KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman Bulldogs will look to spoil Missouri Western's homecoming on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo. as the two schools clash in week eight of MIAA Football. The Bulldogs have lost two straight while the Griffons have reeled off three wins in-a-row.
Truman's J.B. Clark threw for 263 yards and had a 69-yard rush but the Bulldogs came up seven points short in a 24-17 loss to Missouri Southern last Saturday in Joplin. Collin Howard tossed two 27-yard touchdown passes, the last coming on a third and 12 early in the fourth quarter to break a 17-all score.
Clark (1,644 yards passing) has already surpassed last season's team passing total and is currently on pace for the most single-season passing yards since Jake Czeschin 3,001 yards in 2004.
The Bulldog receiving corps, led by Anthony Brown and Dallas Grier, has a five-game streak of having a receiver over 100 yards in a game, the longest streak over the past decade. Brown's 135 yards against the Lions on Saturday was the most by a Bulldog receiver since Vanness Emokpae gained 200 yards through the air against Upper Iowa in 2007.
Richie Schumacher is on his own pace as the top defensive player for the Bulldogs this season. Schumacher has notched 81 total tackles through seven games and with four remaining, is on pace to record the most since Marti Rave's 144 in 1975.
The Griffons have won three straight after surviving a 22-16 victory against Emporia State on Saturday. Western got off to a fast start with 19 points coming in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Hornets got a 50-yard run by LaDarrian Page and a three-yard TD reception by Ray Ray Davis to trim the lead to six with 1:08 to play but could not recover the onsides kick.
Michael Hill led the Griffons with 112 yards rushing on 20 carries and is second in the MIAA with over 90 yards on the ground per game. Hill leads the team in both rushing and receiving while the Griffon defense leads the conference with 16 interceptions this season.
Last season, the then-19th ranked Griffons were able to grind out a 29-7 win over the Bulldogs in St. Joseph. The lead was just six at half before Andrew Mead caught a 73-yard pass from Drew Newhart following a Bulldog punt.
Five Keys To Watch:
1 – Keeping An Eye On Hill
Western running back Michael Hill is second in the MIAA in rushing 90.9 yards per game with the second most carries in the conference with 126 and a 5.0 yards per rush. He is also the team's top receiver with 21 catches for 187 yards.
The Bulldogs are ranked ninth in the conference in rushing yards allowed at 218 per game while overall the Griffons are the third ranked team in rushing with a 213 per game average.
In addition to Hill, Dominic Thomas has 36 carries for 272 yards and quarterback Travis Partridge has 268 yards on 68 carries.
Truman's Richie Schumacher leads the team with 58 tackles on running plays followed by Wade Pelc's 38.
2 – Red Zone Success
Both teams are in the top half of the league in red zone success with the Griffons scoring nearly 90% of the time and the Bulldogs being successful 84%.
The top two field goal kickers in the conference will also be in action as Truman's Derek Koon is 12-of-13 in field goal attempts while counterparts Greg Zuerlein and Taylor Anderson are a combine 18-of-19.
Zuerlein has made all 10 field goals attempted from outside of 30 yards including four from beyond 50 yards with a 57 yard make earlier this season.
Koon made a conference record 12 straight field goals until he missed from 51 yards last Saturday against Missouri Southern. His long this season is 42 yards.
3 –Keep Heat Off Clark
The Bulldog o-line have allowed 14 of their 22 sacks allowed in the last two games and will now face the MIAA's top tandem pass sacks. David Bass has nine and Ben Pister has 6.5 sacks to place 1-2 in the conference.
Western had seven sacks against Central Missouri and another five against Langston during a two-game stretch which was more than half of their 21 recorded this season.
4 – Avoid The Picks
Missouri Western leads the MIAA with 16 interceptions while Truman has thrown 12 picks thus far through seven games.
Jeremy Weston has four picks and Shane Simpson three for the Griffons, however Western has allowed 229.4 yards in the air per game.
5 –The Intangibles
The two teams are polar opposites in terms of fouls called against. The Bulldogs have been flagged just 36 times for a 47.1 yards per game average while the Griffons have committed 57 fouls for an 80.9 per game mark.
Both teams are under 30 minutes of possession time per game and both are under 34% in third down success rate.
Offensive Notebook:
• Senior transfer J.B. Clark completed 134-of-264 pass attempts (50.8%) for 1644 yards. Clark is fourth in the MIAA in total offense with 246 yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdown passes. His long pass is 61 yards to Kurt Loyd against Central Missouri.
