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Missouri State

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Week 4: Bears Start Valley Play at No. 10 SIU

September 26, 2023

Missouri State Bears (1-2, 0-0 MVFC) at #10 Southern Illinois (3-0, 0-0 MVFC)
Date and Time Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 | 4:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Saluki Stadium (15,000) | Carbondale, Ill.
Tickets SIUSaluks.com | (877) 725-8547  
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Steve Savard, Corey Riggs) | Bears Radio Network | Varsity App
Television ESPN+ (Noah Reed, Stone Labanowitz) | Watch
Series Southern Illinois leads 23-22  | Last Meeting: SIU 38, MSU 21 (10/8/22) | FInal Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Southern 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
  • Missouri State opens its 39th season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this Saturday when the Bears travel to No. 10-ranked Southern Illinois (4 p.m., ESPN+) for the conference opener for both clubs. 
  • Saturday's game will mark the second straight season MSU will open league play against a Top-10 ranked foe. Last year, MoState hosted No. 2 (and eventual national champion) South Dakota State in a 28-14 home loss. Saturday's game at SIU will mark coach Ryan Beard's first game vs. a ranked opponent. 
  • MSU is 18-20 all-time in Valley openers, including three wins in the last four seasons in league lid lifters.
  • Missouri State's 4 interceptions last week against Utah Tech marked the team's most since snagging 4 picks at home against Indiana State on Nov. 2, 2013. 
  • Coach Ryan Beard's squad was efficient in every phase of the game in its win over Utah Tech. In particular, MSU's offense racked up 672 yards, which ranks No. 6 all-time in program history, the club's most since 2001 and the most ever against a scholarship Division I program. The Bears start the week ranked No. 9 nationally in total offense (466.0), which is 2nd in the MVFC.
  • MVFC Offensive Player of the Week, Jacob Clark (QB, Rockwall, Texas) passed for 414 yards (No. 2 in school history) and 5 touchdowns (tied school record) in last week's win over Utah Tech. He starts the week leading the MVFC in passing yards (296.3), total offense (319.7) and passing TDs (9).
  • MoState is ranked No. 24 overall in FCS, according to MasseyRatings.com, with the No. 17 strength of schedule.
  • Standout nickelback Caleb Blake (Jr., Winter Haven, Fla.) earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after his performance in last week's win over Utah Tech. Black had 5 total tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss and 4 passes defended in the win. His receivers were targeted 10 times and had just 3 receptions (23 yards).
  • Behind All-America punter Grant Burkett (Jr., Joplin, Mo.), the Bears rank 13th nationally in net punting (40.58) and 16th in punt return defense (2.0). Burkett is the FCS active career leader in punting average (43.9).  
  • Missouri State's defensive pass efficiency (100.86) rocketed up to No. 8 in the national rankings after last week's win over Utah Tech, which ranks No. 2 in the MVFC.
  • The Bears boast the No. 2 passing offense in the FCS ranks, averaging 325.7 yards per game, which also leads the MVFC. In last week's win over Utah Tech, MoState racked up a school-record 462 passing yards (414 by Clark, 48 by Pachot).  
  • MSU is a perfect 10-for-10 in red zone scoring this season which gives the Bears a share of the national (and MVFC) lead in red zone efficiency. South Dakota State (11-for-11) and South Dakota (8-for-8) also share the lead.
  • True Freshman Jayden "Jab" Becks (RB, Waxahachie, Texas) was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week this week after his home debut effort against Utah Tech last week. He averaged 21.7 yards per carry, a touchdown and the team's two longest plays of the game. He finished with 134 total yards on just five all-purpose plays.
  • Bears safety Todric McGee (So., Wichita Kan.) ranks 6th nationally in solo tackles per game (7.0) and 13th in total tackles per game (10.7), both of which lead the MVFC.
  • Raylen Sharpe (Jr., Allen, Texas) ranks 13th nationally in punt return average (12.5), 17th in receiving yards per game (90.7) and 27th in receptions per game (5.7). He is No. 3 in The Valley in both receptions and yards.
  • After allowing 45 sacks last season (4.09 per game), the Bears have improved to 17th nationally this season in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.0), which is the second-best average in the MVFC.
  • Since halftime of the UT Martin game (6 quarters), Missouri State's defense is holding its opponents to 4-of-16 (.250) on third down. In that same span, MSU foes have produced just four scoring drives in their last 20 possessions with 8 punts (6 three-and-outs) and 4 turnovers.
  • SIU head coach Nick Hill is 3-4 all-time against the Bears, including a 1-2 ledger in Carbondale.
       
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 rivalry that dates back to 1965, Southern Illinois leads the all-time series, 23-22. The Bears are 12-10 in Springfield, 10-12 in Carbondale and 0-1 in St. Louis [1968] vs. the Salukis. 
  • The Bears have won four of the last seven meetings, including a "walk-off" 30-27 victory in Springfield in the spring of 2021 (3/27/21) on Jose Pizano's 33-yard field goal as time expired. MSU has scored 30 or more points in five of the last seven contests between the clubs. 
  • Two years ago in Carbondale (11/6/21), Missouri State erupted for 28 second-half points and racked up 480 yards of total offense to take down No. 7-ranked Southern Illinois, 38-28. QB Jason Shelley led the MSU resurgence, throwing for 243 yards and accounting for 3 touchdowns – one passing and two rushing. The Bears trailed 13-10 at the half, surviving three turnovers and seven sacks by the SIU defense in the opening 30 minutes. Coach Bobby Petrino's troops shook off the halftime deficit with three unanswered touchdown drives to start the second-half scoring, building a 31-13 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. The clincher came just under three minutes into the final period when Kevon Latulas found a seam from his own 13 yard line and turned it up field, virtually untouched, for an 87-yard touchdown run -- the 6th-longest run from scrimmage in school history.
  • Last year in Springfield (10/8/22), MSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first eight minutes, but the visitors rallied for 38 unanswered points to stun the 19th-ranked Bears, 38-21. MSU accumulated 144 yards in the opening quarter, using a 10-yard touchdown run by Jacardia Wright and a five-yard scoring pass from Jason Shelley to Carson Buddemeyer to take the early lead. But the Salukis stormed back with a vengeance, outgaining the Bears 364-29 in the second and third quarters combined and reeled off five touchdowns and a field goal to lead 38-14 heading into the final quarter. SIU QB Nic Baker was an efficient 21-of-30 for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns. | FInal Stats
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