The No. 6 Gorillas open MIAA play at Missouri Southern on Saturday

PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University football team will travel to Joplin, Missouri, on Saturday (Sept. 7) to open Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play against Missouri Southern State University.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CDT) at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

Pitt State, the No. 6 seed in the 2024 AFCA NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 poll, opened the 2024 season with a decisive 19-3 home victory over No. 3 seed Ferris State University last Saturday (August 31) during the off week at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Gorillas are seeking their third consecutive MIAA title after winning the MIAA championship in the 2022 and 2023 seasons and making it to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs each season.

Missouri Southern is 0-1 on this young season after suffering an 18-11 loss on the road to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas last Saturday.

The trainers

Tom Anthony is in his first year as head coach of the Pittsburg State University football team. Anthony returned to campus after a six-month absence to become the Gorillas’ 16th all-time head coach in December 2023.

Anthony, who served as Pitt State’s defensive coordinator from 2020-2022, replaced Brian Wright, who accepted the head coaching position at NCAA FCS member Northern Arizona University.

Anthony joined Wright as defensive coordinator on his first team in December 2019. He was promoted to assistant head coach/defensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. During his three years with the Gorillas, Anthony helped build one of the best defensive units in NCAA Division II. He resigned from his position in June 2023 to pursue a non-coaching professional role in Ohio.

In 2022, Anthony’s Pitt State defensive unit led the MIAA in scoring defense (14.1 points per game) and ranked second in the conference in total defense (282.6 yards per game), run defense (93.0 yards per game), pass defense (189.6 yards per game) and sacks (31). The Gorillas ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense and 19th nationally in total defense. Pitt State was one of only four defensive units to convert four or more interceptions into touchdowns in 2022.

This will be Anthony’s first meeting with Missouri Southern.

MSSU’s Atiba Bradley is in his fourth full year as coach of his alma mater and his fourth year as a college coach. Bradley led the Lions to a 1-0 record during the Covid-19-altered 2021 spring season. He has a 13-22 (.371) record at the helm of MSSU.

Bradley returned to MSSU after most recently serving as defensive coordinator at NCAA Division II member McKendree University. He also served as co-defensive coordinator at the University of South Dakota from 2016-18.

This will be his fourth meeting with Pitt State. He is 0-3 against the Gorillas.

Coaching debut at Pitt State
Since the 1949 season, the last ten Pitt State head coaches, including Coach Anthony, have posted a record of 8-2 in their debut games as coach of the Gorillas.

Coach Date Opponent Result
Carnie Smith, September 16, 1949, vs. Missouri S&T W, 27-7
Tom Lester, September 16, 1967 vs. Central Oklahoma W, 14-13
Ron Randleman, September 11, 1976 vs. Northwest Missouri, loss, 0-24
Bruce Polen, September 11, 1982 vs Lincoln W, 43-0
Mike Mayerske, September 8, 1984 vs. Arkansas Tech W, 20-0
Dennis Franchione, September 14, 1985 @ Arkansas Tech W, 24-13
Chuck Broyles, September 1, 1990 vs. Truman W, 64-30
Tim Beck, August 28, 2010, Central Oklahoma W, 31-20
Brian Wright, Oct. 31, 2020 vs. Nebraska-Kearney, loss 26-31

Tom Anthony August 31, 2024 vs. Ferris State W, 19-3

The Pitt State – Missouri Southern series
This will be the 56th meeting between the Gorillas and the Lions in a series that dates back to the 1968 season – Southern’s first year as a four-year school. Pitt State holds a commanding 45-9-1 lead in the series.

The Gorillas have a 22-6 record against the Lions in Joplin, including 14 consecutive wins at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

Pitt State and Southern have played each other every year since 1968 (except for the Covid-19-shortened 2020 season), but the two teams began competing for the Miner’s Bowl Trophy in 1986.

Although the series also produced some close games and memorable moments, the Gorillas dominated the series, winning 35 of the 37 meetings. Overall, Pitt State won an average of 36-14 in the 37 meetings.

Last year running back Antwan Knappe He ran for a personal-best 127 yards and scored twice as he led No. 3 Pitt State to a 31-21 road win over MSSU on October 14, 2023, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

Run back Cleo Chandler Jr. And Noah Hernandez More touchdowns were added in the second half, giving the Gorillas a comfortable 28-7 lead with 14:56 minutes left in the game.

On defense, Pitt State forced three turnovers and limited the Lions to 60 rushing yards on the day. Cornerback Rico Payton and security Jasper Ogburn Each of them intercepted a pass during the competition.

Pitt State in the MIAA
Pitt State has been consistently successful in the MIAA over the past three decades.

Pitt State has compiled a 256-66-1 (.796) record against its MIAA opponents since joining the conference in 1989. The Gorillas have won 14 MIAA titles since joining the conference, including back-to-back MIAA crowns the past two years (2022-23).

MSSU has compiled a record of 117-205-0 (.363) since joining the MIAA along with Pitt State in 1989.

The most successful programs of all time
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest football team in NCAA Division II. The Gorillas, who are playing their 116th season of intercollegiate competition, have an overall record of 753-362-48 and have won 66.8 percent of their 1,163 games.

Pittsburg State is one of only nine NCAA Division II institutions to reach 600 total wins, and the Gorillas were only the 33rd team – the first Division II institution – at any level of college football to reach the 700-win mark.

Tuskegee ranks second on the Division II all-time list with 714 wins, followed by Hillsdale (663), Carson-Newman (656) and Central Oklahoma (653).

MSSU has a record of 306-312-7 (.495) in 57 seasons of intercollegiate play.

PSU’s success in the regular season
Pitt State has won 333 of its last 402 regular season games and has a phenomenal 333-67-2 (.831) record over the last 40 seasons (1985-2024). PSU is 175-28-1 at home, 154-30-1 away and 4-9-0 on neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

Gorillas on the street
Pitt State has an impressive away record over the past 31 years.

The Gorillas have a record of 117-37-1 (.758) in their last 155 road games (including postseason games) since the start of the 1994 season. The Gorillas have a record of 53-14 (.791) in their last 67 road games since October 23, 2010.

MSSU has compiled a home record of 5-12 (.294) since the start of the 2021 season.

In search of the gorillas
Experienced quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. has compiled a record of 24-3 (.889) as the Gorillas’ starting quarterback.

Dodson (5-11, 202) completed 22 of 33 passes for 206 yards in the season opener against Ferris State. For his career, the Jacksonville, Florida, native has completed 486 of 768 passes (.633) for 6,369 yards and 56 touchdowns in 32 games played.

Dodson ranks second in Pitt State history in passing yards and third in touchdown passes.

Experienced linebacker Thomas Cook was named MIAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Gorillas’ season opener against Ferris State.
Cook had a career day against the Bulldogs, recording five tackles (four solo), including a quarterback sack. The Overland Park, Kansas, native also forced a fumble and recovered another, giving Pitt State four possessions in the game.

Second place kicker Austin Schmitt was named MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week and NCAA Division II Special Teams Player of the Week against the Bulldogs.

The Grain Valley, Missouri native kicked four field goals in the game, sinking kicks from 33, 22, 36 and 36 yards away. His fifth attempt was blocked due to a high snap early in the second quarter.
Schmitt has converted 19 of 23 (0.826) field goal attempts in 14 career games for the Gorillas.