Nov. 2, 2015
- The Missouri State Bears will make their first trek to Youngstown in four years Saturday (Nov. 7) when they take on the 21st-ranked Youngstown State Penguins in a 1:04 p.m. (CST) game at Stambaugh Stadium
- ?The Bears have taken their last two meetings with the Penguins in Youngstown, including a 38-34 victory on Nov. 19, 2011, and a 17-7 decison on Oct. 3, 2009; prior to their two-game road win streak in the series, the Bears had dropped six straight to the Penguins at Stambaugh Stadium
- MSU is looking for its first victory over a ranked opponent since its home win over South Dakota State two years ago; the Bears are winless in three tries against ranked foes this year after going 0-7 against top 25 squads in 2014
- Saturday's match-up will feature a meeting of the Missouri Valley Football Conference's two first-year coaches in MSU's Dave Steckel and YSU's Bo Pelini
- Sophomore Deion Holliman leads the nation in combined kick return yardage (977) and owns the Bears' single-season record for kickoff return yardage (806) after logging 94 yards on seven kickoff returns vs. South Dakota State
- Holliman is the first Bear to record at least 100 yards in kickoff returns on four separate occasions in a single season during the Division I era and became just the third Bear to log a 100-yard return last week at South Dakota
- MSU ranks third in red zone offense, converting 12 of their 14 (.857) opportunities into points (9 TD's, 3 FG's)
- Senior Chris Sullens enters Saturday's contest just 34 punting yards shy of Mike Krause's MVFC career record of 11,313; Sullens surpassed Krause (WIU) for the Valley record for career punts (277) last Saturday vs. SDSU
- Junior linebacker Dylan Cole currently leads the Valley and ranks third nationally in tackles per game (12.9) after logging 39 tackles in MSU's last two games; Cole has led the Bears in tackles in all eight games this season
- MSU's defensive line has accounted for 151 total tackles, 28 TFL's and 11.5 of the Bears' 15 sacks this season; Colby Isbell (4.5) and James Barnes (3.5) are both among the MVFC's leaders in sacks, ranking seventh and 10th, respectively
Bears Quest for Valley Victory Continues at YSU
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The Missouri State Bears (1-7, 0-5 MVFC) continue a grueling stretch of the 2015 schedule with their fourth contest against a ranked opponent in six weeks when they take on the No. 21 Youngstown State Penguins (4-4, 2-3 MVFC) at 1:04 p.m. (CST) contest Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium. With wins in each of their last two trips to Youngstown, the Bears will be looking for their first Missouri Valley Football Conference victory of the season, as well as their first decision over a ranked foe since 2013.
The Bears are coming off a 39-0 loss to No. 13 South Dakota State this past Saturday at Plaster Stadium - their sixth in a row since a Sept. 12 victory over Chadron State. The Jackrabbits racked up 439 yards of total offense while holding the Bears scoreless for the first time since the 2008 season. Ryan Heaston totaled 73 rushing yards on 14 carries while hauling in a season-high three pass receptions to lead the MSU attack. Dylan Cole paced the Bears in tackling for the eighth time in as many games this season, finishing with a game-high 18 stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Tre Betts logged a career-best seven tackles for the Bears as well.
Youngstown State topped Western Illinois, 23-21, last Saturday in Macomb, as Zak Kennedy converted three field goal tries, while Martin Ruiz rushed for 77 yards on 29 carries and Andre Stubbs hauled in six catches for 129 yards to lead the Penguins' attack. The victory stopped a three-game MVFC slide for YSU, which boasts the Valley's top defensive unit, holding opponents to 299.4 yards per game. The Penguins have been particularly tough on opposing aerial attacks, allowing only 122.9 passing yards per outing through the first eight games of the season.
Missouri State will be looking to extend a recent trend of road success against Youngstown State this Saturday when they make their first visit to northeast Ohio in four years. The Bears have made themselves right at home in Stambaugh Stadium in their last two trips to Youngstown. After dropping their first six road games against YSU, the Bears have won two straight at the Ice Castle. MSU claimed a 38-34 victory in its last visit (Nov. 19, 2011), following a 17-7 decision over the Penguins in 2009.
Missouri State has welcomed a host of new faces to its 2015 lineup, as 18 freshmen have seen game action in at least one of the Bears' eight games to date, including 10 different starters. Last weekend against South Dakota State, 13 of MSU's 22 total starters on offense and defense were either freshmen or sophomores, while a total of 34 underclassmen have played in at least one game to date.
The Bears' youth movement has been especially prominent on the defensive side of the ball, with 14 total starters and 17 of MSU's top 21 tacklers coming from either the freshman or sophomore class.
Deion Holliman provided the Bears' lone touchdown at South Dakota (Oct. 24) with his 100-yard kickoff return in the opening quarter. Holliman's key runback marked the fourth 100-yard return in school history and MSU's first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2008. The Camden, Ark., product set a Bears single-season record for kickoff return yardage this past weekend with seven returns for 94 yards. He eclipsed Tony Gilbert's (779 yards) 26-year-old school record and his 977 combined kick/punt return yards lead the nation.
Holliman's impressive night against Southern Illinois (Oct. 10) will go down as one of the top single-game efforts by a Bears' return specialist, as he brought back nine kickoffs for a total of 238 yards. Holliman, who was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance vs. the Salukis, also logged a 36-yard punt return to set a Missouri State Division I record for combined return yards (274) in a game, just one week after breaking the record with 182 yards against Indiana State.