• Clark passed for nearly 4,000 yards in 19 starts with 37 touchdown passes while a member of the Lehigh University (FCS) squad. He did not play in the 2010 season after recovering from an injury.
• Sophomore Conrad Schottel is 3-of-7 for 17 yards in his season in three games. For his career, Schottel is 16-of-39 and has not thrown a touchdown pass.
• Senior Harnish Ayora leads the team in rushing with a 40.4 yards per game average. He has gained 283 yards on 66 carries for a 4.3 per carry average. For his career, Ayora has 1091 yards rushing, 15 touchdowns and a 3.4 yards per carry average in 34 games.
• Senior Donald Harvey is second in rushing with 160 yards on 38 carries. Harvey is the Bulldogs all-purpose leader with 116.4 yards per game average on the season and has appeared in a team-high 40 games.
• Senior Anthony Brown leads the receiving corps with 40 catches for 581 yards and three touchdowns. Brown is fifth in the MIAA in receptions per game at 5.7 and has already more yards receiving this season by a Bulldog since 824 yards by Jeff Amundson in 2004.
• Sophomore Dallas Grier is tied for seventh in the MIAA in receptions/game with five and has 402 yards receiving this season.
• The Bulldogs are 21-of-25 (84%) in redzone opportunities in 2011 with 11 touchdowns. Last season, the team was 80% successful in the redzone with 36 scores (25 touchdowns). In 2009, they were just 67% in the redzone with only 16 touchdowns in 36 opportunities.
• For the season, Truman is 31% in third down situations. In 2010, the Bulldogs were 38% in third downs.
• Truman is averaging 4.7 yards per play and 326.7 yards per game in total offense in 2011. The Bulldogs averaged 4.8 yards per play and 324.2 yards in 2010 and were at 4.2 and 278.0 in 2009.
• The Bulldogs have gained 625 yards on the ground through seven games this season. Last year the team rushed for 1,933 yards, the most by a Bulldog squad since 1997's 2,015 yards. The team has not had a 1,000 yard season rusher since Jerard Leverson in 2003 (1,012).
• The best single-game performances this year have been 126 yards rushing against Northwest Missouri, 304 yards passing against Central Missouri and 400 yards of total offense also against UCM.
Defensive Notebook:
• Junior Richie Schumacher is third in Division II in tackles per game with 12.4. He has 87 tackles after registering 61 in 2010 in 11 games and 209 in 29 career games. He trails conference member Alex Whitehill of Fort Hays State for both the national and conference lead in tackles (16.1/g).
• The defense has 15 takeaways in 2011 with 11 fumbles and four interceptions. They are seventh in the MIAA in turnover margin. Six of the 15 takeaways have led to points scored with one interception return for a touchdown. In 2010, the defense had 19 takeaways. The Bulldogs offense scored on the ensuing possession on six of those turnovers. Truman was third in the MIAA in turnover margin.
• The Bulldogs have allowed 454 yards in total offense by opposing teams per game this season and is allowing 6.2 yards per play. Last year, the Bulldogs allowed 387 per game and 5.9 per play.
• The 'Dogs have allowed 1526 yards on the ground (218.0/game) with Fort Hays State's Andre Smith posting the single-game high with 204 yards on 21 carries.
• The pass defense has given up 236 yards per game and opposing quarterbacks have completed 137-of-210 passes (65%). In 2010, the pass D allowed 242 yards per game and opposing qbs completed 59.8% of their passes.
• Opposing teams are 23-of-30 (77%) in the redzone with 19 touchdowns while last season, opponents were 36-of-42 (85.7%) with 29 touchdowns and seven field goals.
• On third downs, opponents are 41-of-100 (41%) and 73% when facing a third and less than three yards. In 2010, opponents were only 34% successful which was second in the MIAA. Teams were 50% from inside of three yards but just under 30% when faced with a third and greater than seven. On fourth down, opponents are 6-of-12 (56%).
Special Teams Notebook:
• Sophomore Derek Koon is 12-for-13 in field goals in 2011 with a career long 42 yards against Fort Hays State and Central Missouri. Koon is 6-for-7 in field goals over 30 yards after making just 2-of-8 during his freshman season. He has also converted on 11-of-15 extra point attempts.
• Koon made 12 straight field goals to start the season, breaking the school record of Scott Bresaw's 10 set in 1990 and is just three away from Bresaw's 1990 single-season record of 15 field goals made. Koon also broke Josh Barcus' (Pittsburg State) MIAA record for consecutive field goals and eight away from the single-season field goal mark set by Justin Gray of Emporia State. Koon's streak snapped when he missed a 51-yard field goal against Missouri Southern.
