MIAA Football Report -- No. 1
Top 25 battle, nationally televised game among six match-ups in Week 1
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Six of the 10 MIAA football squads are opening their scheduled this week, highlighted by a battle between a pair of teams ranked in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 and a game to be nationally televised by College Sports Television.
No. 25 Washburn (7-4, 6-3 MIAA in '06) hosts 2006 NCAA Division II Southwest Regional finalist and No. 5-ranked Chadron (Neb.) State of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Saturday (Aug. 25) in Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl.
The game will be the first available in the 2007 season on themiaa.tv. Fans can access the action through online video for $5.95.
WU will be trying to stop senior RB Danny Woodhead, a 2006 Harlon Hill Finalist who was held to a career-low 16 yards in Chadron State's last meeting against an MIAA foe, Northwest Missouri State, during last season's playoffs.
Later in the day, No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State (10-2, 7-2 MIAA in '06) entertains Texas A&M-Commerce at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium in the first of four NCAA Division II games to be shown on CSTV in 2007 -- and the only one of the four to be featured on a Saturday afternoon.
Not only can the game be seen on CSTV, but it also will be shown on Metro Sports, Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Fox Sports Southwest and Fox Sports South. It also is available free in streaming video on the web at
http://www.cstv.com/ncaa/divii/.
It is the first time in eight seasons the Gorillas and Lions have met -- PSU defeated A&M-Commerce, 51-3, in 1999 for the fifth win in the six all-time meetings. The Lions' only win came in 1991 to snap PSU's 56-game regular-season win streak -- a setback avenged in the '91 playoffs by the Gorillas.
Two other schools are slated to kickoff the season on Saturday. Truman (6-5, 6-3 MIAA in '06), coming off its best conference record since 2001, plays at former MIAA member Missouri-Rolla, while Fort Hays State (1-10, 1-8 MIAA in '06) hosts Western (Colo.) State.
Two days earlier, the season schedule begins with a pair of games. No. 2-ranked Northwest (14-1, 9-0 MIAA in '06) will christen Mel Tjeerdsma Field at Bearcat Stadium against Arkansas Tech Thursday night (Aug. 23).
It's the first regular season night game on campus since 1977, as the Bearcats debut a new permanent lighting system as well.
Central Missouri (5-6, 3-6 MIAA in '06) opens on the road when the Mules face the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks Thursday.
OMON WATCH: Northwest Missouri State senior RB Xavier Omon enters the 2007 season fifth on the MIAA's career rushing list with 4,736 yards.
He needs 264 yards to join the MIAA's 5,000-yard club. Omon enters the season needing 1,041 yards to pass Pittsburg State's Ronald Moore (1989-92 -- 5,776) for fourth place on the conference list.
Omon starts the season tied with Pitt State's Neal Philpot (2001-04) for 10th on the MIAA career scoring list with 360 points. His first TD will tie Omon with PSU's Darren Dawson (1989-91 -- 366) for ninth and he needs 24 points to reach Central Missouri's Kegan Coleman (2001-04 -- 384) in eighth place.
THE 80-WIN CLUB: Two MIAA bench bosses have a chance to close in on the 80-win plateau as a head coach in the conference.
Central Missouri's Willie Fritz begins his 11th season guiding the Mules with 75 wins, three from tying Terry Noland (1983-96) as the most-victorious coach in UCM history and for eighth place on the conference list.
When Missouri Western (9-3, 7-2 MIAA in '06) opens its season next week, head coach Jerry Partridge will be aiming to tie Southeast Missouri State's Abe Stuber (1932-46) for 10th on the all-time wins list with 72.
RULE CHANGES FOR 2007: There are a few major differences in the football playing rules for this year from 2006.
The timing rules have again been changed, still trying to cut the time it takes to play a game but without cutting the total number of plays during a game -- which was the case with the adjustments made last season.
The clock will once again start at the point which the ball is legally touched in the field of play on a free kick, and will start on the snap following a change of possession rather than on the official's signal of ready for play.
Changes to help speed up the game include setting the play clock to 15 seconds following a television timeout, shortening the length of a charged timeout to 30 seconds, and starting the play clock on kickoff when the kicker is handed the ball by the umpire.
Also expected to help speed up the game is the move of kickoffs to the 30-yard line -- which should encourage more returns which take time off the clock. Also, penalties which occur during a kick can be enforced at the end of the return rather than the preceding spot, which should cut down on re-kicks.
