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Missouri State

Week 2 Game Graphic

Grid Bears Set for Home Opener Thursday

September 05, 2022

#5 Missouri State Bears (1-0) vs. #14 UT Martin Skyhawks (1-0)
Date and Time Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 | 7:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500) | Springfield, Mo.
Promotion Maroon Out | Shop BearWear | BearFest Village Tailgating Starts at 4:00 p.m.
Game Information Stadium Procedures | Tailgating & BearFest Village | Weather | FCS Top 25 Polls
Program Digital Program
Tickets MissouriStateBears.com | (417) 836-7678
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Dennis Heim) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live
Television ESPN+ (Don West, Corey Riggs) | Watch
Series Missouri State leads 6-1 | Last Meeting: UTM 32, MSU 31 (11/24/21) | Final Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | UTM | 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 Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m. | Tickets

First and Ten
  • After a convincing opening-week win, Missouri State returns to Robert W. Plaster Stadium on Thursday evening when the Bears host UT Martin at 7 p.m. (ESPN+) in their home opener. The game is being billed as a "Maroon Out" with fans encouraged to wear maroon BearWear and arrive early.
  • The Bears are 69-37-4 all-time in home openers, including a 28-10-2 mark in such games as a Division I program. During his career, coach Bobby Petrino is 13-3 in home openers as a head coach (1-1 at Missouri State).
  • Montrae Braswell (CB, Avon Park, Fla.) notched a 98-yard kickoff return at UCA, which marks the seventh-longest in Bears history and the third KO return touchdown of Braswell's career (96-yard vs. UCA (9/11/21),  100-yards at South Dakota (3/13/21). He now leads the country in kickoff return average (65.0) and earned MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and FedEx FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week. 
  • QB Jason Shelley (Sr., Frisco, Texas) racked up 317 of MSU's 356 yards of total offense in the week one victory at Central Arkansas, pushing him to 4,106 yards of total offense at MSU. He is just the ninth MSU player to account for 4,000 career yards, doing so in just 13 games. He is the first Bear since Cody Kirby (2010) to reach that milestone. The 2021 MVFC Offensive Player of the Year is one of 35 players on the 2022 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, which recognizes the top offensive player in the FCS ranks. 
  • Shelley leads the MVFC in total offense (317.0) and is among the national leaders in four categories: 16th in total offense,     22nd in passing yards per game (266.0),     22nd in yards per completion (14.78), 24th in passing yards per attempt (8.87). 
  • All-American wide receiver Ty Scott (Estill, S.C.) began the 2022 season where he left off in 2021, hauling in 8 receptions for 160 yards in MSU's season opener at Central Arkansas. Scott's effort marked the second-best, single-game receiving yardage total of his career with 7 of his 8 catches going for 10 yards or more with 3 receptions of 25+ yards (41-27-36). His effort at UCA pushed him up to No. 17 on MSU's career rec. yds. list (1,270).
  • Scott has risen to the top of the nation's wide receivers after just one week, ranking 4th nationally in receiving yards per game (160.0), 7th in receiving yards (160), 9th in receptions per game (8.0) and 22nd in all-purpose yardage (162.00). His 8.0 receptions per game also leads the Missouri Valley.
  • MSU's defense held UCA scoreless for more than 47 minutes in the season opener in Conway and its efforts helped the Bears rank high nationally in several categories: 2nd in sacks (7.0), 13th in red zone defense (50.0), 14th in team tackles for loss (9.0), 19th in scoring defense (14.0) and 20th in pass efficiency defense (102.68).
  • With his 2 field goals (36, 37) at UCA last Thursday, Jose Pizano (K, Lehi, Utah) ranks 7th nationally in field goals per game (2.00). His streak of 16 straight FG makes was snapped on his final attempt (43 yds.) in Conway.
  • Coach Bobby Petrino finished 11th in voting for the 2021 Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award and is one of just 21 active FCS coaches with 100 or more career victories (133).
  • Making his 14th career start, defensive lineman Anthony Payne (Sr., Kansas City, Mo.) made a pair of impactful sacks in MSU's road win at UCA. He finished with 3 total tackles on the night to go with his 2.0 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss -- both career highs. His sack total ranks 4th nationally.
  • Missouri State's offense shares the national lead in red zone efficiency (100%), while ranking 28th in passing offense (266.0) and 33rd in passing efficiency (145.48).
  • Since the start of the 2021 season, MSU opponents have punted or turned the ball over on their opening drive in 10 of the 13 games in that span. The Bears forced UCA to punt on its opening drive last week.
  • Missouri Valley Football Conference teams were 4-7 on opening weekend with Missouri State securing the only road victory in the league with its 27-14 win at UCA. The Bears' point total was also the second-best in the MVFC.
  • UT Martin ranks 6th nationally in total offense (577.0), 11th in rushing offense (260.), 12th in passing offense (317.0) and 18th in scoring offense (42.0).   
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 133-65 (.672) in his 17th season as a head coach and is 14-9 (.609) at Missouri State, including a 7-3 ledger at Plaster Stadium and 7-6 road record. As Bears head coach, Petrino is 12-3 in MVFC games (6-1 at home). Petrino is also 0-1 all-time against UT Martin. 
  • 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 leads the all-time series against UT Martin, 6-1, in a regional rivalry that dates back to 1996. The Bears are 4-1 all-time against the Skyhawks and 2-0 in Martin.
  • Two meetings ago at Plaster Stadium (9/12/09), Missouri State used a fast start to cruise to a 24-14 victory before 9,357 home fans. The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 cushion behind a 23-yard field goal by Matt Hottelman and a 2-yard TD run by Jonathan Davis in the opening quarter. Cody Kirby added a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter while he finished the day with 103 passing yards. 
  • Last season, the teams squared off in the opening round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs at Plaster Stadium (11/27/21) with the Skyhawks prevailing, 32-31, in a thriller. With 1:03 to go, on the heels of 25- and 9-yard completions from MSU's Jason Shelley to Xavier Lane, a tipped pass was intercepted by UTM's D'Carrious Stephens at his own 46, killing MSU's drive and crushing its comeback hopes in crunch time. The Bears turned the ball over six times on three interceptions, a fumble and two special teams mishaps that led directly to 23 Skyhawks points and ultimately proved to be the difference. Shelley was 22-for-42 for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns with Lane snagging 7 receptions for 110 yards. Shelley also rushed for a game-high 93 yards. UTM was led by Dresser Winn who completed 22-of-43 attempts for 272 yards and a pair of TDs  | Final Stats
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