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Missouri State

Aaron Harris

Senior Day Showdown with YSU Next for Football Bears

November 08, 2022

Missouri State Bears (3-6, 1-5 MVFC) vs. Youngstown State Penguins (6-3, 4-2 MVFC)
Date and Time Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022 | 2:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500) | Springfield, Mo.
Promotions Senior Day | Hosting Heroes Day | 1989 and 1990 Teams Recognition
Tailgating / Pregame Tailgating & BearFest Village (Opens at 11:00 a.m.) 
Game Information Stadium Procedures | Shop BearWear | Weather | FCS Top 25 Polls
Program Digital Program
Tickets MissouriStateBears.com/tickets | (417) 836-7678 | Stadium Box Office Opens at 10 a.m.
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Corey Riggs, Dennis Heim) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live
Television ESPN3 (Scott Warmann, Danan Hughes) | Watch
Series YSU leads 16-6 | Last Meeting: YSU 41, MSU 33 (10/9/21) | Final Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Youngstown St. | MVFC | MSU Media Guide
Follow Athletics Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Football Facebook | Football Twitter | Instagram | Petrino Weekly Presser | #MSUBears | #BearsUnite | #WakeTheBears | @MoStateFootball
Up Next Missouri State will travel to Indiana St. on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 12:00 p.m. (CT) |  Tickets

