NW at Pitt

[NWFanatic]

After reading the Forum’s story about what Braden was dealing with and the fact he needed a hand getting up from his seat after the post game interview I have a new found respect for the young man.

[lleachieshusband]

Who declared them out? They were both hohensee was on our two-deep?

IDK if they were both declared out yet, but I would be very surprised if Hohensee plays and not surprised if BW only plays a handful of snaps or a few drives, depending on how much pain he’s dealing with.

[GorillaTeacher]

Who declared them out? They were both hohensee was on our two-deep?

[Wallst]

ok NW fans with both Hohensee and Wright declared out who gets the start? Krause or Ruhnke? How old is your redshirt freshman Nirschel? He looks like he's 30.

[Predatory Primates]

Pitt is catching NW at a perfect time. I haven’t felt less confident in NW vs Pitt in years. I’ll be shocked if NW wins this game.

Don't kid yourself. They're still nwmfmo

[NWFanatic]

Pitt is catching NW at a perfect time. I haven’t felt less confident in NW vs Pitt in years. I’ll be shocked if NW wins this game.

[PSR]

This game could play out very nicely for Pitt. The Gorillas have a stout run defense and with NW struggling with their passing game Pitt could be the ones controlling the game on the defensive end for a change.

I do believe Pitt will pass protect better than some fear and I do believe we’ll run the ball well enough.

Pitt should have won last year and this is a game they’ve had marked because of that.

SRO only for Saturday. Should be fun.

[ZubCat81]

Northwest Missourian (campus newspaper) article by Sports Editor Westley Miller on the Northwest vs Pitt State game this Saturday, October 8, 2022.

Here's the link:

https://www.nwmissourinews.com/sport...2d608f38f.html


. . . or if you don't like clicking on links:


Northwest Football Set For Top-10 Battle With Pittsburg State

WESLEY MILLER | Sports Editor | @wesleymiller360
Oct 4, 2022



Northwest junior wide receiver Kashan Griffin completes a 45-yard catch against Missouri Western during the Bearcat’s 16-3 win Oct. 1. He is averaging 97.8 all-purpose yards per game through the first five weeks of the season.

Nearly 30 miles north from the Oklahoma and Kansas state line sits a town with a population of over 20,000. Inside the town is a university with over 6,000 students. At the university is a football stadium that can seat 8,343 fans.

That town is Pittsburg, Kansas, and that university is Pittsburg State. Carnie Smith Stadium — nicknamed “The Jungle” — is the site for the Gorillas’ home games and the site for Northwest football’s Week 6 matchup.

For the Bearcats Oct. 8, "Welcome to the Jungle" will mean more than just a pregame warmup song by Guns N' Roses.

Pitt will attempt to fill those 8,343 seats for when the Bearcats make the roughly 212-mile trek south to their MIAA foe. Coach Rich Wright said his team’s preparation remains the same as it does every week, even against the team currently No. 1 in the MIAA standings.

“I think when you play at Northwest Missouri State, you pick up a lot of rivalry games, but, historically, Pitt State has always been one of the biggest,” Wright said.

Pitt coach Brian Wright said it’s always a big game whenever you have two ranked teams in the same place. He said all games have a lot of meaning behind them, but perhaps this one especially with the success of the two teams and with the Gorillas being at home.

“Two traditional powerhouses in Division II football and two very successful programs,” Brian Wright said. “We have a great atmosphere here. We have a great fan base. It’s always special for our players to play in front of their family and friends. We have a good environment here, and obviously when you bring a team of this caliber here, it makes it even more special.”

A season ago, Northwest was forced to overcome a 13-0 deficit at halftime for the narrow 20-19 win Oct. 9, 2021. The Bearcats played at home then, but this game will be Northwest’s first appearance in The Jungle since 2018.

Northwest has won three consecutive games over Pitt. However, according to Rich Wright, only four of his players have ever played at Pitt before. Sophomore safety Rhett Jordon said he thinks it’ll be fun to play in a hostile environment.

“We know what that environment is like, but that noise will be flipped to the other side of the ball,” Jordon said. “It’ll be a challenge, but I think we’re up for it. I think we know how to handle it.”

The impact of the game goes beyond how many seats are full at Carnie Smith Stadium or how loud the fans who occupy them are. Both teams enter the game ranked in the top 10 in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 poll. Pitt is No. 7 and Northwest is No. 9, respectively.

