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 5:40 p.m.

 

Game Preview:

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - It will be the University of Central Missouri's high powered offense against a Truman Bulldog squad that has four former Mule coaches on the staff including three defensive coaches in Saturday night Family day tilt at Stokes Stadium.

 

Central won a shootout at home against Washburn on Saturday 55-45 while Truman was defeated by #7 Northwest Missouri 44-10 also at home.

 

The Mules lead the MIAA with a 3-0 conference record and a 4-1 overall mark.  They are second in the league with a 47.4 points per game average and senior quarterback Eric Czerniewski averages a league best 413 yards passing per game. 

 

The Mules have used Czerniewski's arm predominately in their first five games as they are last in the league in rushing offense at 93.8 yards per game with Anthony Stewart leading the team with a 59.8 ypg average.

 

Gregg and Kellen Nesbitt along with Troy Williams and Jed Paulsen are no strangers to what Czerniewski can do, they watched him in practice and in games over the past three seasons as assistant coaches at the University of Central Missouri.

 

The Bulldogs come into the game first in the conference in sacks for (16) and sacks allowed (2) while allowing 30.2 points per game.

 

Senior quarterback Phil Davis leads the Bulldogs in both rushing and passing with 65.5 yards per game on the ground and 117 yards per game through the air.  Davis will look to get some yardage on a Central defense that is eighth in the league in total defense allowing 411 yards per game and just under 30 points per contest.

 

Players to Watch (Truman):

 

Bulldog Secondary: Truman's secondary will be tested as Central averages 434 yards per game through the air.  The group has just one interception (Dennis Walls) but 22 pass breakups led by Terrence Byrd's five.  Returning all-conference and preseason all-American Michael Elliott leads the team with 32 total tackles and has three pass break-ups.

 

Kendrick Blue: Blue leads the team with 10 receptions and is second on the team with 123 yards receiving.    The Mules are seventh in the conference in yards allowed through the air at 266.2.

 

Players to Watch (Central Missouri)

 

Eric Czerniewski: The senior quarterback is on the verge of becoming the top all-time passer and total offense leader in the MIAA.  Czerniewski needs just 320 passing yards to pass Kasey Waterman and 355 yards of total offense to pass Neil Philpot.

Jamorris Warren: Warren was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week with 167 yards receiving in the Mules 55-45 victory last week over Washburn.  For the season, Warren has eight touchdown receptions and 568 yards receiving.

 

Series History:

Truman will be looking to break a three-game loosing streak to the Mules and have lost eight of the last nine matchups.  The Bulldogs lead the overall series with a 52-36-5 mark as the two teams are fifth overall in NCAA Division II in total games played with 93.

 

This series is the fifth longest in games played with 93 and may catch the Newberry/Presbyterian series (95 games) as those two teams have not met since 2006 and will not meet this year.  Emporia State and Washburn lead with 106 games played.

 

All-Time Records:

·         The Bulldogs have played 928 games all-time.  The Bulldogs are 528-366-34 (.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:

The football program will be facing their second ranked opponent of the season however other Truman sports have had great success against nationally ranked teams this year, especially in Kirksville.

 

The men's soccer team defeated the defending Division II national champion and preseason number one, Fort Lewis College, 2-1 on Sept. 10 while the Truman Volleyball team knocked of previously undefeated and #3 Washburn 3-1 in Pershing Arena last Friday night.

 

Football'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.

 

Drive Summaries:

• The Bulldogs have had six 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 10 drives start on Truman's side of the 50 and have scored 45 points (six 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 three drives start inside the 10 and have one touchdown, one punt and one missed field goal.

 

Offensive Quick Hits:

• The Bulldogs recorded 57 first downs this season, 25 by passing, 27 by rushing and 5 by penalty.
• In 162 rushing attempts, Truman averaged 4.2 yards per carry up from a 3.1 mark last season. 
• Truman has gained 686 yards on the ground.
• With 48 pass completions, the Bulldogs have 517 yards passing and 10.8 yards per completion average.
• With 263 offensive plays, the Bulldogs have amassed 1203 yards of total offense for a per play average of 4.6 up from 4.3 yards last season.
• In their 15 trips to the redzone this season, the Bulldogs have eight touchdowns and four field goals.
• The Bulldogs are 25-of-64 (39%) on third down conversions. 
• Truman is 3-of-5 on fourth down conversions.
• The offense has been on the field 30:00 per game this season and has scored 73 points.
• The offensive line has allowed two sacks through four 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 6:01 and resulted in a field goal. 
• The last 1,000 yard rusher for the Bulldogs was Jerard Leverson (1012 yards) following the 2003 season.

