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Missouri State

Game 8 GameWeek Graphic

No. 18 Bears Travel to UNI for Key MVFC Showdown

October 21, 2024

Game 8 - #18 Missouri State Bears (5-2, 3-0 MVFC) at Northern Iowa Panthers (2-5, 0-3 MVFC)
Date and Time Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 | 4:07 p.m. (Central)
Location UNI-Dome (16,324) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
Tickets UNIPanthers.com | (319) 273-4849
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Corey Riggs, Clay Harbor) | Bears Radio Network | Listen Live |  The Varsity Network App/Listen Live
Television ESPN+ (Brad Wells, Justin Surrency) | Watch
Series Northern Iowa leads 36-8 | Last Meeting: MSU 35, UNI 16 (11/11/23) | Final Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Northern Iowa | MVFC | Valley Two-Minute Drill | MSU Media Guide
Follow Athletics Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Football Facebook | Football Twitter | Instagram |
Coach Beard Weekly Presser | #MSUBears | #GoBears | #OutHitOut Hustle | @MoStateFootball

NOTES 
  • Missouri State returns to the road this Saturday when the Bears put their five-game win streak on the line against fellow MVFC charter member Northern Iowa at 4 p.m. (ESPN+). MoState has won three of the last four meetings against the Panthers, including a 35-16 win over UNI last season in Springfield.
  • Missouri State's five-game win streak matches the 6th-longest active streak in the FCS ranks headed into this week's competition. The Bears are also ranked in the official FCS top 25 poll for the third straight week, checking in at No. 18 this week in the AFCA rankings as well as No. 9 in the MasseyRatings.com metrics.
  • A Missouri State win against Northern Iowa would give the Bears a:  
            -- 4-0 start in conference play for the first time since 1992 (coach Jesse Branch)
            -- 6-2 overall start for the first time since 1996 (coach Del Miller)
            -- 6-game winning streak for the first time since 2001-02 (Oct. 27, 2001 to Sept. 7, 2002) (coach Randy Ball)
  • Quarterback Jacob Clark (Sr., Rockwall, Texas) completed 22-of-27 passes for 379 yards and 3 TDs in the Bears' homecoming victory over Indiana State last week. He also rushed for a touchdown and led MoState to seven scores in 10 offensive possessions. His 82-yard TD pass to tight end Lance Mason in the third quarter was the 10th-longest passing play in team history. Clark posted his 5th 300-yard passing game of the season and his 7th in 11 career starts. In the win over Indiana St., Clark also became the 14th MSU passer to eclipse 2,000 passing yards in a season and the 13th Bear to hit the 3,000-yard mark in career passing yards. He is a 3-time MVFC Offensive Player of the Week. See p. 6 for Clark national rankings.
  • MSU tight end Lance Mason (Jr., Rockwall, Texas) leads the MVFC in yards per reception (20.14) and shares The Valley lead in receiving touchdowns (6). He ranks 9th nationally in both categories. Mason has scored 6 touchdowns over the last 6 games and has multiple receptions in 6 straight games. 
  • MSU's defense has allowed less than 30 points in 4 of the last 5 games. The Bears are 8-1 under coach Ryan Beard when allowing less than 30 points. UNI has eclipsed 20 points just once in its first 7 ball games. 
  • MoState's offense ranks in the FCS top 25 in the following categories: 3rd in passing offense (323.9); 3rd in completion percentage (.722); 3rd in pass efficiency (175.87); 11th in third-down efficiency (.481); 15th in passing yards per completion (13.82); 16th in total offense (426.3); 17th in scoring offense (34.6); 22nd in first downs (156); and 25th in red zone offense (.893). MSU leads the MVFC in passing offense and pass efficiency, while ranking 2nd in total offense, completion percentage and yards per completion.
  • Jacardia Wright (Sr., Decatur, Ill.) has 421 carries for 1,880 yards and 24 touchdowns in 27 games as a Bear. He is 120 yards away from becoming the 11th Missouri State player to rack up 2,000 career rushing yards, while his 24 rushing scores is tied for 6th on MSU's career list. He ranks 12th nationally in rushing touchdowns (9), 16th in total touchdowns (9) and 30th in scoring per game (7.7).
  • Standout receivers Hunter Wood (Sr., Springdale, Ark.) and Jmariyae Robinson (So., Cocoa, Fla.) have both snagged pass receptions in 18 straight games. Wood ranks 2nd in the MVFC and 32nd nationally in receptions per game (5.1), while Robinson ranks 6th in the MVFC in receiving yds/game (61.0), 56th nationally.
  • MoState's defense ranks in the top 25 nationally in the following: 8th in defensive touchdowns (2); 9th in sacks (2.86); 12th in fumble recoveries (6); 13th in turnover margin (0.86); 16th in takeaways (13); 21st in interceptions (7). The Bears lead the MVFC in all of those categories except turnover margin (second).
