ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Griffon football team (2-1, 1-1 MIAA) will hit the road this Saturday to face No. 13 Emporia State (3-0, 2-0 MIAA) at Francis G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas, at 1:00 p.m.
 
Pregame coverage will begin 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 analyst and Ryan Menley will be the sideline reporter.
 
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.
 
KEY STATISTICS
The Missouri Western offense has been consistent this season, ranking third in the MIAA in scoring with an average of 28.0 points per game. MWSU is second in the conference in rushing with 222.3 yards per game. Senior Brandon Hall has led the rushing attack with 420 yards (four touchdowns), which ranks second in the country. In addition, his 443.0 all-purpose yards rank 22nd nationally.
 
The Griffon defense has also been impressive this season, causing six turnovers in three games, which ranks second in the conference. MWSU leads the MIAA and is tied for fourth in the country with 9.0 sacks. Jaden Brown, Brayden Evertsen and Garrett Watson have contributed with 2.0 sacks in the effort. Additionally, the Griffs have collected five interceptions, which ranks fifth in the nation, with Antonio Taylor leading the way with two this season. Taylor also leads the MIAA in pass defending with four pass breakups to accompany his two picks.
 
Sophomore Kane Donovan has started at quarterback in all three games for the Griffons. Last week against the Lions, he finished the game 18-19 (94.7%), breaking the previous school record for competition percentage in a game that was established in 1998 by Kasey Waterman.
 
Javerius McGuinn etched his name in the record books last week with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown from about six or seven yards deep in the end zone. This was the senior's first career score.
 
HISTORY AGAINST ESU
Missouri Western will face Emporia State for the 46th time this weekend. Western holds a 28-17 series advantage over Emporia dating back to the inaugural 14-13 victory in 1971. Missouri Western has won five out of the last six matchups and has a 16-8 record on the road against the Hornets. The teams have split the last two games in Emporia.
 
Last season, the Griffons shocked the 11th-ranked Hornets at Spratt Stadium with a last-second 41-yard field goal from Cody Watson, securing a 34-31 victory. Hall led the rushing attack with 86 yards, and the team finished the afternoon with a total of 261 yards on the ground. TreVon Holmes recorded 11 tackles, while Brecken Manus contributed 10, resulting in double-digit tackles for both players.
 
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State finished the 2023 season with a 9-3 (7-3 MIAA) record, tying for third in the final MIAA standings with the Griffons, and was projected to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 56 points. ESU capped off the season with a 55-24 victory over Southern Nazarene in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl. 
 
Emporia currently leads the MIAA stands with a perfect 3-0 (2-0 MIAA) record. They opened the season with a pair of wins against Washburn (30-14) and Angelo State (17-12) on their home turf. Last week, they pulled a 24-21 upset over No. 4 Pittsburg State on the road. 
 
Quarterback #12 Gunner Gundy, who is the son of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, is the player to watch for the Hornets' offense. This Oklahoma State transfer has thrown for 761 yards with an average of 253.67 yards per game, along with seven touchdown passes and three interceptions. Additionally, the junior has gained 146 yards on the ground and has scored a rushing touchdown.
 
On defense, linebacker #43 Sage Sieperda is one to watch. The junior leads the team with 25.0 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack. He played a pivotal role in the win over the Gorillas last week with nine tackles, two of which were solo.
 
#13 Caden Dodson is a special teams athlete to watch for ESU. The junior from Argyle, Texas, has been efficient in the kicking game, going 5-6 with a long of 38 yards in the season opener against Washburn.
 
LAST WEEK RECAP
Missouri Western secured a 35-27 victory over Missouri Southern in the home-opener at Spratt Stadium.
 
At halftime, the Griffons were leading 21-7 and were set to receive the ball to begin the second half. However, Missouri Southern surprised everyone by executing a trick play, successfully recovering their own short kickoff at the Griffon 35-yard line and scoring two plays later.
 
After a Missouri Western three-and-out, Southern scored again with a 24-yard field goal from Reese Drake. Following the kickoff, McGuinn ran the ball back from deep in his own end zone and scored a touchdown. This was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Griffon since Cooper Burton did so against Northeastern State in 2021.
 
The Lions didn't give up easily. They scored another touchdown with 12:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Griffons fought back. With a 28-24 lead, Missouri Western's Jake Leader successfully recovered an onside kick at midfield, and the Griffons then scored a touchdown six plays later on a 24-yard pass from Donovan to Jake Berrey.
 
MSSU scored another field goal with 3:27 left, narrowing the gap to a single score. However, Missouri Western managed to maintain possession for the final 3:22, securing two crucial first downs to secure the victory.
 
Donovan had a stellar performance for the Griffons, going 18-for-19 through the air for 151 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a one-yard rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, Hall had an impressive game, rushing 22 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns. This effort pushed Hall's career rushing yards to over 2,000, specifically 2,112, placing him as the eighth all-time leading rusher in program history.:
 
Berrey collected five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown, leading MWSU in receiving. Brown topped the Griffs in tackles with six. Marvin Gant recorded 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble. Missouri Western's defense broke up nine passes in the backfield, with Taylor contributing the most with four breakups.
 
For the Lions, quarterback Luke Sampson completed 25-of-41 for 304 yards and three scores. His top target Deontay Campbell caught nine passes for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns.