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 12:40 p.m.

 

Game Preview:

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Truman Bulldogs and the Missouri Western Griffons will meet in St. Joseph on Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff as both teams are looking to get back on the winning track.

 

It will be the third straight ranked opponent on the Bulldogs will face as the Griffons enter 19^th in both the America Football Coaches Association and D2Football.com Media polls.

 

The Bulldogs lost to then #8 Northwest Missouri and then #16 Central Missouri in the two previous weeks.

 

The Bulldogs (2-3 overall; 0-3 MIAA) are coming off another solid but disappointing performance against the 16^th ranked- University of Central Missouri Mules on Saturday night at home.  The Bulldogs kept the high powered Mules offense in check most of the night but still fell 38-14 in front of a capacity crowd at Stokes Stadium.

 

The #8 Griffons (4-1 overall; 2-1 MIAA) took their shot against the #7 Northwest Bearcats in Maryville on Saturday and were defeated 42-0 in front of a record setting crowd at Bearcat Stadium.

 

Missouri Western was limited to just 167 total yards of offense as Northwest rolled up over 500 in the first shutout in the 30 years of the series.

 

A pair of senior quarterbacks will hook up in the match up as Truman's Phil Davis and Western's Drew Newhart will lead their respective teams.

Davis ran for a career high 143 yards on 23 carries and added 150 through the air in Saturday night's loss.  He went over the 400 yard mark for the season with his performance and is just over 100 yards away from topping last season's high rushing total of Vanness Emokpae (524). 

 

Newhart has thrown for 1116 yards through five games and is completing 61% of his passes.  His top target has been Andrew Mead, with 20 receptions for 232 yards and five touchdowns.

 

Key Players:

For Truman, junior wide receiver Anthony Brown is the only offensive player to have significant stats against the Griffons.  Brown caught two passes for 70 yards last year with a long of 47.  Quarterback Phillip Davis did not play against the Griffons last season.

 

Defensively, junior defensive back Michael Elliott had a career-high 16 tackles in last year's game (six solo, 10 assisted).

 

Western's offensive trio of running back Thomas Hodges, quarterback Drew Newhart and receiver Andrew Mead will be playing their fourth game against the Bulldogs.

 

Hodges has rushed for 267 yards (66.7) with two touchdowns in the three previous games, while Mead has 15 catches for 224 yards in the two games he has played against Truman (he missed last year's meeting)

 

Newhart, as a freshman was 6-of-7 for 95 yards as the Griffons brought the injured freshman in to attempt a comeback.  In 2008, Newhart threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns while last season he was 16-of-25 for just 209 and one TD pass.

 

Series History:

This will be the 28^th meeting between the Bulldogs and Griffons in football with Truman leading the all-time series 15-12. 

 

Missouri Western has won the last two meetings and six of the last seven.  The Bulldogs last win came in 2007 37-28 in Kirksville.  The last meeting in St. Joseph came down to a 22-yard field goal with three seconds left to play as the Griffons won 33-32.

 

All-Time Records:

·         The Bulldogs have played 929 games all-time.  The Bulldogs are 528-367-34 (.587) 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 .587 win percentage.  The University of Missouri has the most wins with 611 with the Bulldogs second with 528. 

 

Bulldogs Against Ranked Opponents:

Truman's last victory over a ranked opponent came on Oct. 4, 2008 against then #16 Nebraska-Omaha in double-overtime 26-20.

 

Truman lost to #7 Northwest Missouri last week, 44-10 and #16 Central Missouri 38-14 in consecutive weeks.

 

Drive Summaries:

• The Bulldogs have had eight drives this season start in opposing territory and have come away with just 10 points (one touchdown and one field goal).
• Opposing teams have had 11 drives start on Truman's side of the 50 and have scored 52 points (seven touchdowns and one field goal).
• Truman has started four times inside their own 10 yardline and have had three punts and one turnover.
• Opposing teams have had four drives start inside the 10 and have one touchdown, one field goal, one punt and one missed field goal.

