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Missouri State

Calan Crowder

Football

Bears Look to Build on Perfect Start Saturday at K-State


MISSOURI STATE BEARS (2-0) at KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (1-1)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 24
Kickoff: 6:10 (CDT)
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Site: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)
Radio: Missouri State Radio Network/KTXR 101.3 FM
Listen: RadioSpringfield.com
Watch: K-State HD.TV
Live Stats: KStateSports.com
Game Notes: Missouri State | Kansas State
Follow: @MoStateFootball

FIRST AND 10
  • The Missouri State Bears close out the non-conference portion of their 2016 schedule Saturday (Sept. 24) against the Kansas State Wildcats in a 6:10 p.m. game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.
  • MSU and K-State have met on three previous occasions — all in Manhattan — with the Wildcats claiming sizable victories in each instance; most recently, KSU reeled off 42 unanswered second-half points in a 51-9 victory to open the 2012 season, after the Bears pulled even early in the second half
  • The Bears are 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2007, when they won their first two games over Missouri S&T and Tennessee-Martin en route to a 6-5 finish; MSU has started 2-0 on seven previous occasions as a Division I program, posting winning overall records in five of those seasons 
  • For the first time since November 2014, the Bears received votes in one of the major national polls on Monday; MSU earned two points in the STATS FCS Top 25 voting as one of nine MVFC teams to earn recognition in the poll
  • The Bears enter Saturday's game with both the No. 3 scoring defense (11.0 ppg.) and rush defense (51.5 ypg.) in FCS football; MSU's five interceptions rank sixth in the nation as well; the MSU defense has yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season and has not given up more than 72 team rushing yards in either of its 2016 contests to date
  • Missouri State's last win over an NCAA Division I FBS program came on Sept. 1, 1990, when the Bears defeated UNLV by a 31-24 score; since then, MSU has dropped 30 straight meetings against FBS foes, with its closest encounter coming in a 23-20 overtime loss at Oklahoma State in 1996, which was current K-State co-offensive coordinator Del Miller's second year as head coach of the Bears
  • Junior Deion Holliman leads the nation in kick return average (41.6) after pacing all FCS players in combined kick return yardage in 2015; he has logged at least 100 kick return yards in six of MSU's last 11 games
  • Holliman also hauled in career bests of five catches and 66 receiving yards in MSU's 28-22 win at Murray State, while quarterback Breck Ruddick became the first Bear to throw for three touchdowns in a game since Kierra Harris accomplished the feat on Sept. 20, 2014, at Central Arkansas
  • With their win at Murray State, the Bears snapped a 10-game road losing streak that dated back to Oct. 11, 2014; MSU's last road win streak came Oct. 26, 2013 to Aug. 28, 2014, when its won three straight
  • Preseason All-America linebacker Dylan Cole ranks third on the Bears' career chart for tackles for loss (33.0) and 13th on MSU's all-time tackles list with 334, just four tackles behind Dennis Heim in the No. 12 spot

GAME PREVIEW
After enjoying their lone bye week of the 2016 season, the Missouri State Bears (2-0) return to action Saturday (Sept. 24) with their final non-conference contest of the season against the Kansas State Wildcats (1-1) in Manhattan, Kan. Off to their first 2-0 start in nine years, the Bears step up a weight class to take on the perennial Big 12 contenders for the fourth time in a 6:10 p.m. kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Bears will be seeking their first 3-0 start since 2004, as well as their first win over an FBS opponent since 1990. MSU's early success has been powered by a stout defense that enters the contest third in the FCS ranks in both scoring defense (11.0 ppg.) and rush defense (51.5 ypg.). Senior All-America candidate Dylan Cole leads the unit and ranks fifth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in tackles (9.5), while Colby Isbell rates among the top 10 FCS defenders in both tackles for loss (2.8) and sacks (1.25). Offensively, quarterback Breck Ruddick's passing efficiency ratio (155.4) ranks 13th in the country and his 8.15 yards per pass attempt comes in at No. 16 this week.

