Complete Notes (.pdf)

Webcast –CentralMoInfo.com (audio)

Video – B2Networks.com

Radio – 104.7 FM KRES (Brad Boyer, Chad Speakar, Hank Janssen, Kevin White)

Pregame show begins at 1:30 p.m.

 

Game Preview:

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - After securing their first conference win of the season, the Truman Bulldog Football team will head to Emporia State and hook up with the Hornets in the “MIAA Game of the Week”.

 

The game will be televised regionally as part of the MIAA Television Network and will be seen on the following outlets: KSMO-62 (Kansas City), Eagle Cable-15 (western Kansas), Cox KS Cable-22, Cablevision-20 (St. Joseph) and Mediacom-22 (Columbia, Jefferson City and Springfield).  Click here for more information.

 

The Bulldogs are coming off a strong defensive performance that earned the team a 23-6 homecoming victory over Missouri Southern while the Hornets hung with #6 Northwest Missouri for most of the afternoon before falling to the Bearcats 42-28 in Maryville.

 

Truman QB Phil Davis bounced back with a passer effiency rating of 174.23 and completed 12 of 16 passes for 189 yards in the victory.  The Bulldog defense also did their part as the forced seven Missouri Southern turnovers and allowed the fewest points by a Truman team in 62 games.

 

Tyler Eckenrode leads a resurgent Hornet team whose two conference losses have come against the top two teams in the league on the road (Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri).

 

Eckenrode has thrown for 1126 yards and 12 touchdown passes while running back Kevin Smart has rushed for 102 ties for 382 yards.

 

A key component of the contest will be the battle waged in the trenches.  The Emporia State defense has a conference high 23 sacks while Truman has allowed a conference low six sacks.  On the flip side, the Bulldog defense is just one behind Emporia State in one fewer game played with 22 pass sacks while the Hornet O-Line has allowed 12 (5^th/MIAA) in eight games played.

 

Series History:

This will be the 25^th meeting between the Hornets of Emporia and the Truman Bulldogs with the first meeting taking place back in 1927.  Emporia leads the overall series 15-9 and has won the last two games and eight of the last 10.  Three of the past 11 games, including last year's battle in Kirksville needed overtime to decide the outcome.

 

All-Time Records:

·         The Bulldogs have played 931 games all-time.  The Bulldogs are 529-368-34 (.586) all time.

·         Truman is 4-2 in overtime games.  All six games have been played at Stokes Stadium with the last being on Oct. 24, 2009 against Emporia State (Truman lost 30-24).

·         The Bulldogs have finished .500 or above in 70 of the 102 seasons of football played at the University and have had five wins or more in 62 seasons.

·         Truman is the winningest NCAA program all-time in the state of Missouri with the .586 win percentage.  The University of Missouri has the most wins with 613 with the Bulldogs second with 529. 

 

Drive Summaries:

• The Bulldogs have had 15 drives this season start in opposing territory and have come away with just 17 points (two touchdowns and one field goal).
• Opposing teams have had 16 drives start on Truman's side of the 50 and have scored 62 points (eight touchdowns and two field goals).
• Truman has started four times inside their own 10 yardline and have had three punts and one turnover.
• Opposing teams have had seven drives start inside the 10 and have one touchdown, one field goal, three punts, a missed field goal and a turnover.

Tale of Two Halves:

Truman has been outscored by just 21 points in the first half of all games (87-66) but in the second half has been outscored by 54 points (107-53).  The biggest discrepancy has been in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs have been outscored 66-30.

 

In addition, the Bulldogs have allowed the opposing team to score in their final possession of the first half in three of the last five games.

 

Story On Third Downs:

The Bulldogs have been near 50% when facing a third and short or third and middle distance this season.  They have also converted five times on 10, third and 10 situations.  However, the Bulldogs are just 10-of-54 (18%) when facing a third and seven or longer.  Truman has not converted on a third down with over 10 yards to go this season.

 

Opponents have converted over 25% of the time when facing a third and seven or more this season.  The longest third down conversion was a third and 26 by Southwest Baptist (pass completed for 35 yards). 

 

Truman has eight sacks on third down.

