ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon Football (1-2, 0-1 MIAA) is back home for the first time in nearly a month, battling Fort Hays State in an MIAA primetime showdown.
Kickoff from Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) and available to watch on the MIAA Network with a subscription.
Voice of the Griffons Tommy Rezac will be on the radio call, with former Griffon receiver Jonas Bennett as analyst, and MoWest broadcast student Tucker Holden on the sideline. Radio pregame coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. with the East Ridge Car Wash Pregame Show.
Saturday's game will be Family Day, along with Military and First Responders' Appreciation Day.
Where We Left Off
Griffon Football got its first win of the 2026 season at Missouri S&T on September 12, defeating the Miners in Rolla, 42-30, at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.
The Griffons got off to an emphatic start, picking off S&T quarterback Eli Scott three times in the first half, and four times altogether, scoring points on three of them, including a 29-yard pick six by linebacker Broc Worcester in the first quarter, making it 21-0 in the first 7.5 minutes of the game.
The Griffs kept the pressure on, scoring on the first play of the second quarter when Isaiah Tate connected with Malik Moore on an 18-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 28-0.
Tate finished 11-of-22 through the air with 158 yards and a score. He rushed for 27 more yards and a score. Rickie Dunn had a solid night with 18 carries for 85 yards and a career-best two touchdowns. Jaelon Dixon had five carries for 48 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Broc Worcester led the defense with a career-best 13 tackles along with a pick six. Derrick Robinson, Ashton Smith and Byson Vasquez all had INTs as well.
MoWest finished with 316 yards of offense - 158 on the ground and 158 through the air. S&T, who ran 91 snaps on offense, and was on the field for 37:50, rushed for 252 yards and finished with 435 yards of total offense.
Big Numbers Offensively
After a record-setting season opening performance vs. No. 20 Augustana on August 27, MoWest continues to be among the MIAA leaders in offensive production, ranking third in the league in scoring offense (36.3 ppg), third in total offense per game (436), first in offensive efficiency (158.3) and second in passing yards per game (312.7).
Rickie Dunn ranks No. 5 in the MIAA in total rushing yards (222), No. 8 in yards per carry (5.7) and No. 2 in rushing scores (5). Dunn had a rush for 53 yards at Central Missouri - the second longest rush of any player in the MIAA so far this season.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Tate sits No. 5 in the MIAA in total passing yards (693), No. 3 in passing touchdowns (5) and No. 5 in total offense (755). Malik Moore sits No. 8 in the MIAA with 242 receiving yards. Crew Myers has also been a top target with 254 receiving yards (No. 5 MIAA).
Heralding Hatfield
Freshman Peyton Hatfield has made quite the name for himself already. The Lee's Summit High School alum leads the MIAA and ranks No. 9 in NCAA Division II with 271 kick return yards. He also leads the league with 404 all-purpose yards.
Special Teams Stars
Special teams proved to be a bright spot for MoWest in 2025. The Griffons finished last season No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 10 in NCAA Division II in punt return yards per game (13.83). Crew Myers, a third team all-MIAA pick as a punt returner, led the league with 15 yards per punt return last season.
MoWest was also the only team in the MIAA to return a kickoff for a touchdown in the 2025 regular season - Jaelon Dixon took one to the house from 96 yards out against Central Missouri. Since 2019, Griffon Football has returned seven kickoffs for scores - two in 2019, one in 2020, one in 2021, one in 2024, one in 2025 and again in 2026 with Peyton Hatfield doing so against Augustana.
In 2026, MoWest ranks No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 18 in NCAA Division II with 348 kick return yards. As of now, MoWest is the only team in the MIAA to have taken a kickoff back for a touchdown in the 2026 season.
Elsewhere, Mason Grove set the standard again in the MIAA in 2025 in kickoffs, leading the league with 34 touchbacks - the 14th most in NCAA Division II. In 123 career kickoff attempts, Grove has tallied 76 career touchbacks with only three attempts going out of bounds.
Field goals were also a strength for MoWest in 2025. The Griffs made 14 total field goals last season - third most in the MIAA. MoWest was one of just four MIAA teams last season to hit from 50+ yards - Latrell Armstrong drilled a career-best 51-yard attempt in the season finale vs. Central Oklahoma - the eighth longest make in program history.
Armstrong is off to a strong start as the new starting kicker, going a perfect 15-for-15 on point after attempts in 2026 - the third most made PATs in the MIAA.
Secondary Shuffle
The defensive backfield is completely new for MoWest this season. The Griffons lost seven starting DBs from the 2025 roster. MoWest reloaded, adding 19 new DBs, including seven transfers. There are now 24 defensive backs on the Griffon roster, including true freshmen. This position group is performing well with five passes intercepted so far in 2026 - second most in the MIAA.
Strength in O-line numbers
MoWest dealt with numerous injuries on their offensive line last season, with four players suffering season-ending ailments, including starters Keegun Daniels and Joe Turner.
MoWest shored up some strength here as well with now 21 offensive linemen on the roster, including six returners with starting experience. Chief among them is third team all-MIAA right tackle Connor Holt, who's played in 26 games and made 22 starts over the last four seasons.