Kansas State enters Saturday's meeting on the heels of its biggest offensive showing since the 2008 season with last weekend's 63-7 pasting of Florida Atlantic. The Wildcats tied a school record for rushing touchdowns (7) in the win over FAU, with Winston Dimel accounting for four of those. K-State has scored in each of its 11 trips to the red zone, while its defense has limited the opposition to an average of just 93.5 rushing yards per game this season.

BEARS LOOK TO #STEPUP
Missouri State travels to Kansas State Saturday evening looking to continue the Valley's recent successes against Division I FBS opponents. Since joining the FCS ranks in 1982, the Bears are just 1-31 against Football Bowl Subdivision opposition, but have been competitive in a number of recent meetings. MSU led Oregon 7-0 in 2011, and was tied with both Kansas State (2012) and Iowa (2013) in the second half before succumbing in each game. The Bears' lone win over an FBS opponent came on Sept. 1, 1990 with a 31-24 victory at UNLV.

BIG-TIME D
With a pair of victories under their belt to kick off the 2016 season, the Bears have received sizable contributions from both sides of the line of scrimmage. In particular, the Missouri State defense enters the week ranked among the nation's stingiest units. The Bears have allowed an average of just 11.0 points per outing — good for the best mark in the MVFC and the third-best scoring defense in the country — while their rush defense (51.5 ypg.) is also tops in the league and ranked third among the 122 FCS teams. Furthermore, the Bears' season total of 9.5 tackles for loss is the No. 5 team mark in nation, while their five interceptions rank sixth.

SPEAKING OF RANKINGS...
Several Bears also factor prominently among the national leaders in individual statistical categories, including junior Deion Holliman, who leads all FCS kick returners with his average of 41.6 yards per return. Holliman also ranks 11th in all-purpose yards per game (156.0), while sophomore quarterback Breck Ruddick's passing efficiency ratio (155.4) ranks 13th in the country and his 8.15 yards per pass attempt comes in at No. 16 this week.

On the defensive side of the ball, Colby Isbell ranks among the top 10 FCS defenders in both tackles for loss (2.8 per game) and sacks (1.25 per game), and Dylan Cole is 20th in solo tackles per contest (6.5).

OFF TO THE RACES
Missouri State's 28-22 victory at Murray State gave the Bears their first 2-0 start to a season since 2007, when they won their first two games over Missouri S&T and Tennessee-Martin before finishing the season 6-5 under then-second-year head coach Terry Allen. MSU's 2-0 start this season is its eighth as a Division I program and its 28th overall.

TAKE THAT
The Bears forced four turnovers for the first time in nearly three years Sept. 10 at Murray State. Through two games, MSU has already recorded six takeaways, after registering just 13 in 11 games last fall. So far, MSU leads the MVFC in both interceptions and total takeaways, ranking sixth and 23rd in the nation, respectively. Last year, the Bears picked off six passes for the season and didn't log their sixth takeaway until the sixth game of the season on Oct. 17.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
One of the keys to MSU's early-season success has been the emergence of its offense, which currently ranks eighth in the FCS ranks in scoring after averaging 42.5 points per game through the Bears' first two contests. MSU, which tallied just 108 points in 11 games last fall, has already scored 85 points in their two games, reaching the end zone 11 times after recording just 14 total touchdowns last season. The Bears also rank among the top 20 FCS offenses in passing efficiency (155.23), total offense (465.5), completion percentage (0.667) and rushing offense (247.5).

BEARS TAKE PART IN COACH TO CURE MD
This weekend American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) members, including head coach Dave Steckel and his staff, will wear a Coach To Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines. College football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Last year, more than 10,000 college coaches at more than 525 different institutions participated in Coach To Cure MD events. The eight-year fundraising total is just over $1.2 million. Football fans can help support the fight to end Duchenne by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).
 
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Players Mentioned

Deion Holliman

#5 Deion Holliman

WR
5' 9"
Junior
Dylan Cole

#31 Dylan Cole

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Colby Isbell

#90 Colby Isbell

DL
6' 3"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Deion Holliman

#5 Deion Holliman

5' 9"
Junior
WR
Dylan Cole

#31 Dylan Cole

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Colby Isbell

#90 Colby Isbell

6' 3"
Junior
DL

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