KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman Bulldogs return to the scene of one of their biggest wins from last season as they visit the Emporia State Hornets on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The Bulldogs are looking to break a three-game winless streak while the Hornets righted their ship with a big win over Lincoln (Mo.).
The Bulldogs scored 13 points in the final 4:47 to erase a 10-point deficit against ESU and won 37-34 when Will Mosquera caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Phil Davis. Emporia gained 252 yards on the ground but had just 47 through the air while the 'Dogs had a balanced attack of 173 rushing and 201 passing in the win.
This is the third straight road game for Truman as they are winless in their two previous road games and three overall. The Bulldogs fell 45-7 to Missouri Western last Saturday in St. Joseph's but did set season highs in rushing yards with 158.
J.B. Clark and Conrad Schottel combine for 13-of-36 passing for 133 yards while Harnish Ayora had a season-high 82 yards rushing and Donald Harvey adding 65 for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs played four nationally ranked teams in their first six games going 2-4 during that span. They have since lost their last two road games by a 24-17 margin at Missouri Southern and last Saturday's 45-7 loss at Missouri Western, who is just outside the top 25.
Richie Schumacher is one of just four defensive starters left from last season as the Bulldog “D” has fought the injury bug on that side of the ball. Schumacher is among the nation's leaders in tackles with 102 through eight games and is on pace to record the most tackles by a Truman defensive player since the mid-70s.
Ayora leads the rushing attack with 365 yards on 81 carries while Clark has completed 50% of his passes for 1686 yards and 10 touchdowns. Anthony Brown and Dallas Clark have combine for 82 catches for over 1000 yards.
Emporia led just 21-17 against winless Lincoln at the half on Saturday on the road in Jefferson City but scored 31 points in the second half to cruise for a 52-23 victory over the Blue Tigers.
The Hornets chewed up 563 total yards including over 300 on the ground against Lincoln with Dasor Horton carrying the ball just eight times for 120 yards and Tyler Eckenrode passing for 241 on 14 completions.
After starting the season 0-3, Emporia is 3-2 in their last five games with a balanced offensive attack of 175.8 yards rushing and 160 yards passing thus far. Horton has carried the ball 76 times for 417 yards with La'Darrian Page (296/54 att) and Adrian Abner (266/67 att) sharing time in the backfield. Eckenrode has completed 61% of his passes for 1994 yards and 13 touchdowns while being picked up seven times.
Keys To Watch:
1 – Move The Chains
The Bulldogs will look to establish some drives against the 6th ranked MIAA defense in Emporia State. The Hornets allow 400 yards of total offense per game while the 'Dogs are averaging 322. The Bulldogs have two offensive touchdowns and five field goals when starting drives inside their own 30 yardline this season.
2 – Protect The Ball
Emporia State has a league-best 23 turnovers gained and the top turnover margin in the MIAA. They have 14 interceptions through eight games while the Bulldogs have thrown a league-high 13 picks.
3 –Time To Pass
After facing the top two defensive lines in the MIAA in terms of pass sacks the past two weeks, the Bulldogs will now face a D-Line that is averaging just 1.38 sacks per game.
4 – Stop The Big Play
The Bulldogs have allowed 22 plays from scrimmage go for more than 30 yards this season but in the two games they have won, allowed three total. Last week against Missouri Western, the Griffons scored on plays of 80, 64 and 60 yards. Tyler Eckenrode has five touchdown passes over 50 yards this season for the Hornets.
5 –Out For Revenge
The Hornets have had this game circled on their schedule since the Bulldogs spoiled Homecoming for ESU last year. Truman scored 13 points in the final five minutes of the game to win 37-34 at Emporia last season. The Bulldogs held ESU to just 47 yards passing but gave up 252 yards rushing. This series has been tight the last five years with the average margin of victory being just six points.
Offensive Notebook:
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Senior transfer J.B. Clark has completed 141-of-279 passes for 1,686 yards this season after passing for over 4,000 yards in 19 starts at FCS Lehigh University (Pa.). Clark's best game so far for Truman was a 304 yard performance against Central Missouri and a 298 yard, three touchdown outing against Fort Hays St.
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Sophomore Conrad Schottel has appeared in four games and is 9-of-28 for 108 yards. Schottel ran for his first collegiate touchdown against Missouri Western last week.
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Senior running backs Harnish Ayora and Donald Harvey were able to boost the team's rushing average to just under 100 yards per game with 158 last week against Missouri Western. Ayora had a season-high 15 carries and 82 yards against the Griffons and has averaged 45 yards per game.
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Harvey has 48 carries for 225 yards and 17 catches for 137. Harvey is also the top kick returner in the MIAA with 22 for 518 yards and a 23.5 yards per return average.
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Senior Anthony Brown has set career highs with 45 catches and 632 yards. Brown entered his final year with 38 total catches for 563 yards.
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Sophomore Dallas Clark is posting a solid season with 37 catches for 408 yards. Clark was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a freshman with 33 receptions and 548 yards.
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Senior Andy Mundwiller is third on the team with 22 catches for 223 yards, both career highs and redshirt freshman Kurt Loyd is averaging 23.6 yards per catch with seven receptions including a team best 61-yard catch against Central Missouri.
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The Bulldogs are 22-of-27 (81%) in redzone opportunities in 2011 with 12 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.