 

Notable National Rankings:

• The Bulldogs are seventh in Division II in sacks allowed (0.86/g).
• Truman is tied for 13th in Division II in defensive sacks (3.14/g).
• Truman is 43^rd in rushing offense (164.4/ypg).
• Truman is 139^th in passing offense (131.0/ypg).
• Truman is 144^th in pass defense (276.0/ypg).
• Tremaine Millender is tied for 41^st in kickoff returns (24.6/ypr).
• Phillip Davis is 67^th in rushing yards per game (70.1/ypg).
• Derek Koon is tied for 33^rd in field goals per game (1.00).
• Patrick Blackwell is tied for 40^th in sacks per game (0.71).

Offensive Quick Hits:

• The Bulldogs recorded 100 first downs this season, 46 by passing, 47 by rushing and seven by penalty.
• In 293 rushing attempts, Truman averages 3.9 yards per carry up from a 3.1 mark last season. 
• Truman has gained 1151 yards on the ground.
• The 164.4 yards per game gained on the ground is the highest average since the Bulldogs finished the 2006 season with a 168.5 mark.
• With 81 pass completions, the Bulldogs have 917 yards passing and 11.3 yards per completion average.
• The 131.0 yards passing per game is the lowest average by a Truman team since 1979 (125.3).
• With 461 offensive plays, the Bulldogs have amassed 2068 yards of total offense for a per play average of 4.5 up from 4.3 yards last season.
• In their 26 trips to the redzone this season, the Bulldogs have just 12 touchdowns and seven field goals.
• The Bulldogs are 41-of-109 (37%) on third down conversions. 
• Truman is 5-of-10 on fourth down conversions.
• The offense has been on the field 31:01 per game this season and has scored 112 points.
• The offensive line has allowed six sacks through seven games, last season, the Bulldogs allowed 25 qb sacks.
• The Bulldogs longest drive of the season has been a 14-play 64-yard drive that consumed 7:31 and resulted in a field goal against Missouri Southern. 
• The last 1,000 yard rusher for the Bulldogs was Jerard Leverson (1012 yards) following the 2003 season.

Defensive Quick Hits:

• In 234 rushes, Truman's defense has allowed 807 yards rushing for a 3.4 yards per carry average, down from a 5.3 mark last season.
• The 115.3 rushing yards allowed is down from 228.3 last season and the lowest mark since 1982 (80.6).
• In 148 pass completions for 1932 yards, opponents averaged 13.1 yards per completion. 
• The 276 yards per game passing currently is the most allowed by the Bulldogs since 1966.  The previous high was 274 in 2005.  Last season, Truman allowed 189 passing yards per game.
• In 478 offensive plays, opposing teams averaged 5.7 yards per play down from 6.1 yards in 2009.
• Opponents have made 26 trips into Truman's redzone and come away with 15 touchdowns and five field goals.
• The Bulldog defense has been on the field on average 28:41 minutes per game and allowed 194 points.
• Opponents have converted on third down 32% of the time (30-of-95).
• Opponents are 7-of-19 in fourth down conversions. 
• The longest drive by the opposing team this season has been a 12-play, 79-yard drive that lasted 6:53 and resulted in a touchdown in the season opener against St. Joseph's College.

Special Teams Quick Hits:

• The Bulldogs are 7-of-11 on field goal attempts this season, all by Derek Koon.  The longest attempt was also made by Koon of 41 yards against Missouri Southern on Oct. 16^th.
• Koon is 12-of-14 on point after attempts this season and the team has not tried a two-point attempt.
• Opponents are 20-for-22 on extra point attempts and are 0-3 on two-point conversions.  They are 6-for-10 on field goal attempts with the longest make being from 39 yards (Andrew Kocurek – Southwest Baptist).
• Truman averages 55.5 yards per kickoff (Brian Rosser) and 36.7 yards per punt (Eric Phillips).
• Opponents are averaging 57.8 per kickoff and 37.6 yards per punt.
• The Bulldogs average 20.3 yards per kick return and 10.1 per punt return.  Truman's longest kick return was 55 yards by Donald Harvey and longest punt return was 42 also by Harvey.
• Opponents are averaging 20.3 yards per kick return and 2.2 per punt return.  The longest punt return was 23 yards by Terrell Downing of Missouri Western.  The longest kick return was 78 yards by Central Missouri.
• Eric Phillips has 14 punts inside the 20 and 17 punts fair caught (31 of his 43).

