For the seventh time the perennial powers of the MIAA will collide in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The game was once coined the “Clash of the Champions”, and the name was appropriate. When the two teams moved their rivalry to Kansas City in 2002 they held all but one MIAA conference championships between themselves dating back to 1989. Little has changed since. The two teams share six of the seven MIAA championships since moving the game off campus as well as four national championship appearances.
This weekends “Fall Classic,”the games new politically correct name, will mark the third time the two teams have collided as top ten ranked teams in the country. (’04′, & ‘06′). Neither teams are strangers to the national top 25 polls. The last 15 times these programs have played, including playoffs, each have been ranked 14 times. The lone exception was an unranked Northwest squad upset of then ranked #8 Pittsburg 20 to 19 in 2003.
At first glance this seasons game may have lost some of its luster. The rotating MIAA schedule had placed this game in week four of the MIAA schedule. Most of the prior meetings in Arrowhead were late season meetings with significant MIAA championship and NCAA playoff seeding aspirations. Add to that the prevailing balance in power that was subpost to rule the MIAA in 2008. It was thought it was anyone’s trophy to win among the top half of the conference. Missouri Western and Washburn quickly removed themselves from the immediate conference chase with two conference losses to start MIAA play. That left the top four if you will, Northwest, Pittsburg, an up and coming Central Missouri, and the new kid on the block Nebraska Omaha. As luck would have it all four team played each other in week three of conference play, a week proceeding the Fall Classic. A bold statement was clearly made by both Northwest and Pittsburg, dispensing of the up and coming talent with little effort. So now, in only week four of a MIAA play in a highly competitive conference the only two unbeaten teams in conference play will clash in the marquee game of the MIAA schedule. Read the rest of this entry »
By Chris Mazzocco
Chris@teamkong.net As the hundreds of loyal Gorilla fans held there collective breath, Drew Newhart’s thirty-ninth pass of the evening helplessly fell to the turf of the north end zone of Spratt Stadium after being deflected by Gorilla defensive back Ferrari Welch. After the longest twenty seconds most Gorilla fans remember, after the Pitt State defense made one of the most memorable goal line stands in Gorilla history (possibly second only to THE STOP), Jubilation ensued. A few days have passed and most fans heartbeats are back to normal, that is until the palpitations began again with the realization of the Central Missouri Mules are coming to town this weekend.
Like the Gorillas the Mules enter with an unblemished overall and conference record. (4-0, 2-0 MIAA) Like the Gorillas neither of the two Mule’s conference wins were easy to come by. According to Head Coach Willie Fritz all MIAA action will be tough this season. “You just got to play hard every week, our guys have figured that out.” Fritz says. “When we went to Truman two weeks ago we told them it would be a four quarter ball game. Every week is going to be a great opponent and you have to bring your “A” game and if you don’t you will have a difficult time.”
According to the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary the noun rival has a few meanings. 1) One of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess, one striving for competitive advantage. 2) One that equals another in desired qualities. Both apply to the series between the Missouri Southern Lions and the Gorillas although the Gorillas hold a commanding competitive advantage over the years.
Quick facts provided none other than by the MSSU sports information dept. Pitt State holds a 31- 8 –1 all time advantage dating back to 1968 including victories in the last 14 in a row. The Lions have only won in Carnie Smith Stadium twice and the last time was in 1983, before the east side upper deck, and sky boxes, and if you told someone that night we would eventually have a 30’ x 70’ scoreboard with crystal clear video they would have looked at you like you were from Mars. If I’m not mistaken I believe the scoreboard we have used up until this season was not even installed. The last time the Lions led at the half, Oct. 19, 1996. The last time the lions held the lead at all, 2002.
