Curtis Meyer sports editor
Pitt State defeated #9 Central Oklahoma on the road this past weekend, 36-21, pushing the Gorillas to 7-1 with their lone loss coming against #11 ranked Emporia State. Pitt State sits a half game ahead of the rest of the MIAA, with two more conference games and a bye week left on the schedule.
Pitt State not only defeated the Bronchos, but they did also so in an impressive fashion, holding them to their lowest point total of the entire season. Previously, the Bronchos had scored no lower than 32 points all season, but the Gorillas stout defense held firm, shutting them out for the entire fourth quarter and most of the third.
The Mules have had a rough go of it this season, after falling well below pre-season expectations. Originally sitting as high as the #2 spot in the American Football Coaches Association poll at the start of the season, they fell from grace after dropping games to Central Oklahoma, Fort Hays, and most recently Missouri Western.
Despite the early season disappointment, the Mules are currently riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak. Last week, Central Missouri got it done at home, narrowly defeating the Washburn Ichabods 31-28. Central Missouri scored a touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter to go ahead, clamping down defensively to win the game.
With the win, the Mules are now 5-3 on the season, but only 3-3 in MIAA play. While the offense certainly hasn’t struggled for the Mules, it has been the defense that has consistently struggled to control games. Apart from a 63-21 thrashing of Northeastern Oklahoma, all of their wins have been decided by five points or less this season.
The Mules statistics reflect this, as they sit sixth in MIAA rushing defense and dead last in the passing game. Central Missouri is averaging the highest number of yards per game allowed to opposing passing offenses, and the second highest amount of passing touchdowns so far. They sit in the middle of the pack on rushing defense per yards allowed but have allowed the second highest total rushing touchdowns—bad news when you’re facing a team like Pitt State that just scored five rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Pitt State sits at the opposite end defensively, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game, and just four rushing touchdowns in 8 games. The Gorillas scored more rushing touchdowns last week than their defense has allowed all season, to put that in perspective. Passing wise, the Gorillas are also third in yards allowed per game, with the lowest amount of passing touchdowns as well.
All of this makes for an interesting matchup, as the Gorilla offense is somewhat middling, and Central has had a solid year on that side of the ball. Pitt State will be heavily favored to win, as they have already handled the strongest offense in the MIAA, but no win is guaranteed in this league. If Pitt State wins, they will continue to be on the inside track to gaining a playoff spot and the MIAA title.