The upcoming game will be the 24th meeting between the two teams when both come into the game ranked in the AFCA poll. Northwest is 16-7 when both are ranked. This will be the 14th matchup where the squads are in the top 10. The Bearcats also have the advantage in that scenario with a 9-4 record against the Gorillas when they’re both in the top 10. However, this is the mere ninth game where Pitt is ranked above Northwest, but the Bearcats are 5-4 in those games as well.

“I think it’s definitely a big game when you look at it from the outside looking in,” Jordon said. “But, I think inside the locker room, we just kind of want to take it as another game. We just want to continue to focus on ourselves and focus on what we’re doing.”

“I’m excited for our kids to get the opportunity to go play in the environment they’re going to have down there,” Rich Wright said.

The two best scoring defenses in the MIAA will be on display between the Bearcats and Gorillas. Northwest allows 14.4 points per game, while Pitt allows an average of 14.8 points. The Gorillas also own the No. 2 scoring offense in the conference with 31.4 points per game.

Brian Wright said some of the success on defense for the Gorillas comes from the players’ ability to move around when they need to. He said the defense can create multiple schemes due to the players’ versatility.

“We’ve got a lot of good players on our defense,” Brian Wright said.

Part of the success of the Gorillas’ offense has come from its rushing attack, led by sophomore running back Caleb Lewis. Lewis ranks third in the MIAA in rushing yards per game with 84.4. On the other side of the ball, the Bearcats boast a rushing defense that has allowed a mere 41 rushing yards per week — the No. 1 rush defense in Division II.

“They’re big up front. I think it starts there,” Rich Wright said about Pitt’s offensive line.

Rich Wright said the Gorillas are very well coached in all three phases of the game. He said they do a nice job of using every blocker to their advantage, and it starts with how well they set things up with their schemes.

The game of football can be very demanding, especially when it comes to a top-10 showdown that could ultimately decide conference titles and regional rankings at the end of the regular season. Jordon said it’s important for every player to not just be physically healthy, but mentally as well.

“Mentality is a huge part, I think, especially in today’s age,” Jordon said. “I think being able to get away from football at times, and not always be 100% football, is a big part of it. I think the time we spend with our teammates in the locker room and outside of practice and film, helps us stay mentally healthy and helps us produce on the field.

[Predatory Primates]

As a Pitt fan, this is exciting because it's the first time I have thought Pitt had more than a one in 100 chance of winning in a long time.

[Predatory Primates]

Football Gods messing with us this year. Pitt St. sits alone atop the MIAA and lone rep in D2 top 10, K-State and KU both in the AP Top 25 at 20 and 19 respectively.

Saw a Pitt St. fan at a gas station the other day pumping gas. Knocked on his window and told his little girl that Santa Claus isn't real.

He exists, he just hates NW.

[lleachieshusband]

In all seriousness, are there any QBs available in the transfer portal who are healthy and at least have a “passing” familiarity running the pistol? Starting to wonder that’s what it will take for the rest of the season of “brokedown quarterbacks”.

[EveryCatAWildman]

Saw a Pitt St. fan at a gas station the other day pumping gas. Knocked on his window and told his little girl that Santa Claus isn't real.

Saw an NW grad pumping gas this morning so I told him to fill it up and tipped him a $5

[northwest missouri state]

pitt’s no great shakes but they’re decent and we can’t score. the only thing i’m certain of is that the league isn’t producing a team good enough to get out of the region for the 5th yr in a row. props to wuhan or it’d likely be 6. ps should win but we’ll hang around defensively giving them a chance to screw it up.

[CatFan88]

Football Gods messing with us this year. Pitt St. sits alone atop the MIAA and lone rep in D2 top 10, K-State and KU both in the AP Top 25 at 20 and 19 respectively.

Saw a Pitt St. fan at a gas station the other day pumping gas. Knocked on his window and told his little girl that Santa Claus isn't real.

[Predatory Primates]

Congratulations to PITT on their upcoming undefeated season and moving up to FBS in November to take advantage of the FBS Playoff season and then beating Nick Saban and Alabama for the FBS National Title.

There's no subtlety in your sandbagging or backhanded compliments.

I'm not sure you're even a NW alum. If so, you must have doubled down on poultry 102 instead of taking the sandbagging class.