• Koon is tied for fifth in Division II with 1.71 field goals per game and tied for 89th in scoring at 6.71 points per game.
• Junior Eric Phillips is third in the MIAA in punting with a 42.2 yards per punt average. He is 10th in Division II and along with redshirt freshman Jacob Lamp, has helped the Bulldogs to a team ranking of sixth in Division II in net putting at 38.6 yards per punt.
• Senior Donald Harvey is first in the MIAA in kick returns with 22 for a 23.5 yard return average.
• Senior Andy Mundwiller leads the team in punt returning yardage with a 10.2 yard average through seven games. Mundwiller had 94 yards of his 112 return against Fort Hays State, including a 58-yarder to nearly eclipse the 2010 team total in return yards. Truman averaged 7.6 yards per punt return (13 attempts) a season ago and is averaging 11.5 this year (15 attempts).
• The Bulldogs have blocked one punt this season, which went for a touchdown. Richie Schumacher got the block and fell on the ball in the endzone for six.
All-Time Records:
• The Bulldogs have played 942 games all-time. The Bulldogs are 532-376-34 (.583) 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 103 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 .583 win percentage. The University of Missouri has the most wins with 619 with the Bulldogs second with 532.
• Truman's 532 wins is eighth all-time in Division II.
Foul Trouble:
• The Bulldogs are first in the MIAA in fewest penalty yards per game at 47.1, however of the 36 flags dropped against the 'Dogs, 10 have been personal fouls, same number as offensive procedure penalties. For the record, Truman has 10 personal fouls, 10 offensive procedure, five offside, four holds and two pass interference calls against. Five fouls have occurred in special teams play.
Academic Success:
• The Bulldogs had 39 players earn distinction on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll last year, the most of any conference program. To be eligible, a player must have a cumulative grade-point average above a 3.00. The team had a cumulative grade-point average of 2.95 following the 2010 spring semester.
Bulldogs In the Pros:
• Left guard Pat Murray was the only Bulldog active in the NFL but was recently waived by the Cleveland Browns. Murray was a first-team all-MIAA and honorable mention all-American for the Bulldogs from 2003-2006. Overall 19 former Bulldogs have played professional football.
• Gregg Williams, a three-time letterwinner from 1977-79, is the current defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.
• Randy Ball, captain of the 1972 Bulldog squad and father of defensive line coach Andy Ball, is the Director of Player Personnel for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.
Up Next:
• The Bulldogs return to the scene of one of their biggest wins in recent history as they will face the Emporia State Hornets next Saturday in Kansas. Truman rallied from 10 points down in the final five minutes to pull out the 37-34 victory. Kickoff from Welch Stadium in Emporia is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. as the game is the MIAA Game of the Week and will be televised regionally.
Truman/Missouri Southern Footnotes:
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Missouri Southern continued the trend of the home team winning in this series with the victory. The home team has won the last six games between the two teams.
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Anthony Brown's 135 yards receiving were the most by a Bulldog since Vanness Emokpae recorded 170 yards against Upper Iowa on Sept. 8, 2007 (span of 48 games).
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Truman has had five straight games in which a single receiver has gone over 100 yards. The longest streak over the past decade.
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It was the first time this season that the turnover margin was level. The Bulldogs turned it over twice (via interceptions) while Missouri Southern had one interception and one fumble.
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Truman allowed their first points from a turnover when the Lions converted the third quarter interception for seven. The last time the Bulldog defense allowed points following a turnover were week two against Fort Hays State and eight straight Truman turnovers.
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Missouri Southern had no plays go for more than 30 yards and only two (both 27 yard touchdown passes) over 25 yards.
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The Lions won possession time by nearly six minutes. Truman won the third quarter with nine and a half minutes of possession but the Lions took the fourth quarter with over 10 minutes.
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The Bulldogs matched their longest third down conversion of the season with a 19 yard pass on third and 12 to Dallas Grier, that went for a touchdown.
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The Lions recorded the two longest third down conversions against the Bulldogs. Both were third and 17s, one went for a touchdown while the other was a 23 yard pass.
Truman/Missouri Western Series:
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This will be the 29th meeting overall and 22nd straight contest between the schools from Kirksville and St. Joseph, Missouri. The teams will not meet again until Oct. 25, 2014 in Kirksville.
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The Griffons have won three straight and seven of the last eight against the Bulldogs. Truman's last win in St. Joseph was a 42-35 victory in 2001.
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Truman dominated the early portion of this series with wins in 12 of the first 16 played dating back to 1972.
