Week two features another matchup for one of the MIAA’s nationally-ranked squads against a fellow non-conference foe in the AFCA Division II Top 25.
No. 14 Pittsburg State (1-0, 0-0 MIAA), heads north to face eighth-ranked Chadron (Neb.) State of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Saturday (Sept. 6) for its second road non-conference matchup in as many weeks.
Last week, then-No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (0-1, 0-0 MIAA) fell at home to then No. 8 Abilene Christian (Texas), 44-27. The 12th-ranked Bearcats will be looking to even the table when Southwest Baptist comes to Maryville Saturday.
This will now be a non-conference battle with SBU opting to play an independent schedule starting this season. Part of the agreement allowing this was to have the school play MIAA squads during the first two weeks of each season.
Southwest Baptist is playing just one MIAA team this season, but will play two in each season following. The purple Bearcats put a scare into Southeast Missouri State last week before falling to the Redhawks in overtime, 35-28.
Missouri Western (1-0, 0-0 MIAA) plays its home opener Saturday at Spratt Memorial Stadium against 17th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
The Griffons used a 21-point third quarter to pull away from NSIC-member Northern (S.D.) State in their opener, and claim a 38-27 road win. The UMD Bulldogs marked their return to the NSIC after a short stay in the North Central Conference with a 40-0 shutout of conference foe Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) last week.
The Griffons are one of five teams to receive votes in the AFCA poll this week, in addition to the four which were in the Top 25.
The Mules of Central Missouri (1-0, 0-0 MIAA) will host Gulf South Conference member Arkansas Tech Thursday. The Wonder Boys were supposed to open last season at Northwest, but lightning stopped the proceedings in the first quarter.
UCM avenged last season’s loss at Minnesota State-Mankato with a 29-9 win over the Mavericks in Warrensburg, after waiting out a two-hour delay due to lightning. ATU opened with a home win over Northeastern (Okla.) State, 22-3.
