ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western football team (1-1, 0-1 MIAA) will defend its home turf for the first time this season against Missouri Southern (0-2, 0-1 MIAA) at Spratt Stadium this Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
 
All Griffon fans are urged to dress in black, and the first 500 MWSU students with an ID at gate three will be given a complimentary "BLACK OUT" T-shirt for the themed 'Paint It Black Night". Saturday is also designated as 'Family Day.'
 
Pregame coverage will begin at 5:00 p.m. 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 analyst and Chris Roush from KQ2 will be the sideline reporter.
 
BUY TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to skip the lines and save money. Tickets can be bought online through the Griffon Box Office or the HomeTown Ticketing Fan App. On game days, tickets will also be available at the Spratt Stadium ticket office.
 
WATCH ONLINE - 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 - VARSITY NETWORK 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 Varsity 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 will be a road game against No. 2 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.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Missouri Western has showcased a solid rushing attack this season, averaging 229.5 yards per game, which ranks 24th in the nation and second in the MIAA behind Central Oklahoma (361.0 YRDS/G). Senior Brandon Hall has led MWSU with a conference-leading 260 yards on 25 attempts.
 
The Griffon defense has also shown flashes this season, leading the MIAA and ranking 14th nationally with an average of 3.5 sacks per game. Seniors Jaden Brown and Garrett Watson have each recorded a team-leading two sacks. Additionally, MWSU is tied for fourth nationally and first in the MIAA with six turnovers gained (five interceptions and one fumble recovery).
 
HISTORY AGAINST MSSU
Missouri Western has a 29-24 record against Missouri Southern since the inaugural in 1970. In recent years, MWSU has won nine out of the last 10 matchups against MSSU. This includes the previous four games played at Spratt Stadium, with the largest margin of victory of 63-21 coming back in 2015.
 
Last season, the Griffons playoff hopes were diminished after suffering a heartbreaking 47-41 double-overtime loss in Joplin. The Lions erased an 18-point second half deficit late in the fourth to force overtime. They ultimately secured the win with a 4-yard rushing touchdown in the second overtime. Western rushed for 280 yards, with Seth Cromwell—173 yards and three touchdowns—and Hall—71 yards and a touchdown—leading the way.
 
ABOUT THE LIONS
Missouri Southern wrapped up the 2023 season with a 5-6 (4-6 MIAA) record, tying for seventh place in the final MIAA standings. They were projected to finish eighth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 24 points.
 
MSSU lost its season opener on the road at Midwestern State (Texas), 18-11. The team struggled to find a rhythm offensively, rushing for 207 yards and passing for only 49 yards with two interceptions.

Last week, the Lions fell 42-17 at home to No. 3 Pittsburg State. The Gorillas controlled the game from the opening whistle, collecting 478 yards of total offense and forcing Southern to punt seven times.
 
Wide receiver Draper Parker is the offensive player to watch for the Lions. The junior from Sealy, Texas, has hauled 11 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown this season. Parker has also been electric on special teams with three punt returns for 68 yards (22.67 AVG/G).
 
On Defense, linebacker Zach Bergmann is one to watch. The junior from Rogersville leads the team with 22.0 tackles (11 solo). He added his second career interception against Midwestern State in week zero.
 
LAST WEEK RECAP
The Griffons suffered their first loss of the season, 30-16, to No. 24 Fort Hays State in the MIAA opener at a hostile Lewis Field Stadium last Saturday.
 
Fort Hays State took the lead in the opening drive with a four-play, 63-yard drive in under two minutes. However, after a missed field goal, the Griffons responded with a touchdown pass from Kane Donovan to senior Jake Berrey, tying the game at 7-7.
 
The first half was physical, with both defenses making big plays. After a deflected interception in the second quarter, Antonio Taylor saved the Griffons by intercepting the ball at the goal line and stopping the Hays' momentum. Brown led the team with two sacks and Kienen Gaskin made six tackles.
 
In the final minutes of the first half, transfer quarterback Branden Berwald secured his first passing touchdown as Griffon after hitting tight end Michael Haggerty for a 17-yard touchdown to give Western a 13-10 lead heading into the half.
 
Hays gained momentum early in the second half after taking advantage of a Griffon fumble on the kickoff. They capitalized on the excellent field position and tied the score at 13-13 with a 30-yard field goal. After another Griffon fumble, Hays took the lead with a field goal. Later, a 42-yard rush from Shane Watts extended their lead to 23-13 as the third quarter ended.
 
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Missouri Western's rushing game gained momentum as Berwald and Hall combined forces to set up senior Cody Watson for a career-long 48-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to one score at 23-16. 
Towards the game's final minutes, the Tigers replicated the Griffons' rushing strategy, ultimately scoring a one-yard touchdown from Caleb Heavner to secure a 30-16 victory.
 
Penalties and turnovers heavily influenced the outcome. The Griffons had 11 penalties for 95 yards and turned the ball over three times - once with an interception in the first half and twice with fumbles in the second.
 
Western outgained Hays on the ground with a total of 208 yards. Berwald led the Griffons in rushing with 88 yards on 11 carries, while Hall gained 75 yards and Jayden Williams added 40.
 
Berwald led the MWSU in passing after going 15-28 for 120 yards and a touchdown. Donovan made his second start of the season as quarterback, finishing with 54 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Berrey was the leading receiver with 54 yards.
 
Gaskin anchored the defense with 10 tackles, followed by Brown, who secured eight tackles and a pair of sacks. Taylor added his second interception of the season and a trio of tackles.