  • The Bears have scored on their opening drive 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. Likewise, Missouri State has scored second-half opening drive touchdowns in back-to-back games and 5-of-7 overall.
  • Standout linebacker Tahj Chambers (Sr., Arlington, Texas) is 3rd in the MVFC (26th nationally) in tackles per game (8.6), while DL Jalen Williams (Sr., Overland Park, Kan.) ranks 3rd/28th in sacks per game (0.71).
Series History
  • In a series that began in 1980, UNI has dominated with a 36-8 lead. However, Missouri State has won three of the last four meetings, including a 2021 victory at the UNI-Dome. The Bears are 5-17 all-time at home against the Panthers and 3-19 all-time in Cedar Falls.
  • In the last meeting in Cedar Falls (10/22/22), UNI's Dom Williams scored four touchdowns and amassed 101 rushing yards on 17 carries to help lead Northern Iowa past visiting Missouri State, 41-20. The Bears tried to overcome a slow start and managed to cut into an early 17-point deficit on two occasions. But, Williams and UNI quarterback Theo Day managed to frustrate MSU most of the afternoon, converting 8-of-13 third-down opportunities and converting big gains when they needed them most. Jason Shelley finished 16-of-22 for 151 yards and a touchdown, while Jacardia Wright carried 15 times for 61 yards. Day finished 22-of-37 for 291 yards for UNI, while the Panthers amassed 522 yards of total offense and 31 first downs.
  • Last season at Plaster Stadium (11/11/23), the Bears racked up 430 yards of total offense and held visiting Northern Iowa to three field goals and a late touchdown to secure a 35-16 senior day thrashing of the No. 15 Panthers. MSU quarterback Jordan Pachot was 27-of-35 for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns to pace the home club with Raylen Sharpe hauling in 11 receptions for a career-high 160 yards and a pair of scores. The Bears never trailed and racked up 24 first downs on the afternoon with their fifth 400-yard offensive output of the campaign. MSU held off a third-quarter push by the Panthers who tacked on field goals of 48 and 38 yards from senior Matthew Cook. His 38-yarder was his third of the day and made it a 21-9 game with 5:09 left in the stanza. But Pachot and company were up to the challenge, embarking on a 12-play, 85-yard touchdown march that consumed the next seven-plus minutes. Pachot hit an open Sharpe on the far sideline for a 10-yard score to put things on ice. The Bears converted two third-down opportunities on the drive, including a 35-yard strike to Sharpe to the UNI 10-yard line.  | Final Stats
Coach Ryan Beard
  • Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022. At the time of his hire, Beard was the program's youngest coach on record and was the 22nd person to hold the football Bears' top coaching position. 
  • Beard is 9-9 overall in his second season as MSU head coach (1-0 vs. UNI)
  • His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as defensive coordinator (2020-22) at Missouri State under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
  • In his inaugural head coaching season, Beard guided the Bears to a 4-7 overall record and a 3-5 ledger in the MVFC. The team's strong November surge included and a 35-16 home win over No. 18-ranked Northern Iowa.
  • The 2023 Bears finished No. 5 in the nation in passing offense (300.3), No. 7 in pass efficiency (158.77), 26th in total offense (400.8) and 31st in scoring (29.8).  
    Missouri State was rewarded with seven All-MVFC selections in Beard's first campaign as head coach, including first-teamers Grant Burkett (P) and Raylen Sharpe (WR). Sharpe finished fourth in the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year voting. Likewise, Burkett (second team) and Sharpe (third team) were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America Team, while the Bears also boasted three Phil Steele Freshman All-America honorees, including first-teamers Cash Hudson (OL) and Avery Powell (CB).
  • At season's end, Beard was named to the American Football Coaches Association's exclusive 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. 
  • During his three seasons as MSU's defensive coordinator, Beard played a significant role in the team's resurgence, managing a defensive unit that boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.
  • 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 DB coach at WKU (2016), Beard was part of a CUSA championship Boca Raton Bowl win. 
  • He 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. A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterman 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, 35, 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.
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