Grid Bears Reach Season's Midway Point with Trip to Western

Saturday, October 14

Macomb, Ill.

3:00 p.m.

Missouri State University

Western Illinois

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Grid Bears Reach Season's Midway Point with Trip to Western

October 10, 2023 | Football

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Missouri State Bears (1-4, 0-2 MVFC) at Western Illinois (0-5, 0-2 MVFC)
Date and Time	Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 \| 3:02 p.m. (Central)
Location	Hansen Field (16,368) \| Macomb, Ill.
Tickets	GoLeathernecks.com \| (309) 298-1190
Radio	KWTO (101.3 FM) (Steve Savard, Corey Riggs) \| Bears Radio Network \| Varsity App/Listen Live
Television	ESPN+ (Marty Doyle, Austin Holznagel) \| Watch
Series	Missouri State leads 20-18-1 \| Last Meeting: MSU 64, WIU 14 (10/29/22) \| FInal Stats
Live Stats	Live Stats
Game Notes	Missouri State \| Western Illinois \| MVFC \| MSU Media Guide
Follow	Athletics Facebook \| Athletics Twitter \| Football Facebook \| Football Twitter \| Instagram \| Coach Beard Weekly Presser \| #MSUBears \| #BearsUnite \| #OutHitOut Hustle \| @MoStateFootball

First and Ten

With the season reaching its midway point this week, Missouri State returns to the road Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN+) to take on Western Illinois in Macomb. It will be homecoming for the Leathernecks who are 0-2 at Hansen Field so far this season. The Bears and coach Ryan Beard are seeking their first road victory of the campaign.
This will be the 40th meeting between the Bears and Leathernecks, dating back to the start of the rivalry in 1981. The Bears are 12-8 all-time at Hansen Field, including two wins in a row. The Bears are also 8 points shy of 1,000 all-time against WIU, currently averaging 25.4 points per game in the series.
Missouri State leads the MVFC and ranks 3rd nationally in passing offense, racking up 316.2 yards per game through the air. MSU's passing game also ranks 15th in the FCS in yards per completion (13.87) -- also tops in the MVFC -- and 17th in pass efficiency (151.60).
Making a strong push for All-America honors, Raylen Sharpe (Jr., Allen, Texas) ranks 6th nationally in receptions per game (7.0) and 7th in receiving yards per game (92.6), both of which lead the MVFC. He has racked up 100+ receiving yards in three of the last four games and is coming off a 13-reception game (153 yards) against North Dakota State, just one shy of MSU's single-game receptions record.
Bears safety Todric McGee (So., Wichita Kan.) has taken over the MVFC lead in total tackles per game (10.6), which is 13th nationally among all FCS defenders. McGee is also 12th nationally in solo stops per contest (6.0), which is second only to WIU's Bradyn Smith (6.8) in The Valley. He is coming off a game-high 13 total stops against NDSU (7 solos), for his third 10+ tackle game this season.
Missouri State ranks No. 3 among all FCS teams in Strength of Schedule, according to MasseyRatings.com. Overall, MSU is No. 30 in the Massey team rankings, which charts ahead of fellow MVFC foes Illinois State (34), Murray State (69), Indiana State (87), and Western Illinois (102).
The Bears have scored 30 or more points in 9 of the last 10 meetings against Western Illinois, including five straight games played at Hansen Field. A 31-14 home loss to the Leathernecks on 10/20/18 marks the only time WIU has held the Bears under 30 points since 2010.
Wide receiver Hunter Wood (Jr., Springdale, Ark.) has recorded 3 receiving TDs, which is tied for second-best in the MVFC, while fellow receiver Terique Owens (Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.) ranks 17th nationally in yards per reception (20.58), which is 1st in The Valley.
Behind All-America punter Grant Burkett (Jr., Joplin, Mo.), the Bears rank 6th nationally in net punting (41.53), which leads the MVFC, and 9th in punt return defense (1.0). Burkett is the FCS active career leader in punting average (43.9). His 42.19 punting average this season ranks 4th in the MVFC.
Missouri State boasts three players from the state of Illinois, including Jacardia Wright (RB, Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa High), Caleb Dietlin (DL, Aurora, Ill./West Aurora High) and Sage White (RB, Hardin, Ill./Calhoun Brussels High). None of MSU's Prairie State natives have played at Hansen Field during their collegiate careers.
Among all NCAA kickers (all divisions), Owen Rozanc (Sr., Sheffield Lake, Ohio) ranks 33rd in career field goals (39), converting 70% of his career three-point attempts (39-56) with a streak of 3 consecutive makes heading into this week's game. He ranks 19th nationally and 2nd in the MVFC in field goals per game (1.20) and has converted 31 consecutive PATs.
After missing last week's game vs. No. 7 North Dakota State due to an injury, Von Young (LB, Buckner, Mo.) had a streak of 37 consecutive games played (and 15 consecutive starts) snapped. Both were team highs.
With Von Young out last week, his understudy Kanye Young (So., Menifee, Calif.) -- no relation -- got an opportunity to shine against NDSU. Seeing his first significant playing time of the season, Kanye racked up 10 total tackles, including 5 solo stops, a tackle for loss and a QB hurry.