 

Tale of Two Halves?:

Truman has been outscored by just 21 points in the first half of all games (74-53) but in the second half has been outscored by 49 points (85-36).  The biggest discrepancy has been in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs have been outscored 50-16.

 

Offensive Quick Hits:

• The Bulldogs recorded 72 first downs this season, 34 by passing, 33 by rushing and 5 by penalty.
• In 204 rushing attempts, Truman averages 4.2 yards per carry up from a 3.1 mark last season. 
• Truman has gained 867 yards on the ground.
• The 173.4 yards per game gained on the ground is the highest average since the Bulldogs finished the 1997 season with a 201.7 mark.
• With 63 pass completions, the Bulldogs have 667 yards passing and 10.6 yards per completion average.
• With 330 offensive plays, the Bulldogs have amassed 1534 yards of total offense for a per play average of 4.6 up from 4.3 yards last season.
• In their 19 trips to the redzone this season, the Bulldogs have 10 touchdowns and four field goals.
• The Bulldogs are 33-of-81 (41%) on third down conversions. 
• Truman is 4-of-6 on fourth down conversions.
• The offense has been on the field 30:49 per game this season and has scored 89 points.
• The offensive line has allowed five sacks through five games, last season, the Bulldogs allowed 25 qb sacks.
• The Bulldogs longest drive of the season has been a 11-play 75-yard drive that consumed 6:01 and resulted in a touchdown against Central Missouri. 
• The last 1,000 yard rusher for the Bulldogs was Jerard Leverson (1012 yards) following the 2003 season.

 

Defensive Quick Hits:

• In 172 rushes, Truman's defense has allowed 706 yards rushing for a 4.1 yards per carry average, down from a 5.3 mark last season.
• In 104 pass completions for 1278 yards, opponents averaged 12.3 yards per completion. 
• In 346 offensive plays, opposing teams averaged 5.7 yards per play down from 6.1 yards in 2009.
• Opponents have made 20 trips into Truman's redzone and come away with 14 touchdowns and two field goals.
• The Bulldog defense has been on the field on average 28:46 minutes per game and allowed 159 points.
• Opponents have converted on third down 34% of the time (24-of-70).
• Opponents are 5-of-11 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 4-of-7 on field goal attempts this season, all by Derek Koon.  The longest attempt has been 37 yards while the longest make was 32 both against St. Joseph's College.
• Koon is 9-of-11 on point after attempts this season and the team has not tried a two-point attempt.
• Opponents are 18-for-20 on extra point attempts and are 0-1 on two-point conversions.  They are 3-for-7 on field goal attempts with the longest make being from 39 yards (Andrew Kocurek – Southwest Baptist).
• Truman averages 55.1 yards per kickoff (Brian Rosser) and 36.0 yards per punt (Eric Phillips).
• Opponents are averaging 59.3 per kickoff and 37.2 yards per punt.
• The Bulldogs average 20.9 yards per kick return and 10.5 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 19.4 yards per kick return and 0.3 per punt return.  Their longest punt return this season has been just four yards.  The longest kick return was 78 yards by Central Missouri.

 

Bulldog vs. Central Missouri Recap:

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The #16 University of Central Missouri was able break open a close ball game against the Truman Bulldogs in the second half and went on to win 38-14 in front of a capacity crowd at Stokes Stadium.

 Truman had arguably one of their best drives of the season to start the game. They took the opening kickoff and marched down the field in 11 plays and 65 yards converting on two big third downs as Anton Bernard scored from five yards out and a 7-0 Bulldog lead.

 Central's explosive offense was forced off the field after three straight plays in their opening possession and would have been on their second but a questionable roughing the kicker call against the 'Dogs gave the Mules new life.

 Central took advantage of the call and moved down the field in the next four plays with Anthony Stewart going into the endzone untouched from 25 yards out to tie the score.