Left tackle Quentin Garrett and center Adam Sotelo also bring ample starting experience. Garrett has made 21 starts since 2024, while Sotelo now owns nine career starts.
Fort Hays Footnotes
Fort Hays State (2-1, 1-0 MIAA) has looked strong early in 2026, playing three big brands in NCAA Division II football - at Angelo State, vs. No. 5 CSU-Pueblo and vs. Pittsburg State.
The Tigers have the No. 7 toughest strength of schedule in the D2 nation, per the Massey Ratings. Hays turned heads this past Saturday night with an emphatic 42-17 takedown of Pittsburg State at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays, Kansas.
Sitting just outside the top 25 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll with 31 votes, FHSU has impressed offensively, averaging 31.3 ppg (4th MIAA) and 425.7 yards per game (4th MIAA). Hays has been particularly strong in the ground game, averaging 183.3 yards per game (3rd MIAA).
FHSU's quarterback, Iowa State transfer Major Cantrell, has had a stellar start to the season, passing for 727 yards (4th MIAA) and rushing for another 197, tallying 924 yards of total offense (3rd MIAA), scoring four all-purpose touchdowns. Running back A.G. Floyd has been one of the best at his position in the league thus far with 261 yards rushing (3rd MIAA) and two scores.
Defensively, Fort Hays State has turned their opponents over 10 times, including seven INTs (1st MIAA, t-2nd NCAA Division II). The Tigers' third down defense has been stellar also, holding opponents to just 31.3% (2nd MIAA).
Series History
Saturday marks the 35th all-time meeting between MoWest and Fort Hays State. The Griffons hold a 19-14-1 lead in the all-time series, winning five of the last seven meetings since 2018.
Hays, however, has topped MoWest each of the last two seasons, including 31-23 in Hays, Kansas last September. The Tigers, who haven't played in St. Joseph since 2023, have lost in each of their last three visits to Spratt Stadium (2018, 2021, 2023). In other words, the home team has won in this series in each of the last five matchups in a row.
Griffs on TV
The MIAA Football Game of the Week on Kansas City's 38 The Spot is back in 2026 and Griffon Football will have been televised three times this season.
MoWest will be televised on Saturday, October 3 at No. 12 Emporia State (1 p.m.) and then at home on Saturday, October 10 vs. Nebraska-Kearney. That'll be a prime time kickoff at 6 p.m. It'll also be MoWest's annual Homecoming game. Viewers in St. Joseph can watch 38 The Spot on Optimum Channel 17, and Channel 38 on United Fiber, DirecTV and Dish Network. It's also broadcast free over-the-air on Channel 38.1. All MIAA football games will continue to be streamed live on The MIAA Network as well.
Trends and Tidbits
Since the start of the 2023 season, MoWest has played in 37 games - 19 of them decided by a single possession. The Griffons are 8-11 in those games. Dating back to November 2022, 12 of the last 22 losses for Griffon Football have come by eight points or less.
The Griffons are 8-19 in their last 27 games overall, with 10 of those 19 losses coming by eight points or less. The Griffs are just 4-9 in their last 13 at home and 4-10 in their last 14 on the road. While Griffon Football has scored 24 wins over ranked opponents since the year 2000, MoWest looks to break what's now an eight-game losing streak to ranked teams.
Workin' Overtime
MoWest has gone 0-5 in overtime games since 2022 and 0-6 since 2013. The last overtime victory was in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division II playoffs - a 57-55 3OT win at home vs. Minnesota-Duluth. The last regular season game that went to overtime and ended with a Griffon victory was the 2006 season opener - a 32-29 double OT win at Central Oklahoma.
Griffon Football History
Griffon Football has won 327 games entering what's now the 57th season, winning two conference titles and making the NCAA Division II playoffs four times. MoWest has competed in 12 bowl games throughout its history, going an impressive 9-3 in those contests. Since the year 2000, MoWest has had 18 winning seasons, six bowl victories, four playoff bids and two MIAA championships. In all, MoWest has had 29 winning seasons since the program's founding in 1970 and 93 All-Americans in that time as well.
Griffs in the NFL
There are three Griffon Football alumni who are active in the NFL in the 2026 season - tight end Cam Grandy (Vikings), fullback Grant Finley (Giants) and safety Jonathan Owens (Colts).
Four Griffons in history have been NFL draft picks - Vince Thomson (DE 1985), John Fisher (DB 1996), Greg Zuerlein (K 2012) and David Bass (DE 2013). Other former Griffs to have played in the NFL include Gijon Robinson (TE 2008-10), Roger Allen (OG 2009-2012), Michael Hill (RB 2013-14), Leonard Wester (OT 2016-18), Sam Webb (CB 2022-25), D.J. Stirgus (2023 CB), C.J. Ravenell (2024-25 DL) and Mike Jordan (CB 2016-18).
Tune Into the Griffons
The Griffon Sports Network will again provide live, free audio coverage all season for ALL home and away Griffon Football games.
Tommy Rezac is back as 'Voice of the Griffons' for a sixth 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.
All games are available to watch with a subscription on the MIAA Network as well. Rezac's radio broadcast is synchronized with Griffon home games broadcast on the MIAA Network.
