With just four games remaining on their 2016 schedule, the
Missouri State Bears (3-4, 1-3 MVFC) open their stretch drive with a 2 p.m. Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup with the
Southern Illinois Salukis (2-5, 0-4 MVFC) Saturday (Oct. 29) at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. Saturday's game will serve as the signature event of MSU's annual
Family Weekend and has been designated as
'Salute to America's Heroes Day' as well.
Missouri State will be looking to put an end to a three-game MVFC losing streak after dropping back-to-back home games to North Dakota State and Western Illinois, as well as a decisive decision to UNI last weekend in Cedar Falls. Led by junior receiver
Malik Earl, the Bears' offense has produced a significant turnaround from a year ago when MSU averaged just under 10 points per outing. Earl ranks sixth overall in the MVFC in receptions per game (4.7), while fellow junior
Deion Holliman has logged at least one catch in all seven games this season and leads the Valley in combined kick return yardage (538). Defensively,
Dylan Cole leads the league in total tackles per game (11.4) and needs just 25 additional stops to crack the Bears' career top five for total tackles. MSU has been tough against the run all season and enters the weekend fourth in the Valley in rush defense (121.6 ypg.).
Southern Illinois also enters Saturday's game on an extended slide with four straight losses following a 2-1 start to the season. Four of SIU's five setbacks have been decided by eight points or less. The Salukis feature the Valley's No. 2 offense, with an average of 448.3 yards of total offense per contest. In particular, senior quarterback Josh Straughan has averaged more than 300 passing yards per game.
BEARS SET TO SALUTE AMERICA'S HEROES
Missouri State will pay tribute to the military personnel and those who serve and protect our great nation with a special ticket offer for Saturday's game. All active or retired military, police, fire, EMT personnel or other first responders may purchase $5 reserved bleachers (upper and lower level) and $8 reserved bleacher-back seats ($2 for children 12 and under) with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Old Missouri Bank Ticket Window at JQH Arena during normal box office hours (10-5), or on game day at Plaster Stadium, starting at 10 a.m.
Additionally, an oversized American flag will be used during the National Anthem, with representatives of various military and first-responder groups on the field, and the Bears will be wearing commemorative helmet stickers.
CHUNK THIS
Missouri State's propensity for big plays has been on display throughout the first seven games this season, with the Bears logging 17 offensive plays of 25 yards or more so far this year. That figure has already surpassed the total of the 2015 Bears, who registered just 15 such 'chunk' gains for their entire 11-game season.
Additionally, MSU has 12 scoring drives of 75 yards or more, as well as 11 different scoring series extending at least nine plays, up from 2015 totals of just seven and 11, respectively.
RANK AND FILE
Several Bears also factor prominently among the national leaders in individual statistical categories, including junior
Deion Holliman, who ranks 11th among all FCS kick returners with his total of 538 combined kick return yards. Holliman also ranks 28th in average kick return yardage (24.5).
On the defensive side of the ball,
Colby Isbell ranks among the top FCS defenders in both sacks per game (0.79) and tackles for loss (1.6 per game). Finally,
Dylan Cole leads the Valley and ranks third nationally in solo tackles per game (7.2), fourth in total tackles (11.4) and eighth in the FCS ranks with his three forced fumbles this season.
TAKE THAT
Through seven games, MSU has already recorded 15 takeaways to surpass its 11-game total from last fall. So far, MSU ranks third in the MVFC in total takeaways, ranking 25th in the nation, while its eight interceptions is fifth in the Valley. Last year, the Bears picked off six passes for the season and didn't log their 11th takeaway until the 10th game of the season.
Both
Dylan Cole and
Skyler Hulse are among the top-rated FCS players in takeaways, with both Cole's 0.43 forced fumbles per game and Hulse's two fumble recoveries both ranking eighth in the country.
A FORCE UP FRONTJunior defensive end
Colby Isbell has been a key figure in leading a Bears defense that ranks fifth in the MVFC in total defense (377.3 ypg.) and 46th nationally in team sacks (2.0) through the first seven games of the 2016 season. Isbell's average of 0.79 sacks per outing is good for the 23rd-best mark in the nation, while his 1.6 TFL's per contest is 17th among all FCS defenders this fall.
An anchor on the Bears' defensive line since his arrival on campus in 2014, Isbell has started 22 consecutive games for MSU and reached the 100-tackle mark for his career last Saturday at UNI.