Truman/Missouri Southern Recap

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman Football team used big plays on both sides of the ball to prevail 23-6 in the 2010 Homecoming game against the Missouri Southern State University Lions.  Junior defensive back Michael Elliott had two forced fumbles, a sack, two interceptions, including a pick six to lift the 'Dogs to their first conference win.

Elliott and Adam Reynolds got Truman's momentum going early with a big stop on fourth and one from the Bulldogs' 25 yard line in the games first possession. 

The Bulldogs then took to the air as quarterback Phillip Davis completed his first six passes and marched down to the Lions' 11.  His seventh pass fell incomplete on third down and Derek Koon gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead with a 28-yard field goal.

The defense shined again in the next Southern possession as Richie Schumacher got a big sack on third and one to force the Lions out of field goal range. 

Elliott picked off his first pass of the day in the second quarter as the Lions struggled holding on to the football.  Southern ended the day with seven turnovers (three interceptions and four fumbles lost).

Truman took a 6-0 lead into the locker room as Koon hit from a career-best 41 yards out with 49 seconds left in the half.

Koon capped off an 11-play 62-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a 9-0 advantage.

Southern quarterback Roland Thompson, who replaced Collin Howard at half, completed a pass to Cornell Gedward.  Elliott poked the ball free from Gedward at Truman's 30 and Tremaine Millender recovered for the Bulldogs.

Davis then hooked up with Dallas Grier for a 66-yard pass play down to the Lions three to set up Harnish Ayora's one-yard plunge and a 16-0 Bulldog lead.  Davis to Grier was the longest pass play of the season.

A bad snap gave the Lions the ball at Truman's nine yard line but Terrence Byrd picked off Thompson in the endzone to keep Southern scoreless.

The Lions would get on the scoreboard at the 3:50 mark of the fourth quarter when Thompson found Kellen Cox for a 30-yard catch and run but failed on the needed two-point conversion.

Elliott capped off the scoring by picking off Thompson and going in for the pick six from 21-yards out with 44 seconds showing.

Davis finished with 189 yards through the air on 12 completions out of 16 attempts while also running for 36 yards on just seven carries.  Ayora was the workhorse for the 'Dogs as he carried the ball 24 times for 42 yards.

Thompson threw for 165 after relieving Howard at half.  Howard was eight of 16 for 76 yards and one interception.

 

Truman/Missouri Southern Footnotes:

• The Bulldogs set season highs in passing yards (189), passing yards per play (10.5) and tied for most rushing attempts (47).
• It was the third time this season that Truman's defense held the opposition under 100 yards by limiting Southern to just 19 on 30 attempts.
• The 66-yard pass from Phil Davis to Dallas Grier was a season and career long for Davis.
• Kicker Derek Koon converted on three of four field goal attempts and made his career collegiate long of 41 yards at the end of the second half.
• The six points allowed were the fewest allowed by a Bulldog team in 62 games.  The previous low was their last shutout on Nov. 6, 2004 against Southwest Baptist.
• Truman led by over 11 minutes in time of possession, 35:36 to 24:24.  The Bulldogs dominated the second half with a 18 to 10 minute advantage.
• The Bulldogs were six of 15 on third down conversions while Southern was just two of 11.
• Truman was four of six with three field goals in the red zone while the Lions went 0-for-1.
• The Bulldogs recorded five sacks on the day to improve their season total to 22 while the offensive line did not allow a sack and cut their season average to below one per game.
• Truman finished plus-four on the turnover battle with four fumbles recovered and three interceptions.
• The seven turnovers forced were the most since a game against Emporia State in September 2004.
• The five forced fumbles were the most since the Bulldogs forced four against Southwest Baptist in 2000.
• Truman improved to 43-23-2 in homecoming games and have won three of the last four.
• The Bulldogs improved to 15-8 over Missouri Southern and won their 529^th overall game.

 Up Next:

Truman returns home to host Washburn University on Saturday, Oct. 30^th at 1:00 p.m.  The Ichabods will tangle with Northwest Missouri in Topeka on Saturday and have been receiving votes in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll.