ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western football team (1-0) looks to carry forward its momentum from last week's win, as the Griffons get ready for Saturday's MIAA opener against No. 24 Fort Hays State (1-0) in Hays, Kansas.
 
Kickoff from Lewis Field Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Pregame coverage will start at 6:00 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 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.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Griffons demonstrated a solid rushing attack in week zero, finishing with 251 total yards, which led the MIAA and ranks second in the country. Senior Brandon Hall led the charge with a career-high 185 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Despite allowing 31 points in the first half, the Missouri Western defense held strong with five takeaways, which is tied for second most in the country. MWSU collected four interceptions and a fumble recovery, highlighted by Kienen Gaskin, who got one of each.
 
HISTORY AGAINST FHSU
Missouri Western has a 19-12-1 all-time record against Fort Hays State dating back to 1976. In recent history, Missouri Western has been dominant against Fort Hays State, winning the last five and 16 of the last 18 overall. In each of the last two meetings where Fort Hays State came ranked, Missouri Western won both (2018 and 2019). Additionally, MWSU has won seven of the last eight in Hays, including their largest margin of victory of 55-17 in 2011.
 
Last season, the Griffons capitalized on critical mishaps from the Tigers, who turned the ball over five times. That helped Missouri Western claim a 28-7 victory at Spratt Stadium on September 23, 2023. Brayden Wright put the icing on the cake with a 100-yard interception with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter.
 
ABOUT THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State finished tied for fifth in the conference standings with a record of 7-4 (6-4 in MIAA) in the 2023 season. They were picked to finish sixth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll with 55 points. A notable moment from last season was their 17-6 home win over No. 15 Northwest Missouri State - that was their first win over the Bearcats in Hays since 1977.
 
FHSU opened the 2024 season with an impressive 21-7 victory at home against then No. 24 Angelo State. The Tigers accumulated 345 yards of total offense, including 271 passing yards and 74 rushing yards against the Rams.
 
Quarterback Jack Dawson is the offensive player to watch for the Tigers. The junior from Arlington, Texas, shined in the season opener after going 23-36 for 271 yards and two touchdowns (one interception). 
 
On Defense, linebacker Makel Williams is one to watch. The senior from Bryan, Texas, reached double-figures in tackling against Angelo State with 12, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack.
 
The special teams player to watch for FHSU is placekicker Carson Arndt. The Wichita, Kansas native received All-MIAA Honor Mention recognition last season after going 7-for-11 on field goals with a long of 44 yards at Washburn. He was also a perfect 47-for-47 on PATs in 2023.
 
LAST WEEK RECAP
In their 33-31 season-opening comeback victory over the Northeastern State RiverHawks at Doc Wadley Stadium last weekend, the Griffons showcased a high-powered offense and a ball-hawking defense.
 
NSU scored first on their opening series, but Missouri Western promptly answered with a 43-yard touchdown run by Hall. Following a Gaskin interception, sophomore running back Jayden Williams notched his first career receiving touchdown, propelling the Griffons into their first lead at 14-7.
 
However, Northeastern answered with 24 unanswered points and headed into the half with a 31-14 lead. NSU capitalized on three Griffon turnovers, scoring 10 points in the first half.
 
Strong defense sparked the second half heroics, as the Griffons obtained back-to-back interceptions from Desmond Green and Cameron Powell and a fumble recovery by Gaskin. Throughout the second half, NSU turned the ball over four times, leading to MWSU scoring points off each turnover. The five RiverHawk turnovers resulted in 27 points for MWSU.
 
Early in the fourth, the Griffons regained the lead with a 67-yard touchdown from Brandon Hall after an interception from Antonio Taylor. The defense stood tall for the remainder of the game to secure the victory. NSU was held to 68 total yards in the second half.
 
Hall had a career-high day, running for a career-best 185 yards and two touchdowns, including a long scoring play of 67 yards. He recorded his sixth career 100-yard game and his third career game with multiple rushing scores.
 
Gaskin stood out for the Griffon defense with two takeaways - an interception in the first half and a fumble recovery in the second. The Griffons forced five turnovers, including four interceptions, which places them first in the MIAA and second in the country. Jaden Brown led the team with 10 tackles, with Garrett Watson and Marvin Gant each contributing a sack.
 
Sophomore Kane Donovan, a transfer from Southeastern Oklahoma State, debuted as the starting quarterback for Missouri Western. Donovan completed 19 of 32 passes for 129 yards, scoring a touchdown and throwing two interceptions. Senior Jonas Bennett, the team's top target, made eight receptions for 72 yards, and sophomore Jayden Williams caught the only touchdown pass for MWSU in the first half.