Oct. 3, 2000

Truman Stays Home For Match-up With Central Missouri on the Grid Iron

The Game: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Central Missouri State University Mules (MIAA/NCAA DII)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2000
Time: 2 p.m. (CDT)
Location: Kirksville, Mo.
Field (Capacity): Stokes Stadium (4,000)

Broadcast: KRES 104.7 FM, Moberly, Mo. Ken Kujawa, play-by-play, and Brad Boyer and Hank Janssen, commentary. The Pregame show begins approximately 30 minutes before the game.

Team Line: Live KRES broadcast by calling 1-800-846-4700. Access Code: 6350

Truman: Saturday is Family Day at Truman. The Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1 in the MIAA) are looking to bounce back with a win over the Central Missouri Mules (4-1, 2-1 in the MIAA).

The 'Dogs tallied their first loss in the conference to two-time defending national champion Northwest Missouri last weekend. Truman took a 20-10 lead at the half, but could not muster any points in the third or fourth quarters, while the 'Cats scored on two pass plays and a 55-yard run to cap scoring and retain the "Old Hickory Stick" 31-20 in the end.

The Bulldogs are the only team to win a home game in the series with CMSU during the last 11 years. The 'Dogs beat the Mules 45-10 in Kirksville in 1996, and pulled off a 24-13 victory on a Thursday night in Warrensburg exactly one year ago this coming Saturday.

Truman's potent offense has been averaging 421.4 yards per game, 244.0 passing yards per game, and scoring 36.4 points a game. Junior quarterback Eric Howe (West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling), who is now eighth in passing yards among Bulldog career leaders with 4,534, needs just 113 yards to move into the sixth spot all-time at Truman. He is second in MIAA total offense this week (237.4 ypg), and third in pass efficiency (151.5).

Junior wide receiver Kevin Collins (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption), third in league receiving yards (71.2 ypg) and tied for fourth in catches (4.2 rpg), slipped past Bulldog associate head coach Matt Copland last week on the school's career receiving yards list. Collins has 1,381 yards and is 94 yards from breaking into the top 10.

He is followed closely by sophomore Andrew Blakley is also fifth in MIAA receptions and ninth in receiving yards (58.6 ypg).

Sophomore Alfonso Pugh (Galesburg, Ill.) leads the conference is punt returns (19.2 ypr) and is second in all-purpose yards (117.0 ypg) and kickoff returns (33.1 ypr).

Junior Geoff Jensen (Grinnell, Iowa) is also among the league's best receivers, coming in seventh this week in receiving yards per game (51.5 ypg). He scored the Bulldogs' first touchdown vs. Northwest on a 36-yard pass play to even the score at seven apiece in the early going.

Redshirt freshman Wyatt Pickering (Chillicothe, Mo.) took a step closer to the top spot on the team in rushing last week with 12 carries for 68 yards against Northwest, including two touchdowns in the second period to give the 'Dogs the lead at intermission.

Defensively, Truman is ranked fourth in rushing defense in the MIAA, allowing 152.2 yards a game by opposing offenses. Linebacker Jake Willrich (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) leads the team with 35 tackles, while his counterpart, Judd Lienhard (Louisiana, Mo.), is second with 33 mid-way through the 2000 season.

Central Missouri The Mules sit in a three-way with Truman and Emporia for third-place in the conference, as Emporia travels to Southwest Baptist today. Central Missouri's only loss in the MIAA was to Pittsburg State two weeks ago. The Mules touted a 10-point lead over PSU beginning the fourth quarter, but fell 23-20 in the closing seconds of the game. They opened the conference campaign with a 34-21 win over Emporia, and beat Washburn 28-17 last weekend. The Mules also beat Winona State (Minn.) 45-26 in the season opener and Quincy (Ill.), 75-0.

Senior quarter Davis Cable, a transfer from Division I Southern Mississippi, leads the MIAA in pass efficiency (182.6), is fourth in passing yards (170.4 ypg) and sixth in total offense (160.2 ypg).

Junior running back Manny Evans is fourth in conference rushing (86.0 ypg) and second in scoring (7.5 ppg), while running back Lee Thompson is sixth (82.4 ypg) among league ground-gainers. Marcus Thomas leads the Mules' receiving corps and is sixth in MIAA receptions (3.40 rpg) and fourth in receiving yards per game (67.0).

Junior flanker Kevin Nickerson is fourth in league all-purpose yards (112.6 ypg), as he also ranks third in kickoff returns (33.0 ypg) and fourth in scoring (7.2 ppg).

Kenny Zordani leads the MIAA with 43.8 yards per punt. Clint Steiner leads the Mules' defense with 39 tackles and two interceptions. He was named MIAA defensive player of the week after logging a career-high 20 tackles against Washburn last weekend.

Series Record: Truman leads 50-28-5
First Meeting: 1905 (Truman won, 12-6)
Last Meeting: 1999 (Truman won, 24-13)
Last Truman Win: 1999 (24-13)
Last CMSU Win: 1998 (10-7)
Biggest Truman Win: 1963 (49-0)
Biggest CMSU Win: 1914 (76-0)

Other Bulldogs In The MIAA: Sophomore Austin Lepper (Ames, Iowa/Gilbert) is third in punting (41.8 ypp), fifth in scoring by kicks (5.6 ppg), tied for fifth in field goals (0.60 fgpg) and tied for sixth in field goal percentage (60.0).

Senior defensive tackle Curt Cira (St. Louis/Vianney) is tied for first in the MIAA in forced fumbles after charting two in the SBU game.

