Game Coverage:
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. Truman State Football will be looking to pick up their ninth win for the third straight season on Saturday when they head to longtime adversary Missouri S&T for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
It would be the first time in the program's storied history that the team has won nine games in three consecutive years. The COVID 3-1 spring season in 2021 along with the 2019 10-2 season sends the Bulldogs into the 2023 regular season finale with a five-season record of 39-10 (.795).
The Bulldogs gutted out a 14-7 win on Saturday over Upper Iowa.
Nolan Hair rushed for both touchdowns in the opening drives of each half and then was able to salt out the final five and a half minutes of the fourth quarter clock to preserve the win. The Bulldog defense had a four-play goal line stand in the second quarter, had one other drive end on downs, blocked a field goal and forced a fumble during the game.
Missouri S&T has won two straight and are tied with the Bulldogs at 4-2 in the GLVC standings. The Miners thwarted Quincy on the road last Saturday 21-14.
Both teams could be playing for a share of the GLVC Championship after McKendree upset Indianapolis on Saturday 21-16. The Greyhounds travel to Southwest Baptist, who have also won two straight, and a win gives UINDY the outright championship. A loss would give the winner of Truman/Missouri S&T and possibly McKendree with a win over William Jewell a piece of the championship. Also, to be determined are postseason fates of all teams with the NCAA Division II playoff brackets and the America's Crossroads Bowl game.
This is the longest standing rivalry on both team's schedule with this being the 85th meeting. The series started in 1909 and after a 20-year hiatus, played 71 straight times, barring a pause for World War II between 1932 through 2004. The teams played twice times when both were members of different leagues in 2007 and 2008 and resumed their yearly meeting when Truman joined the Miners in the GLVC in 2013.
The Bulldogs are 7-3 in the GLVC era with Missouri S&T and have won the last four games, including last season's 36-14 victory in Kirksville. Truman State jumped out to a 23-0 lead and led 30-8 at halftime.
Nolan Hair was 17-of-28 for 168 yards passing while
Shamar Griffith rushed 18 times for 82 yards. Cameren Smith led the Miners with 138 yards on the ground, including a 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Truman State has won the last two in Roll, 38-21 in 2021 and 46-27 in the spring of 2021. Their last loss came in the season finale in 2018 when the Miners pulled out a 34-33 victory.
A Look Back At Last Week:
The Bulldogs ran 33 fewer offensive plays and had the ball for a season-low 22:56 but it was the final 5:40, two
Nolan Hair rushing touchdowns and a stellar defensive performance that led Truman State to a 14-7 victory over Upper Iowa on Senior Day at Stokes Stadium.
Ulysses Ross forced a fumble on the Peacocks opening possession and
Brock Jones recovered it which led to Hair scoring on a four-yard touchdown run with 12:10 showing on the first quarter clock. The Peacocks turned the ball over on downs at the Bulldog 33 and then later had four straight plays from inside the one on a drive that lasted over 10 and a half minutes before Ross got the stuff and forced another turnover on downs.
The Peacocks would tie the game before half but the Bulldogs took the opening possession of the third quarter and needed just five plays before Hair scored on a one-yard dive to make it 14-7.
Jacob Carmack blocked a field goal and Upper Iowa punted on their last two possessions with the last coming with 5:40 left to play. Hair, gained 11 yards on a third and 10 then
Mason Huskey busted two long first down runs that eventually drained the clock out for the win.
Missouri S&T's defense was stout in their 21-14 road win at Quincy on Saturday. The Miners held the flying Hawks to 140 yards below their season average, made their own goal-line stand, stopped a Quincy drive in the redzone and held the Hawks to just 2-of-16 on third downs.
Kai Martin rushed for a 16-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to open the scoring. Quincy tied it on a three-yard run by Jadon Washington with five minutes left in the half but S&T churred out an 11-play, 75-yard drive with Cameren Smith scoring on a 1-yard touchdown just before half to give the Miners the lead.
S&T would go up 21-7 on a 30-yard touchdown pass to CJ Jarmon from Tyler Gioia and Quincy pulled to within seven points on a 60-yard pass with 5:07 left to play. The Hawks forced a quick three-and-out and took over at midfield with 3:25 to go and after a four-yard loss on third and four, a pass to Quincy's tight end fell incomplete at the 19.
Martin finished with 74 yards on 15 attempts and Smith had 46 yards on 19 rushing attempts.
Bulldog News & Notes:
Gregg Nesbitt is in his 14
th season on the sidelines second only to the 16 seasons of Maurice "Red" Wade in head coaching years of service at the school. The Bulldogs are 88-59 under Coach Nesbitt and have a 39-10 record since the start of the 2019 season.
The Bulldogs have averaged close to or more than 200 yards rushing per game over the past five seasons and have scored over 30 points per game in the past four.
Quarterback Hair has started the past 37 with a record of 29-8 in those contests at quarterback and is fifth on the career passing yards list with 6,288 yards. His career high for passing yards in a game is 325 against Quincy in 2021 and has 514 career rushing yards with 11 touchdowns. He has completed 62% of his passes. His 55 touchdown passes is third all-time in school history. Matt Ticich (2006-08) had 58 touchdown passes for second. The school record is 70 touchdown passes by Eric Howe (1998-01).
Mason Huskey has averaged 5.3 yards per carry in 10 games, he has also caught 11 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns.
Tate Crane has been the top target with 42 catches for 520 yards and
Zach Zerwig has hauled in 23 catches for 229 yards. The duo has eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards with Crane at 1,198 and Zerwig at 1,065 yards.
The Truman defense has been stingy with 20 or more turnovers forced in each of the last three full seasons. The last two years, Truman defense has had 24 takeaways with defensive backs
Ben Thomas (14) and
Ryan Olivas (10) on the career interception lists. Through 10 games this season, the Bulldogs have 16 turnovers gained.
Isaiah Estes has entered the top 25 on the career tackles list with 279 stops and is the team leader this year with an average of 6.6 tackles per outing. Estes is 14
th on the career tackles list. The last Bulldog defensive player to enter the top 25 in tackles was Austin Zoda in 2016. Zoda finished with 318 stops to rank sixth all-time.
Ben Thomas has 235 career tackles and is in sole possession of fourth on the career interception list with 14. The school career record for picks is 15 held by Freddy Thompson, Gary Evans and Darren Blair.
Grant Ross has converted on 74 of 76 extra point attempts and has made his last 63 straight. Ross is 9-of-13 in field goals this year and 18-of-25 for his career with a long of 45. He is ninth on the all-time career list and tied for 10
th in career field goals.
Mason Gessert has averaged 33.2 yards per punt and has had nine fair caught and 10 inside the opponents 20-yard line.
Thomas is averaging 7.8 yards per punt return with a long of 25 in 17 attempts. Thomas has 47 career returns for 513 yards and a long of 64. He is third on the career list. Alfonso Pugh (1999-02) is second with 721 and Eric Holm (1977-80) is the career leader with 809 yards.
Gerry Marteen Jr. has averaged 29.6 yards on eight kickoff returns with a long of 50 this year.
Mason Huskey has nine returns this season for a 28.2 average and a long of 72 yards.
Up Next:
The NCAA Division II playoff field will be selected on Sunday evening with seven teams from the Super Region 3 receiving bids. The GLVC will also award a bid to the America's Crossroads Bowl in Hammond, Indiana to the highest placing conference team that does not make the NCAA tournament field. That game will take place on Friday, December 1
st with a 6:06 p.m. start.
The GLVC will also announce their postseason awards following the conclusion of the regular season.