Coach Ryan Beard

Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022 during a news conference in Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.
At 34, Beard is the program's youngest head coach on record and is the 22nd person to hold the football Bears' top coaching position. His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as MSU's defensive coordinator (2020-22) under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
Beard has played a significant role in Missouri State's resurgence on the gridiron, managing a defensive unit that has boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.
In his first campaign in Springfield in 2020-21, Beard and his defensive unit broke the program record for sacks with 27, created 15 turnovers, and held every Missouri Valley Football Conference foe under 30 points for the first time since 1989. His inaugural season at MSU culminated in five all-conference selections, while the Bears captured a share of the MVFC championship and earned an NCAA playoff berth.
As an encore effort in 2021, Beard's second year with the program saw the Bears top the club sack record again (30) while racking up 25 takeaways and securing 15 interceptions. In addition to making a second straight NCAA playoff appearance in 2021, MSU finished in sole possession of second place in the rugged Missouri Valley Football Conference, ranked ninth nationally in turnovers gained and finished 14th in interceptions per game. The 2021 Bears also boasted five all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball while Bears' defensive lineman Eric Johnson was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 2022 Bears defense gave up just 15.8 points per game over their last four games with defensive end Kevin Ellis leading the nation in fumble recoveries, and four MSU defenders earning all-conference laurels. Five-time All-MVFC pick Montrae Braswell signed a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Before coming to Missouri State, Beard spent the 2019 season at Central Michigan as the special teams and safeties coach for head coach Jim McElwain. He joined the Central Michigan staff in February of 2019 and helped lead the Chippewas to an 8-6 campaign on a defensive secondary that created 13 interceptions.
Beard served as an assistant at Louisville during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, starting as the defensive backs coach and in quality control before moving on to become the Cardinals' linebackers coach and their co-special teams coordinator. As the defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky in 2016, Beard helped lead the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA championship and a win in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Beard was a standout defensive back at Western Kentucky himself from 2007-11. He was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and was named to the league's All-Freshman squad and its All-Academic team. In 2011, he earned the Western Kentucky Iron Man Award.
A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterwinner at Bowling Green High for coach Kevin Wallace, where his efforts helped the Purples advance to the state 3A championship contest each of his last two years.
Beard holds two degrees from Western Kentucky: a bachelor of science in Business Management (2012), and a master of science in Recreation and Sport Administration (2014).
He is married to the former Katie Petrino. The couple have four children with son Beau and daughter Lainey, in addition to twins Jacob and Kailey born in the spring of 2022.

Series History

In a series that dates back to 1981, the Bears lead the Leathernecks, 20-18-1. Missouri State is 12-8 in Macomb all-time (also 8-10-1 in Springfield) against WIU. The Bears have won the last three, including two in a row in Macomb.
In the split 2020-21 season (2/27/21), a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jaden Johnson to Isaac Smith with 6:39 to play gave visiting Missouri State the lead for good and sealed a 30-24 comeback victory. Smith's grab capped the game-winning, 92-yard scoring drive for MSU and came on the heels of a 74-yard strike from Johnson to Damoriea Vick one play earlier that took the visitors from the shadow of their own goal line all the way to the WIU 22. The Bears tacked on a 33-yard field goal by Jose Pizano less than three minutes later to give them a six-point cushion down the stretch. Pizano's third field goal of the afternoon came after a momentum-shifting interception by Kevin Ellis moments earlier. Ellis closed out the game with a forced fumble on a sack of WIU quarterback Henry Ogala, and the ensuing fumble was recovered by Eric Johnson in the game's closing moments.
Last year in Springfield (10/29/22), Missouri State racked up 597 yards of total offense and scored on its first 10 possessions of the game to rout visiting Western Illinois, 64-14, on homecoming. It marked the most points scored by the Bears in a game since 1992 (vs. Washburn) and the most against a Division I foe since 1991 (vs. Indiana State). Bears quarterback Jason Shelley passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score. He finished with 346 yards of total offense to help MSU snap a five-game losing streak. Missouri State also forced three turnovers and held the Leathernecks to 229 total yards, including 14 rushing yards on 22 carries. Final Stats