With just two weeks left in the regular season, No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (8-1, 7-0 MIAA) has its 22nd MIAA football championship within reach.  The Bearcats, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II Super Region 4 ranking, can clinch a share of the 2008 title if they can defend the home turf of Bearcat Stadium/Mel Tjeerdsma Field Saturday (Nov. 1) against Emporia State (4-5, 2-5 MIAA).

Northwest survived a scare from Washburn (6-3, 4-3 MIAA) on the road, holding on for a 24-21 victory — the Bearcats’ eighth in a row and 26th consecutive MIAA win dating back to 2005.

Should Northwest defeat the Hornets in its regular-season home finale, it would be the 10th conference title for the school with head coach and field namesake Mel Tjeersdma at the helm — breaking a tie with Pittsburg State head coach Chuck Broyles for most by a coach in MIAA history.

Nebraska-Omaha (5-3, 4-3 MIAA) jumped back into the hunt to make the playoffs with last week’s come-from-behind win at Central Missouri (6-3, 4-3 MIAA) — as the Mavericks jumped back into the Super Region 4 ranking at No. 6. The top six teams in the ranking at the end of the season make the playoffs.

To stay there, UNO will likely need to win its last two games — the first being at Al Caniglia Field Saturday against Fort Hays State (2-7, 1-6 MIAA).

A win over the Tigers would give the Mavericks back-to-back victories, something they haven’t enjoyed since jumping out to a 3-0 start to the ’08 campaign.

The UCM Mules are right behind UNO in the Super Region 4 ranking at No. 7, but will need to bounce back from the loss to the Mavs and win their last two to keep their postseason hopes alive. Central Missouri hosts Missouri Western (4-5, 3-4 MIAA) this week.

Junior QB Eric Czerniewski is coming off a big month — he averaged 299.8 yards passing in the last four games, 58.2 yards higher than he did in his first five outings.

Two players who will end their careers among the MIAA’s all-time leaders in passing yards and total offense meet in Kirksville as Truman (3-5, 2-5 MIAA) hosts Missouri Southern (4-5, 2-5 MIAA).

Senior QB Matt Ticich cracked the conference’s career total offense list with his efforts for the Bulldogs last week at ESU, moving into ninth place with 7,743 yards (6,403 passing, 1,339 rushing). He’ll be the only player in the top 10 to have played less than four seasons in the MIAA.  Ticich is 274 yards from entering the MIAA’s career passing list, where Lions senior QB Adam Hinspeter occupies the No. 3 spot with 8,514 yards.

Hinspeter also cracked the top five on the total offense list last week in the loss to Western, raising his career number to 8,395 (8,514 passing, minus-119 rushing). He’s shared playing time the last two games with freshman QB Collin Howard.

TOUGH SCHEDULES: One of the components used in determining playoff participants is strength of schedule, and MIAA schools are playing some of the toughest schedules in Division II this season.

Through last weekend, four MIAA schools have played schedules among the Top 10 in Division II. Central Missouri’s past D-II opponents have a 44-23 record (.657) to rank its slate third, with Northwest Missouri right behind in fourth at 42-23 (.646).

Nebraska-Omaha’s foes have a record to this point of 39-23 (.629) to rank seventh while Pittsburg State’s opponents have a total mark of 43-26 (.623) to place ninth.

Of the 129 D-II schools with at least nine intradivision games scheduled, all 10 MIAA programs are in the upper half of the list — none with records below .500.

COUNCIL CLOSING IN: Northwest Missouri State junior RB LaRon Council enters the week with 126 points scored in 2008.

He needs 18 more points to crack the MIAA’s single-season top 10 — and join a four-way tie at 144 with former Bearcats David Jansen (1999), David Purnell (1999) and Xavier Omon (2006) along with Central Missouri’s Kegan Coleman (2002) for eighth place.

Team-by-Team Notes
Central Missouri:
The Mules lead the series with Western, 12-11-1, but have dropped the last five meetings with the Griffons… Junior WR Tim Richmond logged his second seven-reception game in as many outings, recording a season-best 157 yards and a touchdown against UNO… The loss to the Mavs snapped UCM’s Homecoming win streak at seven… The Mules have dropped consecutive home games for the first time since 2006.

Missouri Southern: The Lions won three of the last four meetings against the Truman Bulldogs… Senior QB Adam Hinspeter needs 407 yards of offense to pass Josh Chapman (1999-2002 — 8,801) as the school’s career leader and take over fourth place on the MIAA list… The Lions are on pace to match last season’s total of 20 rushing TDs (they enter the Truman game with 17)… MSSU ranks 11th in D-II passing yards allowed (154.8 per game).

Missouri Western: The Griffons can even the series with UCM with their sixth straight win over the Mules… Western last lost at Warrensburg in 2001, 34-28… In spite of not playing last week due to illness, senior P Jamie Hanson remains second in D-II with a 44.8 average… Sophomore RB Thomas Hodges eclipsed the century mark in rushing for the second time in his career and first time since last season with his 124 yards at Southern.

Northwest Missouri State: The Bearcats have a 22-2 lead in the series with the Hornets, and have won 11 of 12 at home vs. ESU… Senior QB Joel Osborn’s 2,150 passing yards is the 10th-best season total in Northwest history — he’s also ranked 14th in D-II pass efficiency (160.53 rating)… Senior WR Kendall Wright needs one more touchdown reception to become the fourth Bearcat with at least 20 for his career.

Truman: The Bulldogs have a 13-7 lead in the series with Missouri Southern… Truman has lost three games in a row for the first time since starting the 2006 season 0-3… The game with Missouri S&T, lost due to poor weather conditions on Aug. 28, has been rescheduled for Nov. 15 at 1:30 p.m. in Kirksville… The 73-yard hook-up between senior QB Matt Ticich and junior WR Albert Coker vs. ESU is the Bulldogs’ longest play from scrimmage in 2008.