.778	L1
Fort Hays State	5-3	.625	7-3	.700	W2
Central Missouri	4-3	.571	6-3	.667	W3
Northwest Missouri	4-3	.571	5-4	.556	W1
Nebraska Kearney	3-4	.429	5-4	.556	W1
Missouri Western	2-6	.250	3-6	.333	L2
Washburn	2-6	.250	2-7	.222	L2
Missouri Southern	0-7	.000	1-8	.111	L4

 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST NWMSU
Saturday marks the 45th matchup between Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State, a rivalry that dates back to 1981. Missouri Western won the first two games in 1981 and 1982; however, they have struggled against Northwest Missouri State in the years since. The Bearcats currently lead the all-time series with a record of 32 wins to 12 losses, including victories in the last 10 meetings. Missouri Western's previous win came in Maryville during the historic 2012 season, with a score of 21-20. Their most recent home victory was a 31-28 win in 2011.
 
Last season, the 21st-ranked Griffons fell to the Bearcats 27-24 on the road. They encountered early challenges, trailing by two scores at halftime after Northwest scored 21 points in the second quarter. A 90-yard pick-six by Desmond Green ignited the Griffons' comeback effort, which was later followed by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Armani Edden to Traveon James in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, an interception during the Griffons' final drive proved to be the deciding factor, allowing Northwest to secure the hard-fought victory.
 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
It has been an up-and-down season for the perennial powerhouse Bearcats, who were picked to finish third in the MIAA with 58 points in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll. They finished last season tied for fifth with Fort Hays State in the final MIAA standings with a record of 7-4 (6-4 MIAA).
 
Northwest opened the season at home with a top-25 matchup against No. 13 Minnesota State, losing 36-22 to the Mavericks. A week later, they were upset on the road against Nebraska-Kearney, 21-14.
 
After starting the season with a rare 0-2 record, the Bearcats turned things around by winning four consecutive games. This winning streak included impressive victories over No. 25 Fort Hays State and Emporia State. However, they faced setbacks against No. 13 Central Oklahoma, losing 48-20, and Central Missouri, with a score of 35-30. They bounced back by securing a 44-26 win in their non-conference finale against Northeastern State last weekend.
 
Quarterback #15 Chris Ruhnke is the offensive player to watch for the Bearcats. The junior from Platte City has thrown for 2462 yards this season with 18 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.
 
Northwest's defensive player to watch is #32 Shane Fredrickson. The junior defensive back leads the team with 59.0 tackles (47 solo). He has also tallied two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup.
 
#90 Cole Lammel is a specialist to keep an eye on. The senior has been responsible for kickoff duties for the Bearcats, where he has 12 touchbacks on 53 attempts. In the win against Washburn, he booted five kicks through the back of the endzone.
 
CAUSING HAVOC BEHIND IN THE BACKFIELD
The Griffons have recorded 25.0 sacks this season, leading the MIAA and ranking 20th in the nation. Senior Garrett Watson (5.0) and Junior Grant Finley (4.5) have led the charge.
 
MWSU is also excellent in tackles for losses, ranking second in the MIAA and ranking 36th in all of D2. Finley leads the team with 8.5 for 24 yards, followed by Watson (8.0) and Jaden Brown (7.5). Additionally, junior linebacker Kienen Gaskin ranks fifth in the MIAA with 69 tackles (7.7 AVG/G).
 
NO FLY ZONE
Western has excelled at disrupting opposing passing games, ranking fourth in the MIAA with nine interceptions. Junior Desmond Green is tied for third in the conference with three interceptions this season, while teammates Logan Clark, Antonio Taylor and Cameron Powell have each contributed with two interceptions apiece.
 
BERWALD THE DUAL THREAT
With the help of the offensive line, which has held opponents a league-leading 10 sacks, junior quarterback Branden Berwald has been able to flash his ability to run with the football. He has led the team in rushing with 370 yards (5.7 AVG) since senior Brandon Hall went down with a season-ending injury against Emporia State.
 
In addition to running the football, the White Bear Lake, Minnesota native has thrown for 1020 yards with eight touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Against Central Missouri, he had a career day throwing the football with 404 yards and four touchdowns while also finishing with a program-best 481 all-purpose yards.
 
His leading receiver, senior Jonas Bennett, has hauled in 57 catches for 776 yards (both 4th MIAA) and two touchdown receptions. Fellow senior Tyler Carey has also shined with eight touchdown receptions, which ranks tied for third in the MIAA.
 
BACK DEEP TO RETURN
Javerius McGuinn is second in the MIAA with 30.3 yards a return in the kick return game. He notched a 100+ yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Missouri Southern on Sept. 14. Freshman James Noel resides third in the league with 24.3 yards a return.
 
Bennett ranks second in the conference with 133 yards on 10 returns (13.3). He collected a season-long 56-yard return on the road against Emporia State.
 
WATCH OUT FOR WATSON
Senior kicker Cody Watson has successfully made six out of his last seven field goal attempts, with his only miss being blocked in the game against UNK. The Yukon, Oklahoma native achieved a career-long field goal of 52 yards against Washburn, and he has also made four attempts from over 40 yards.
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST UCO
The Missouri Western football team (3-6, 2-6 MIAA) dropped an overtime heart-breaker in a back-and-forth battle with the thirteenth-ranked Bronchos (8-1, 6-1 MIAA) on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Spratt Stadium.
 
Central Oklahoma's Nick Quevedo drilled a 47-yard field goal on a fourth and 15 in overtime to propel the Bronchos to the victory. UCO used a six-play, 60-yard drive following a turnover on downs to force overtime.
 
Saturday's contest favored the Bronchos in the first half, as they jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a 2-yard run from Andrew Carney in the first quarter and a 37-yard pass from Jett Huff to Terrell Davis in the second. However, Western wouldn't go away easily, as they cut the deficit to seven with a 9-yard rushing score from quarterback Berwald with under two minutes remaining in the half.
 
After the Bronchos capitalized on a Griffon interception to take a 20-7 lead, the momentum shifted significantly in favor of Missouri Western, who closed the gap to 10 with a field goal before a lightning delay interrupted the game.
 
Once the two teams returned to the field from the 30-minute stoppage in action, the Griffons found another gear, beginning with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Berwald to senior Jake Berrey with 1:13 left in the third to cut the Bronchos' lead to just three.
 
In the fourth quarter, MWSU tied the game with a 40-yard field goal by Watson before taking the lead for the first time with a 15-yard touchdown run by Marrell Fountain - his second rushing touchdown of the season.
 
During Central Oklahoma's next drive, Powell energized the home crowd by returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, marking his first interception since the season opener against Northeastern State and extending the Griffons' lead to 34-20.
 
UCO showcased late-game heroics, beginning with a 92-yard punt return TD by Kobey Stephens with 2:54 on the clock. They then made a vital stop and drove down the field with backup quarterback Dawson Herl, who tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown run with just 13 seconds left. They ultimately won with a field goal in overtime.
 
Berwald had another solid outing for Western at QB, completing 15-of-34 for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Berwald also ran for a game-leading 116 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts. Bennett was again a top target, collecting six passes for 74 yards. Berrey finished second with 29 yards and his third touchdown of the 2024 campaign.
 
Defensively, Gaskin led the team with nine tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. TreVon Holmes and Powell added fireworks to the defensive backfield with a pick each, while Marvin Gant added a sack.
 
THE FINAL STRETCH
Missouri Western will conclude the regular season against Quincy (Ill.) (11/16) on Senior Day/Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day. Kickoff from Spratt Stadium will commence at 2:00 p.m.