ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon Football (1-3, 0-2 MIAA) is back home on Saturday to face Emporia State (1-3, 0-2 MIAA) in the annual Homecoming Game.
Kickoff from Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph is set for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) and on the MIAA Network with pregame coverage starting at 5:30.
Voice of the Griffons
Tommy Rezac and former Griffon wide receiver
Jonas Bennett, a two-time all-MIAA selection, will be on the call.
Not only is it Homecoming, but this game is part of
'Pink Weekend' and part of a weekend-long celebration that honors
50 years of Women's Athletics at Missouri Western State University. A halftime ceremony to honor this milestone is planned, with scores of Griffon alums from various women's sports set to be back on campus for the celebration.
Griffon Football, this season, has been wearing the '50 Years of Women's Sports' logo as a secondary decal on the back of their helmets.
This commemorative patch not only honors 1975-76 as the first year of women's sports, but also honors the late Charlie Burri – Missouri Western's first athletic director who oversaw the start of women's sports. Burri passed away this past April at the age of 94.
About Last Week
MoWest dropped a hard-fought battle on the road this past Saturday, falling 31-23 at Fort Hays State in a game that featured four lead changes.
Dating back to November 2022, 11 of the last 15 losses for MoWest have come by eight points or fewer, including all three losses this season.
Kane Donovan completed a career-best 30 passes on 45 attempts (66.6%) Saturday for a career-high 314 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a 135.5 passer rating.
Malik Moore led the way receiving wise with four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, including a 44-yard Hail Mary to end the first half.
Damir Abdullah added five receptions for 53 yards and a score.
Brandon Hall had 16 carries for 57 rushing yards. MoWest ran 81 snaps for 438 total yards. The Griffs also dominated time of possession 35:54 – 24:06.
TreVon Holmes posted eight total tackles and grabbed an interception to lead the defense.
Spencer Sprenger went 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on PATs.
Stopping the Run
MoWest currently ranks No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 22 in the nation in rush defense, allowing opponents an average of 91.5 rush yards per game. The Griffons are allowing only 3.6 yards per carry and have allowed only four rushing scores this season (t-1st MIAA).
Red Zone Rewards
MoWest has found steady success in the red zone this season, scoring on 14-of-16 trips (87.5%). Their red zone success rate ranks No. 2 in the MIAA.
The Griffs have scored seven red zone touchdowns this season and are 7-of-7 on field goal tries in the red zone as well. No MIAA team has more made field goals in the red zone this season than MWSU.
Long Drive Runnin'
MoWest currently leads the MIAA and is No. 11 in the country in time of possession, averaging 33:49 per game. The Griffons had a touchdown drive of 90 yards or more in each of the first three games this season. Against FHSU, MoWest had an 18-play, 79-yard march that took 9:18 off the clock.
Fourth Down Fortunes
MoWest currently leads the MIAA with seven fourth down conversions on the season, converting on 7-of-11 attempts. MWSU's 63.6% success rate on fourth down ranks No. 2 in the MIAA.
Emporia Evaluation
Like MoWest, Emporia State is looking to turn things around after a 1-3 start to the 2025 season. The Hornets most recently fell at No. 18 Pittsburg State, 42-29, this past Saturday, marking the third straight loss for ESU since a season-opening win against Minot State on August 28.
The Hornets have played a gauntlet of a schedule as well, playing at No. 10 Angelo State (L 41-20) and at resurgent Nebraska-Kearney (L 34-20). ESU's strength of schedule is ranked No. 6 toughest in the country, per Massey Ratings.
Emporia State comes in at No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 3 in NCAA Division II in passing yards per game, averaging 366 through the air per contest.
All of that has come from the arm of QB Ben Harris - a junior and University of North Alabama transfer who's already thrown for 1464 yards (No. 4 nation) and nine touchdowns. He's thrown five interceptions while completing 61.1% of his passes.
Harris has four WRs with at least 195 receiving yards already this season - the leader being Malik O'Atis, who's caught 40 passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns. O'Atis currently leads all MIAA receivers in catches and receiving yards.