First and Ten
  • Missouri State will return to Robert W. Plaster Stadium this Saturday to host Youngstown State (2 p.m., ESPN3) on the Bears' Senior Day and Hosting Heroes Day. All servicemen, servicewomen and veterans -- as well as all first responders -- receive free admission with a service ID.  Accompanying reserved bleacher tickets are available for just $7.
  • The Bears are 2-2 at Plaster Stadium this season and are looking to finish .500 or better at home for the fourth time in five seasons. MoState was 5-0 in regular-season games at Plaster last season.
  • Missouri State goes into its final home game ranked 27th nationally (4th in MVFC) in home attendance average (10,209). The Bears have ranked in the FCS top 20 in home attendance average each of the past two years.
  • With a 44.6 season punting average, All-American Grant Burkett (So., Joplin, Mo.) ranks 6th nationally and 1st in the MVFC (for the second year in a row). Burkett's season performance also has helped MSU rank 11th nationally in net punting (39.73). For his career, Burkett has 41 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and 40 punts of 50 yards or better while serving as the FCS active leader in career punting average (44.5).
  • All-American kicker Jose Pizano (Jr., Lehi, Utah) has converted a school-record 64 consecutive extra points. He was 2-for-2 on field goals last week at South Dakota, which also extended his current FG streak to 6 in a row and 24 of his last 27. Pizano is the FCS active career leader in field goal accuracy (.843), making 43-of-51 attempts in his career and ranks 30th nationally in FG percentage (.769) and 35th in FG per game (1.11) this year. 
  • Two-time All-MVC offensive tackle Landon Bebee (Jr., Webb City, Mo.) would start his 30th consecutive game if he is in the lineup against Youngstown State on Saturday. 
  • Defensive end Kevin Ellis (Sr., Forth Worth, Texas) ranks 10th nationally in fumble recoveries (2), which also gives him a share of the MVFC lead. The MSU co-captain currently has 19.5 career sacks (50g) and is on the verge of becoming the 10th MSU player to reach 20 career sacks (and first since DeLaun Fowler in 1995). Ellis' 35.0 career tackles for loss places him tied for 4th all-time in Bears history.
  • Milestone Updates: Including his two seasons at Alabama State, Jahod Booker (Sr., Montgomery, Ala.) needs 87 receiving yards for 1,000 career (23g) ... Montrae Braswell (Jr., Avon Park, Fla.) needs 2 passes defended for 40 career ... Kevon Latulas (Sr., Port Arthur, Texas) needs 149 rushing yards for 1,000 career (23g). 
  • Under coach Bobby Petrino, the Bears are 2-0 on Senior Day, including a 21-10 win over Youngstown State in the combined 2020-21 season that ultimately clinched the a share of the MVFC regular-season title for MSU.
  • In his first season at MSU, running back Jacardia Wright (Decatur, Ill.) ranks 50th nationally in rushing touchdowns (7); 52nd in rushing yards (626); and 57th in rushing yards per game (69.6). He is 74 yards shy of becoming MSU's first 700-yard rusher since 2014 (Calan Crowder).  
  • With 39 career touchdown passes (21g), Jason Shelley (Sr., Frisco, Texas) has surpassed Peyton Huslig (2017-19) for the No. 2 position on Missouri State's career list. Cody Kirby (2007-10) is MSU's all-time leader in passing TDs (47). Shelley (18) has also matched Jeremy Hoog (1994-97) as MSU's career leader in 200-yard passing games.
  • For Jason Shelley's collegiate career (42 games at Utah, Utah State and MSU), he needs 50 pass attempts for 1,000 ... 212 passing yards to 7,500  ... and 3 passing touchdowns for 50. Last year in Youngstown, Shelley completed 27-of-48 passes for 372 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing for 71 yards in a 41-33 loss to the Penguins.
  • Missouri State's offense ranks in the top 25 nationally in fewest turnovers (11th), red zone offense (12th), fewest fumbles lost (14th), fewest interceptions (17th), passing efficiency (21st) and completion percentage (22nd).
  • Since the start of conference play, the Bears have increased their rushing average to 111.0 yards per game, nearly 20 yards more than their non-conference average (93.7). MSU has also collected an extra yard per carry (3.8 vs. 2.8) in Valley action with 11 rushing touchdowns (3 in non-conference). The Bears are also being flagged for 20 yards less in penalties in league play (61.5 compared to 81.7 in non-conference).
  • The longest rush allowed by the MSU defense in the last two weeks is 11 yards (last week TD by USD's Shomari Lawrence). Facing 52 rushing plays in that span, MSU's defense has allowed just 1 carry of 10 yards or more.   
Coach Bobby Petrino
  • Bobby Petrino is in his third season as Missouri State's head football coach after joining the Bears program on January 16, 2020. He is currently 135-71 (.655) in his 17th season as a head coach and is 16-15 (.516) at Missouri State, including a 9-5 ledger at Plaster Stadium and 7-10 road record. As Bears head coach, Petrino is 12-8 in MVFC games (7-3 at home). Petrino is also 1-1 all-time against YSU (1-0 at home). 
  • He picked up his 75th career conference victory on Oct. 2, 2021 at Illinois State and his 130th all-time win on Nov. 6, 2021 at Southern Illinois.
  • Petrino's second season in Springfield in the fall of 2021 was even more impressive than his debut campaign. The Bears finished 14th in both the AFCA and Stats Perform final polls, while rolling to a 6-2 league record and runner-up finish in the MVFC. In addition, the Bears made a second straight appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, while Petrino tied for 11th in the final voting for the Eddie Robinson Award for FCS National Coach of the Year.
  • The Bears boasted a dozen all-conference players in 2021 with QB Jason Shelley earning MVFC Offensive Player of the Year and MVFC Newcomer of the Year laurels. Five other MoState players earned All-America distinction in 2021.
  • During his debut in 2020-21, Petrino helped lead the Bears to a 5-1 mark in Valley play to earn a share of the MVFC regular-season title. His efforts not only landed him the prestigious Bruce Craddock MVFC Coach of the Year Award, but also led the Bears to their first NCAA FCS playoff appearance in 30 years.
  • In August 2021, ESPN ranked Petrino No. 77 on its Top 100 college football coaches of the last 50 years.
  • Petrino previously served as head coach in two stints at Louisville as well as Arkansas and Western Kentucky. He spent 14 seasons at the FBS level and led his programs to 11 bowl appearances with seven teams ranked in the top 25 at season's end.
  • The Helena, Mont., native is in his 34th year of collegiate coaching overall, having guided his programs to AP top-six final rankings three times (2004, 2006, 2011) and directing some of the nation's top offensive programs along the way. His clubs have finished in the top five nationally in scoring offense three times, while his 2004 club at Louisville led the country in scoring (49.8 ppg). He has developed 34 NFL Draft selections during his illustrious career, including four in the first round, and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
  • Petrino and his wife Becky have four children: Kelsey, Nick, Bobby and Katie — and eight grandchildren. Nick Petrino is Missouri State's offensive coordinator, while sons-in-law Ryan Beard (defensive coordinator) and L.D. Scott (defensive line) are also on the MSU coaching staff this season.  
Series History
  • Missouri State trails the all-time series against Youngstown State, 6-16, in a league rivalry that dates back to 1996 when the Penguins first joined the MVFC. The Bears are 4-7 at home and 2-9 at Youngstown.
  • The series has included two league-dictated "off cycles" in the series from 2012-13 and then again from 2018-19. 
  • In the COVID spring season (4/10/21), the Bears clinched a share of the MVFC regular-season title for the first time since 1990 with a 21-10 victory over YSU at Plaster Stadium, MSU's fourth straight victory of the spring. The Bears capped an 85-yard scoring drive just before the half to lead 7-3 at the midway point, then reeled off two unanswered scores in the third quarter to secure the win. Celdon Manning paced the Bears offense with 22 carries for 99 yards, QB Jaden Johnson rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries and threw for 73 yards on 6-of-12 pass attempts, and Damoriea Vick hauled in 5 passes for 59 yards and a pair of TDs. Tylar Wiltz (12 total stops) and Montrae Braswell (6 tackles) paced the defense with Wiltz earning MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
  • Last year in Youngstown (10/9/21), the Penguins rushed for 182 yards in the fourth quarter and broke open a tie game in the final four minutes as part of its 41-33 upset of No. 15 Missouri State. The Bears rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to knot the score, 20-20, with just 4:38 remaining and seemed to have momentum on their side down the stretch. But YSU used the big play to capture its only league win of the season, capitalizing on a long kickoff return, a 60-yard TD run and a 73-yard touchdown run in the deciding moments to come away with the win.
  • For its part, MSU's four scoring drives in the final quarter were just as impressive with QB Jason Shelley manufacturing points in four of his five possessions, outscoring YSU 23-21 in the final period. Shelley was 27-for-48 for 372 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was also the Bears' top rusher with 11 carries for 71 yards. His 443 yards of total offense was the second-most ever by a Bear. YSU was led by QB Demeatric Crenshaw who passed for 99 yards and rushed for 195. Jaleel McLaughlin finished with 156 yards on 19 carries and two YSU fourth-quarter scores. | Final Stats

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