 The teams exchanged turnovers in the second quarter as Michael Elliott picked off Czerniewski and returned the ball 41 yards to the Mules' 25.  However, on the next play quarterback Phillip Davis  had the ball forced out and Central's Rico Wilson recovered.

 The Mules took the lead with 2:46 left in the half as Eric Czerniewski hooked up with tight end DeMarco Cosby on a 22-yard pass reception.  It was senior quarterback's 21^st touchdown pass of the season.

 Special teams played another big role as Paul Stevens returned the second half kick 78 yards to the Truman 10 yard line to set up the next Mule score.  Stewart marched in from five yards out to give the Mules a 21-7 lead.

 Cosby and Czerniewski would hook up again on the Mules next possession on a five yard route to go up 28-7.

 Aaron Jamieson converted on a 21-yard field goal with 6:54 left before the Bulldogs were able to get back on the scoreboard.

 Dallas Grier caught his first career touchdown pass on fourth down and goal from the four with 2:50 left to play.

 The Mules got their final score on a failed onside kick that popped in the air right to Cosby, who returned the ball 40 yards to the endzone.

 The Bulldogs kept Czerniewski well below his season totals in passing yards and total offense.  Central's signal caller was 27-of-40 for 267 yards (413.2 pg), however Stewart did the majority of the damage.  He ran for 135 yards and caught seven passes for 75 to lead the Mules to their first 4-0 MIAA start since 2002.

 Davis ran for a career high 143 yards for the Bulldogs including a best 50 yard run in the third quarter.  He finished with 150 yards passing on 15-of-25 with Grier leading the corps with three catches for 36 yards.

Truman/Central Missouri Footnotes:

• The Mules got 294 of their 380 total yards from scrimmage on just 15 of their 60 plays.  The other 45 plays they averaged just 1.9 yards per play.
• Central came into the game averaging 527 yards of total offense and 47.4 points per game.
• Truman recorded their second highest rushing yards for the season with 181 on 42 attempts. 
• The Bulldogs held the nation's top passer, Eric Czerniewski (413.2 ypg) to a season-low 267 passing yards, breaking his six-game 300 + yard streak.  In the four games Czerniewski has faced the Bulldogs, he never threw for more than 300 yards but won all four games.
• Truman first drive of the game, an 11-play 65-yard scoring drive, had six rushes for 30 yards and four passes for 40 yards, with one false start penalty.  The drive took 6:08 off the clock with the Bulldogs converting on a third and six and a third and nine.
• Prior to the Mules first, first down (a 15-yard roughing the punter penalty), Central had just 13 yards, following the controversially call, the Mules marched 53 yards in just three plays.
• The 331 yards of total offense by the Bulldogs was the second highest this season.
• The Bulldogs turned the ball over on fumbles in both drives they started in Central territory.  The first at the Mule 25 yardline and the second at the Central five.
• Truman led in time of possession by nearly 10 minutes (34:07 to 25:53).
• The Mules averaged 44.7 yards in kick returns.  They had a 78 yard return to set up a score to start the second half and scored on a 40-yard onside kick return.
• Phil Davis' 143 yards rushing was a season high for the Bulldogs.
• Davis' 25 pass attempts and 15 completions were also season bests.
• Eric Phillip's 38.1 yards per punt (eight punts) was a season best game average.
• The 47-yard rush by Central's Anthony Stewart was a season long against the Bulldogs.
• Truman allowed their season long in both punt return (14 yards) and kick return (78 yards).
• Central's 5.7 yards per rush was a season-high against the Bulldog defense.
• The Mules three sacks were the most allowed by the Bulldogs in a game this year.
• Truman still leads the all-time series with Central 52-37-5.

 

Up Next:

 

The Bulldogs will be back at Stokes Stadium for Homecoming 2010 and will host Missouri Southern State University at 2:00 p.m.

 

The Lions will get their chance against Northwest Missouri  in Joplin on Saturday.

 

Missouri Southern defeated the Bulldogs 20-16 in Joplin last year but the home team has won the last five meetings.