Pitt State has been red hot through the middle of the season, winning six straight games to close out the middle of their schedule. The Gorillas took a hard-earned rest last weekend, rehabbing and practicing while on their bye week. The now rested Gorillas are now turning their sights to face old rivals at home, when they host the Missouri Southern Lions on Saturday.
The Lions have had a less-than-ideal year, sitting at 3-5 with only one win over an MIAA opponent. Their season has been a lot of close games that ultimately Missouri Southern could not keep pace with, as they have struggled to catch up with some tough teams.
Missouri Southern’s season has really been the inverse of the Gorillas, as they started off the season with two straight wins over Midwestern State University of Texas and Southwest Baptist University, before dropping four straight games against MIAA foes. Despite the losses, four of these three were one score games, including a 28-21 loss to #23 Fort Hays State University. While the Lions may be 3-5, they certainly are still dangerous.
The Lions have consistently ranked below average in the MIAA conference stats wise, sitting at sixth at scoring and seventh at defensive scores allowed. The breakdown makes sense when you look at the rushing offense, ranking ninth out of ten teams, while the passing offense is actually a little above average at fourth overall. This is likely partly due to the nature of the Lions games, playing from behind means more passes, though it is worth noting that the Lions are not unsuccessful in the passing game.
On defense, the pass rush is noteworthy, as they have created a MIAA low seven sacks in eight games. For comparison, the top three teams have all created twenty or more at this point. The Lions do lead the Gorillas in fumble recoveries, having gotten eight fumbles on defense compared to the Gorillas four.
The Gorillas continue to run a balanced offense, throwing and running the ball at similar rates. With Missouri Southern’s anemic pass rushing game, Pitt State should have ample time in the pocket to sling it downfield. If the Gorillas can get ahead early, they will have a much easier time keeping the Lions at bay, as has been the pattern for all of Missouri Southern’s games this season.
Pitt State will try to avoid the slow start that plagued them two weeks ago at Missouri Western, when the Griffons were able to create an early turnover and only a couple of extraordinary plays kept the Gorillas in the game. Pitt State’s defense has been dominant yet again this season, something that Gorilla fans have come to expect in recent years. When the offense has lulled at times, the defense has stepped up and will need to continue to do so against a Lions team hungry for another win.
Pitt State will host the Lions on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. for the annual Hall of Fame game, where the school recognizes the newest Pitt State Hall of Fame athletes and their impressive achievements.