 

Defensive Quick Hits:

• In 152 rushes, Truman's defense has allowed 593 yards rushing for a 3.9 yards per carry average, down from a 5.3 mark last season.
• In 77 pass completions for 1011 yards, opponents averaged 13.1 yards per completion. 
• In 286 offensive plays, opposing teams averaged 5.6 yards per play down from 6.1 yards in 2009.
• Opponents have made 17 trips into Truman's redzone and come away with 12 touchdowns and one field goal.
• The Bulldog defense has been on the field on average 29:30 minutes per game and allowed 121 points.
• Opponents have converted on third down 33% of the time (19-of-58).
• Opponents are 5-of-10 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 7-of-9 on point after attempts this season and the team has not tried a two-point attempt.
• Opponents are 13-for-15 on extra point attempts and are 0-1 on two-point conversions.  They are 2-for-6 on field goal attempts with the longest make being from 39 yards (Andrew Kocurek – Southwest Baptist).
• Truman averages 57.4 yards per kickoff (Brian Rosser) and 35.2 yards per punt (Eric Phillips).
• Opponents are averaging 58.4 per kickoff and 37.6 yards per punt.
• The Bulldogs average 21.9 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 13.9 yards per kick return and -0.9 per punt return.  Their longest punt return this season has been just four yards.  The longest kick return has been 21 yards.

 

Bulldog vs. Northwest Missouri Recap:

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The #7 Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats jumped on the Truman Bulldogs for 17 first quarter points and went on to retain the 'Ol Hickory Stick for the ninth straight time in a 44-10 win on Saturday afternoon.

The Bearcats (2-1; 2-0 MIAA) took the opening drive 65-yards as Josh Baker caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bolles and an early 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Truman's Anton Bernard muffed the return which was recovered by Billy Creason at the Bulldog 21.  The Truman defense held Northwest to a 37-yard field goal but it was 10-0 less than five minutes into the game.

The Bulldogs (2-2; 0-2 MIAA) moved the ball into Bearcat territory in their next drive but stalled out at the 33.  A bad punt snap gave Northwest possession at the Bulldog 44.

The good starting possession led to the Bearcats second touchdown, a 19-yard rush by Creason to extend the lead to 17-0.  Earlier in the drive, a key personal foul call against the Bulldogs erased a second and 23 and gave Northwest an automatic first down.

Truman finally stopped the Bearcats shutout string as Will Mosquera bounced off a Bearcat defender and ran 28 yards down to the Northwest 39.  That play eventually set up a Derek Koon 26 yard field goal to make the score 17-3.

Creason, who rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries, scored from one yard out at the 4:06 mark and then special teams again bit the Bulldogs as Donald Harvey fumbled the kick return to set up another Bearcat score just before half.

Kelvin Austin and Creason each had one yard TD scores that sandwiched a Phil Davis touchdown in the second half as both teams played through a steady rain.

The Bearcats outgained the Bulldogs 418 to 217 as Bolles completed 10-of-16 passes for 149 yards.  Northwest attempted just two passes in the second half.

The Bulldogs mustered 131 yards on the ground with Harnish Ayora leading the way with 17 carries for 57 yards, Davis added 56 yards on 12 attempts and Mosquera ran for 40 yards on nine.

Northwest retained the oldest trophy in Division II football for the ninth straight time, their longest streak in the series.

 

Truman/Bearcat Footnotes:

• The Bearcats started on Truman's side of the 50, on four occasions and came away with three touchdowns and a field goal.
• Northwest was just 3-of-11 on third down while the Bulldogs were 7-of-17.
• Two of the completed third downs by the Bearcats came in the first quarter.
• Northwest had 67 total offensive plays, 16 of which went for 10 yards or more.
• The Bearcats gained 317 yards on those 16 plays, the other 51 they gained just 101 (1.9 ypp).
• Truman led in time of possession with 31:47.
• A 34-yard pass from Phil Davis to Caleb Roberts matched the longest play from scrimmage for the Bulldogs against the Bearcats since punter Max Kleckner completed a pass to Adam Reynolds in 2008.
• Derek Koon's field goal at the 8:07 mark snapped the Bearcats 199 shutout minutes over the Bulldogs dating back to 2007.
• Davis' five yard touchdown run was the first by a Bulldog since Matt Ticich scored in the first quarter of the 2007 game.
• Truman averaged 25 yards per kick return with Tremaine Millender leading the way with a 34-yard return.
• Millender led the Bulldogs with 113 all-purpose yards.
• Truman still leads the all-time series with the Bearcats 54-32-4.

 

Up Next:

 

Truman will take on their third straight ranked opponent and fourth straight senior quarterback as they travel to Missouri Western next Saturday for a 1:30 kickoff in St. Joseph.

 

The Griffons are eighth in the AFCA Coaches Poll and will have their showdown with Northwest Missouri in Maryville this week in a battle of two top-10 teams.

 

Missouri Western is led by senior quarterback Drew Newhart.