No. 5 Northwest Missouri State (5-1, 4-0 MIAA) is the last team without an MIAA loss, and for the third straight week will have to take on a nationally-ranked conference foe away from the confines of Bearcat Stadium.
The Bearcats will go to Warrensburg Saturday (Oct. 11) to face No. 17 Central Missouri (5-1, 3-1 MIAA) at Walton Stadium. It is the fourth time the schools will meet with both ranked nationally — Northwest won two of the previous three.
The MIAA’s top two scoring offenses — Northwest at 43.0 ppg and UCM at 37.0 ppg — will be on display and both teams have generated an average of 400 yards on offense through six games in 2008.
The Mules defense, ranked ninth in the conference at 390.5 yards allowed per game entering the week, will get a big test. They held Emporia State scoreless until the fourth quarter in their 42-14 win last week.
Northwest has won the last four meetings with Central Missouri, with last year’s 28-26 victory the closest.
Pittsburg State (5-1, 3-1 MIAA) will try to bounce back from its third straight loss to Northwest in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead as the Gorillas return home to take on Truman (3-2, 2-2 MIAA).
PSU was held to 86 rushing yards in the loss to Northwest, and just 228 yards total offense.
The Bulldogs are coming off of their first win over a nationally-ranked squad since 2005 — a 26-20 Homecoming triumph in double overtime against then-No. 16 Nebraska-Omaha.
It was an opportunistic Truman defense which scored a pair of touchdowns off UNO turnovers — including the game-winner in the second overtime. The Bulldogs lead the MIAA (and are tied for eighth in Division II) with an average turnover margin of +1.60.
The Mavericks (3-2, 2-2 MIAA), which is on a two-game skid for the first time since the opening weeks of the 2002 season, return to Al Caniglia Field for their Homecoming game against Missouri Western (2-4, 1-3 MIAA).
UNO has suffered from a bit of the turnover bug — losing the ball 10 times in its last three games to negate the gains of the MIAA’s second-ranked squad in total offense (408.2 ypg).
Western jumped out to a 21-0 last week against Fort Hays State thanks to short fields earned through a partially-blocked punt and an interception returned to the FHSU 4-yard line. The Griffons had to hold off a late Tigers charge to come away with a 31-28 win — Western’s only second-half TD was on an interception return.
FHSU (2-4, 1-3 MIAA) comes back home to host Missouri Southern (3-3, 1-3 MIAA) after suffering its 16th straight road loss last week at Western.
The Tigers were breaking in a new quarterback against the Griffons, as sophomore Anthony Smith moved under center from his wide receiver spot to replace an injured junior Mike Garrison.
Smith needed time for adjustment, accounting for 106 of his 197 yards of total offense and both of his TDs in the fourth quarter in his first start.
The Lions had trouble getting into enemy territory during their 23-0 shutout loss to Washburn. Southern only crossed the 50 three times against the Ichabods, the deepest penetration being the WU 27 late in the game.
Sacks on two of the next three plays sent the Lions back to the WU 41, where the drive ended on downs.
The Ichabods (4-2, 2-2 MIAA) host the Emporia State Hornets (3-3, 1-3 MIAA) for their Homecoming game as the longest active series between NCAA Division II schools is renewed for the 105th time.
Washburn’s defense was the majority of its offense in the win over Southern, as the Ichabods returned two interceptions for touchdowns. WU is plus-6 on turnovers during the last two games — both wins. The Ichabods have recorded less than 300 yards of total offense in three of their last four games.
ESU was down to playing its third-string quarterback in the loss to UCM due to injuries, but true freshman Sheldon Smith came through. He accounted for both touchdowns for the Hornets on TD passes of 39 and 67 yards in the fourth quarter.
MIAA 3-4-5 IN FIRST SUPER REGION RANKING: The MIAA had schools ranked 3-4-5 in the initial ranking for NCAA Division II Super Region 4 released Monday (Oct. 6).
With undefeated schools West Texas A&M (6-0) and Abilene Christian (Texas) (5-0) in the top two spots, Northwest was ranked third, followed by Pittsburg State and Central Missouri. Midwestern (Texas) State was sixth, with Central Washington at No. 7.
Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tarleton (Texas) State were eighth and ninth, while Truman was the MIAA’s fourth representative at No. 10.
The top six schools in the super region ranking at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs.
TRUMAN MAKES HISTORY WITH OT WIN: When Truman junior FS Demetrius Lavant picked off a pass in the second overtime vs. Nebraska-Omaha and returned it for a touchdown, he etched the Bulldogs in MIAA history.
Truman became the first MIAA team to win an overtime game with a defensive score since the rule was enacted in 1996.
LOTTERY PICKS GALORE: There have been 13 interceptions returned for touchdowns this season in the MIAA — and last Saturday (Oct. 4), the "pick-six" business was booming.
Washburn had two in its win over Missouri Southern, while Missouri Western and Fort Hays State traded interception return TDs in the third quarter of their game.
Truman rounded out the quintet of lottery picks with its history-making, game-winning INT in the Bulldogs’ double-OT win over Nebraska-Omaha.
HINSPETER CLIMBS TOTAL OFFENSE LIST: Missouri Southern senior QB Adam Hinspeter had 147 yards of total offense in the Lions’ 23-0 loss to Washburn, but it was enough to move him into sixth place on the MIAA’s career list.
With 8,141 yards, he pass Northwest Missouri State’s Josh Lamberson (2002-05 — 8,064) for sixth place on the MIAA’s career total offense. Washburn’s Tyler Schuerman (2000-04 — 8,315) is next on the list.