Mules Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Lee Thompson, 98 for 412 yards, 5 TDs
Passing: Cable Davis, 55 of 83, 852 yards, 10 TDs, 4 ints.
Receptions: Marcus Thomas, 17 for 335 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving Yards: Marcus Thomas, 17 for 335 yards
All-Purpose Yardage: Kevin Nickerson, 563
Total Offense: Cable Davis, 106 plays, 801 yards
Field Goals: Pat Wilson, 4 of 5
Punt Returns: Kevin Nickerson, 4 for 165 yards, 2 TDs
Kickoff Returns: Dan Moon, 7 for 77 yards
Interceptions: Clint Steiner, 2 for 26 yards
Scoring: Kevin Nickerson, 6 TDs, 36 points
Tackles: Clint Steiner, 39

Coaches Records: Truman head coach John Ware is in his sixth season at the helm for the Bulldogs, and has a record of 33-26 (.559) in his first stint as a collegiate head coach. In MIAA action, his teams have posted a record of 32-16 (.667). Ware enjoyed the first non-conference win of his career in the season opener, defeating Northern Michigan, 35-24.

Willie Fritz is in his fourth season at Central Missouri with a record of 24-14. Fritz came from Blinn junior college in Texas, where he compiled a 39-5-1 record and won two national titles.

Truman vs. Northwest Missouri on 9-30-00: The Bulldogs let Northwest Missouri drive 75 yards in five plays in its first series to take an early 7-0 lead. However, Truman would also score in its opening drive, following a nine-play, 77 yard drive which culminated with a 36-yard reception by Geoff Jensen to even the score at seven.

The Bearcats added a field goal on their next possession, taking a 10-7 lead at the end of the first period of play. Wyatt Pickering gave the 'Dogs' their first lead of the game on a 2-yard run to begin the second quarter, while Northwest Missouri missed field goals of 37- and 29- yards in its next two series, and was intercepted on its third. Pickering put up Truman's last points of the game on another 2-yard rush in the Bulldogs' last drive of the half to send the team into intermission with a 10-point lead.

The 'Dogs had to punt the ball on their first possession after the break, while the Bearcats scored on theirs, following a 12-play 82-yard drive. Truman would punt on all three of its series in the third quarter, as the 'Cats inched closer at 20-17.

Freshman field corner Anthony Binion (Chicago/Fenwick) picked off a Bearcat pass to end the first drive of the fourth stanza, only to see his team punt for the fourth-straight time on the ensuing drive. Northwest Missouri went ahead 24-20 three plays later on a 28-yard pass completion. Again Truman punted, while Northwest took just one play to score the final points of the game with 8:49 left on the clock. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs punted for the sixth-consecutive time before the Truman defense held NWMS to three-and-out. The Bulldogs could not capitalize though and turned the ball over on downs. Northwest would also punt on its next series, while the 'Dogs would be intercepted on their last possession of the game. The Bearcats took a knee on the last two plays of the game, and took home the "Old Hickory Stick" by a final score of 31-20.

Truman Coaches' Players of the Week For 10-2-00:
Offensive Line: Junior left tackle Brandon Montgomery (St. Louis/SLUH)
Offensive Back: Pickering
Receiver: Junior tight end Jason Riney (Byron, Ill.)
Defensive Line: Senior right end Leo Smith (Monroe City, Mo.)
Linebacker: Sophomore Adam Meyer (New Haven, Mo./St. Francis Borgia)
Defensive Back: Senior free safety John Naeve (Camanche, Iowa)
Big Hit: Willrich
Special Effort: Binion, junior defensive back Philip Lay (Rock Hill, Mo./Webster Groves) & freshman quarterback Jake Czeschin (Fulton, Mo.)
Offensive Scout Teams: Freshman offensive tackle Beau Nelson (Muscatine, Iowa)
Defensive Scout Teams: Freshman defensive end Nick West (Evanston, Ill./Whitney Young)

Truman vs. Central Missouri on Oct. 7, 1999: It was Truman's first Thursday night TV game and true to the series between the schools of the past 10 years, the home team did not have the advantage. After a scoreless first quarter, CMSU got on the board first with a 78-yard TD bomb on its first play of its first series in the second period.

A fumble, forced by John Naeve and recovered by Jason Chambers who returned it 11 yards, stopped the Mules' next drive. Truman would also lose a fumble on the resulting possession, but a missed field goal by CMSU gave the 'Dogs the ball back on their own 28-yard line. Klee then booted a 36-yard field goal to get the Bulldogs out of the half with just a four-point deficit.

The Mules put their last points of the game on the board early in the third quarter, culminating a nine-play, 61-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run.

It was all Truman after that. The 'Dogs answered on the very next drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Eric Howe to Kevin Collins, their first of two TD connections for the night. The touchdown was made possible after Chambers' helped the 'Dogs convert on fourth-and-nine with a 24-yard pass completion to Jake Willrich on a faked punt.

A three-and-out for CMSU gave Truman the ball back, and after eight plays and 65 yards, running back Kurt Bormann carried the ball five yards to give the Bulldogs a 17-13 lead.

Klee had a 42-yard field goal blocked early in the fourth quarter. However, CMSU failed to convert on fourth and six and lost a fumble, caused by defensive tackle Curt Cira (St. Louis/Vianney) and recovered by Naeve, on its next two series. Howe then threw a 54-yard TD strike to Collins to put the final tally at 24-13 in favor of Truman.

Current MIAA Standings

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