Team-by-Team Notes
Central Missouri: The Mules have not given up a touchdown to a non-conference opponent since 2003, and given up only six points to non-conference foes over the past three seasons... UCM was either tied or had a second-half lead in nine of its 11 games last season, but lost five games by 10 points or less in '06... Sophomore Eric Czerniewski was listed as the first-string quarterback in the UCM pregame notes for MSU-Mankato, ahead of junior Division I transfer Stinson Dean -- the two have battled since spring practice to be Mules starting pivot.
Emporia State: First-year man Garin Higgins will debut as his alma mater's head coach Sept. 1 at Western (Colo.) State.
Fort Hays State: The Tigers have lost their last six season openers heading into their '07 opener against Western (Colo.) State... The Mountaineers have won five of the last six meetings against FHSU, with the Tigers' last win coming in 2004, 27-25... Senior RB Jordan Hickel has rushed for 102 yards in each of his two previous games vs. WSC... Hickel need 3 yards to become the fifth player in FHSU history with 2,500 career rushing yards... Senior incumbent Shane Jackson and senior transfer Ryne Salyer are battling for the starting QB spot and both should see action.
Missouri Southern: The Lions won't open their season until Aug. 30 at Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.)... Senior RB Alley Broussard, a transfer from Louisiana State, joined the MSSU squad Friday (Aug. 19), according to the Joplin Globe -- he rushed for 867 yards and 10 TDs as a sophomore in 2004 for the Tigers, but missed '05 with an injured knee and saw limited action at LSU last season.
Missouri Western: The Griffons do not see action until making their home debut Sept. 1 vs. Baker (Kan.)... MWSU has a new defensive coordinator -- defensive backs coach Regi Trotter's was promoted Aug. 2 following the departure of Matt Williamson to Central Arkansas... The Griffons hired former Emporia State DL Wes Bell to fill Williamson's spot on the staff as defensive line coach... Former MWSU TE Gijon Robinson made his first preseason reception with the Indianapolis Colts -- for 10 yards -- in a 27-24 loss to Chicago Monday night (Aug. 20).
Northwest Missouri State: This is the second time Northwest has opened the season against Arkansas Tech -- the Bearcats defeated the Wonder Boys, 31-14, in 1999... A Mathews will have QB'd in each of the last two regular season night games at Northwest -- Kirk Mathews was under center in 1977, while his son, Josh, will take snaps in '07... Junior WR Abe Qaoud, who was suffered burns in a fire shortly after the 2006 season ended, is at No. 1 on the depth chart at a receiver spot... Due to construction issues at Bearcat Stadium, the Northwest-ATU game will not be available on themiaa.tv.
Pittsburg State: The Gorillas are 26-20-4 against current members of the Lone Star Conference... PSU has won 24 of its last 29 season-opening games... Junior QB Mark Smith should be back under center after missing most of last season with a broken arm -- he was second in D-II passing efficiency at the time he was injured (206.6 Rating)... Former PSU RB Germaine Race scored a touchdown on his second preseason carry -- for 13 yards -- with the San Diego Chargers last Saturday (Aug. 18) in a 30-13 win over the St. Louis Rams.
Southwest Baptist: The Bearcats will be trying to snap a three-game losing skid to Harding (Ark.) when they open the 2007 season Aug. 30... SBU will be playing its last season of MIAA football in '07 before constructing an independent schedule for 2008... Ben Blake was hired as the Bearcats' new offensive line coach Aug. 1 to fill the assistant coaching spot vacated by Keith Allen when he was elevated to head coach -- Blake coached last season at Highland (Kan.) Community College.
Truman: The Bulldogs face the Miners for the first time since the 2004 season, when UMR was an MIAA member -- Truman claimed a 47-33 win... The Bulldogs have won the last 21 meetings against Missouri-Rolla dating back to 1984... The last non-conference meeting between these squads was in 1934... The game also opens Truman's 100th season of football... With 514 in 99 seasons, Truman is one of only nine current Division II schools with 500 wins (Pittsburg State leads the list with 602).
Washburn: Senior QB Jordan Brill will make his return to action after missing the second half of last season with a shoulder injury -- his is 13-6 in 19 starts for WU... It is just the third time since 1961 that the Ichabods have played a game in August... It is the second time in as many seasons Washburn has earned a spot in the AFCA Division II Preseason Top 25 -- the Ichabods were ranked 17th in 2006's initial survey... It is the second time in as many games WU has faced a ranked foe -- the Ichabods downed then-No. 11 Missouri Western in the '06 season finale.