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For the season, Truman is 29% in third down situations. In 2010, the Bulldogs were 38% in third downs. The Bulldogs are 24-of-57 (42%) when facing third and less than five yards to go but just 14-of-61 (26%) in the first half.
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Truman is averaging 4.7 yards per play and 322.1 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.
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The Bulldogs have gained 783 yards on the ground through eight 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).
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The best single-game performances this year have been 158 yards rushing against Missouri Western, 304 yards passing against Central Missouri and 400 yards of total offense also against UCM.
Defensive Notebook:
Junior Richie Schumacher is second in Division II in tackles per game with 12.7. He has 102 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 (14.8/g).
Schumacher's 102 with 47 solo stops, is the most since Demetrius Lavant's 102 in 2009 and Tameem Yehyawi's 128 in 2003. He is on pace to finish in the top five single-season tackle leaders since defensive stats were recorded in 1972. Craig O'Sadnick had 159 in 1973.
Juniors Kyle Whitcher and Wade Pelc are second and third respectively with 54 and 53 total tackles. Whitcher is tied with Schumacher with two interceptions while Pelc has one of the team's 10 fumble recoveries.
Junior Patrick Blackwell leads the team for the second straight year with four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. Blackwell had eight QB sacks as a sophomore.
The defense has 18 takeaways in 2011 with 12 fumbles and six interceptions. They are seventh in the MIAA in turnover margin. Six of the 18 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 477 yards in total offense by opposing teams per game this season and is allowing 6.5 yards per play. Last year, the Bulldogs allowed 387 per game and 5.9 per play.
The 'Dogs have allowed 1797 yards on the ground (224.6/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 252 yards per game and opposing quarterbacks have completed 155-of-238 passes (65%). In 2010, the pass D allowed 242 yards per game and opposing qbs completed 59.8% of their passes.
Opposing teams are 26-of-34 (76%) in the redzone with 21 touchdowns while last season, opponents were 36-of-42 (85.7%) with 29 touchdowns and seven field goals.
On third downs, opponents are 47-of-114 (41%) and 52% when facing a third and less than five yards. Opposing teams are 26-of-54 (48%) in third down situations in the first half of games. 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 12-of-16 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. Missouri Western's Greg Zuerlien is currently tied with Koon with 12 straight makes heading into this weekend's games.
Koon is tied for ninth in Division II with 1.50 field goals per game.
Junior Eric Phillips is second in the MIAA and eighth nationally in punting with a 43.3 yards per punt average. Along with redshirt freshman Jacob Lamp, has helped the Bulldogs to a team ranking of fifth in Division II in net putting at 38.6 yards per punt.
Phillips's average is the best by a Bulldog over the past decade with the previous high being a 40.3 punting average by Mark Kamphoefner in 2003.
Senior Donald Harvey is eighth 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 8.69 yard average through seven games. Mundwiller had 94 yards of his 113 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 943 games all-time. The Bulldogs are 532-377-34 (.582) 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.
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 will return home for the final time this season as they will welcome Lincoln University back to Stokes Stadium for the first time since 1987. The Blue Tigers have returned to the MIAA in football after a 20-year hiatus. Senior Day from Kirksville will kickoff at 1:00 p.m.
Truman/Missouri Western Footnotes:
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The Bulldogs set team season highs in rushing yards with 158 and individual rushing yards with 82 by Harnish Ayora on 15 carries.
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Richie Schumacher grabbed his team tying second interception in as many weeks. He also led the team with 15 tackles and moved to over 100 for the season. His 102 tackles match Demetrius Lavant's 2009 high and is the most since Tameem Yehyawi's 2003 total of 128.
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The Bulldog defensive line, set a season high with three sacks. M.J. Kang led the way with two for seven yards.
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Truman was also flagged for the most times in any game this season with nine fouls for 81 yards.
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The 80-yard pass from Travis Partridge to Tarrell Downing was the longest allowed by the Bulldogs this season.
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Downing's 171 yards receiving were the most by an opposing player since Kendall Wright gained 177 yards in 2006 for Northwest Missouri.
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The Griffons had five plays from scrimmage go for over 30 yards while Truman had just one.
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The 632 yards of total offense by Missouri Western was the most allowed by the Bulldogs since Southwest Baptist gained 680 yards in 2007.
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Anthony Brown led Truman with 51 yards receiving that snapped a five-game consecutive string of receivers going over 100 yards.
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Eric Phillips averaged 48.2 yards per punt which was the second highest average since 1998. Austin Lepper averaged 50.8 against Southwest Baptist in 2001 on four punts while Phillips had eight.
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The Griffons closed to within one game of the all-time series and trail the Bulldogs 15-14 with their fourth straight win. The teams will not play each other until 2014.
Truman/Emporia State Series:
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The Bulldogs and Hornets will be meeting for the 26th time overall and 21st straight time.
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Emporia is one of two current MIAA teams that have a winning series record against the Bulldogs. The Hornets are 15-10 all-time while the other league school with a winning record is Pittsburg State.
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Over the last five games, the average margin of victory between Truman and Emporia State has been just six points. Truman has won three games, by one (14-13), in overtime by three (33-30) and by three last year (37-34) while Emporia won by 11 in 2008 and six in 2009.
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In those last five contests, Truman has averaged 26.4 points, 144 yards rushing and 179 yards passing while Emporia has averaged 28 points, 236 yards on the ground and just 106 through the air.
