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Curtis Meyer reporter
With a win at Nebraska Kearney last week, the Gorillas look to improve to 3-0 on the season as they play Northeastern here at home.
“Going 1-0 every week, that’s our mindset.” Said head coach Brian Wright.
Pittsburg impressed last Thursday, with a 72-yard pass in the final seconds to secure the victory. Quarterback Chad Dodson had 290 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense held off the Lopers in the final minute to set up the game-winning drive.
With this upcoming game, the Gorillas look to improve on their successes. Already 2-0, the stats favor the Gorillas. With the win last week, the Gorillas have jumped to 16th in the American Football Coaches Association’s top 25 NCAA Division 2 rankings.
The last time Pitt State was on the top 25 was last year after the 35-21 win over Central Missouri in the first game of the season. This is a big step forward going into the rest of this year, as Pitt State looks to dominate the competition.
The game Saturday evening features the Northeastern Riverhawks, 0-2 on the season after losses to Missouri Southern and Emporia. They lost to Emporia 17-42, and to Missouri Southern 13-30. Between these two games, the Riverhawk offense has just 3 touchdowns, and none of these are on the ground.
With only a 274-yard per game average, Northeastern’s total offensive production is around half of Pittsburg’s 435 yards per game. Jacob Frazier, the Riverhawk quarterback, has 4 interceptions on the season, with only 3 TDs. In comparison, Pitt State quarterback Chad Dodson has 7 TDs in just two games with no interceptions.
Defensively, Pitt State seems to have the edge as well. The Riverhawk defense has given up 72 points in the two games played, while Pittsburg has only allowed 38 so far. The Gorilla defense has kept the last two teams to just 563 yards, while the Riverhawks have allowed 866, 303 more in the same time span.
With stats like these, it’s easy to see which the better team is heading into the second home game of the season. Pittsburg best rusher this far in the season is running back Caleb Lewis, a sophomore from Texas. With his first touchdown of the season coming in the game last week against Kearney, it was undoubtedly a big factor in a one-score game.
Wide receiver Bryce Murphy is compiling a successful season, with nine catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns in just two games.
Looking at the last two games, Pittsburg has momentum heading into this weekend’s game. With Northeastern struggling in the passing game, there will be plenty of chances for the dominant Pittsburg defense to make plays and reverse the field.
The game will be held Saturday, September 17, at the Carnie-Smith stadium. As per usual tickets are free for PSU students and faculty.