Defensively, Emporia State has struggled to stop the run, giving up an average of 300 yards on the ground per contest, giving up a minimum of 219 rushing yards in every game this season. Because of this, ESU's opponents have only run a combined 66 pass plays against the Hornets all season.
Emporia State is also the most penalized team in the MIAA with 45 penalties for 366 penalty yards, leading the league in both of those categories.
Series History
Saturday marks the 47th all-time meeting with Emporia State. The Griffons lead the all-time series 28-18, winning four of the last six meetings since 2018. The Hornets seek their first win in St. Joseph since 2016, having dropped each of their last three games at Spratt Stadium.
ESU edged MoWest in overtime last September, 30-27, at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas.
Special Teams Standouts
MoWest has been able to rely on its specialists so far this season. Junior kicker
Spencer Sprenger has been an impressive 8-of-9 on field goals so far this season with a long of 41. Not only is he tied for most field goals made in the MIAA thus far, but his average of two made field goals per game ranks No. 1 among all kickers in NCAA Division II football.
Meanwhile on kickoff
, Mason Grove has been impressive again in 2025 with an MIAA-best 17 touchbacks on 24 attempts. Grove, as a freshman in 2024, was No. 2 in the MIAA with 31 touchbacks.
In the return game, MoWest ranks No. 3 in the MIAA with 310 kick return yards. The Griffons are still the only team in the MIAA with a kickoff return for a touchdown in 2025, thanks to
Jaelon Dixon's 98-yard run to the house vs. Central Missouri on September 20.
Halling the Load
Two-time all-MIAA running back
Brandon Hall is back for a fifth and final season after a promising 2024 was cut short with an ankle injury in week four. Even though he missed seven games last year, Hall was the team's lead rusher in 2024 with 557 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 139.25 rush yards per game and 8.3 yards per carry, while also hauling in 11 passes for 66 yards and a score.
Hall currently ranks No. 6 in program history with 2471 career rushing yards, having surpassed Mike Connaker for 6th most all-time this season. Hall's career average of 6.0 yards per carry is currently No. 5 in the program record books, and his 415 career carries now ranks eighth all-time, having just surpassed Travis Partridge's total (412).
Personnel Pieces
Missouri Western welcomes back a plethora of talent in 2025 with 21 total starters back, including 11 players on the offensive side who started four games or more in 2024.
The Griffons also made some key additions in the offseason, signing 30 freshmen and 10 transfers. The position of choice in this class was defensive backs with 14 DBs joining the team.
MoWest also signed seven new receivers, as each of the top four pass catchers from 2024 graduated. The Griffs did, however, bring back each of their top five rushers from 2024, returning 97.4% of their 1800 net rushing yards from last season.
Game of Inches
Since the start of the 2023 season, MoWest has played in 27 games - 16 of them have been decided by a single possession. The Griffons are 6-10 in those contests. Dating back to Week 10 of the 2022 season, 11 of the last 15 losses for MWSU have come by eight points or less.
Tune Into the Griffons
The Griffon Sports Network will once again provide live and free coverage all season long for all home and away games.
Tommy Rezac is back as 'Voice of the Griffons' for a fifth season. All games can be heard for free on the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen. To listen on the Varsity Network App, simply search "Missouri Western" once you have downloaded the app on your mobile device. Pregame coverage for each radio broadcast starts 30 minutes prior to kickoff.
Game of the Week
The MIAA has announced its partnership with Scripps Media and their independent television station, KMCI (38 The Spot), will broadcast an MIAA Football 'Game of the Week' again in 2025.
MoWest will play in the 'Game of the Week' twice in 2025 - first at Missouri Southern on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. and then at home the following week vs. Washburn on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. The 'Game of the Week' can be viewed in St. Joseph on Optimum Channel 17. Every game, as usual, will be available to stream on the MIAA Network as well.
What's Next
MoWest goes back on the road to face Nebraska-Kearney. Kickoff from Ron and Carol Cope Stadium in Kearney, NE on Saturday, October 11 is set for 2 p.m.
