Grid Bears Prepare for Homecoming Clash vs. UTEP

Saturday, November 15

Springfield

2:00 p.m.

Missouri State University

UTEP

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Grid Bears Prepare for Homecoming Clash vs. UTEP

November 11, 2025 | Football

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By: MSU Athletics Communications

GAME 10 - Missouri State Bears (6-3, 4-1 CUSA) vs. UTEP Miners (2-7, 1-4 CUSA)
Date and Time	Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 \| 2:02 p.m. (Central)
Stadium Info	Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500) \| Springfield, Mo. Traffic Flow / Parking Map \| Clear B ag Policy \| Tailgating Info \| Game Guide / Changes This Season Please Note: Due to parade egress, access to Lot 19 will be restricted until the parade has concluded.
Tickets	MissouriStateBears.com/tickets \| (417) 836-7678 \| Stadium Box Office Opens at 10 a.m
Promotions	Homecoming \| Heroes Day \| 1990 Team Reunion \| 2025 Promo Calendar
Tailgating / Pregame	Tailgating & BearFest Village (Opens at 11:00 a.m.)
Radio	KWTO (101.3 FM) (Corey Riggs, Sam Block, Trenton Berry) \| Bears Radio Network \| Varsity Network
Television	ESPN+ (Don West, Tom Mast, Cierra Clark) \| Watch
Fan Information	Shop BearWear \| Digital Program \| Flip Card \| Weather \| Top 25 Polls \| Know Before You Go Page
Coverage	Ryan Beard Weekly Presser \| MoState Update / Audio Clips
Series	First Meeting
Live Stats	Live Stats
Game Notes	Missouri State \| UTEP \| CUSA Notebook \| MSU Media Guide
Bears Mobile App	App Store (Apple Devices) \| Google Play Store (Android Devices)
Follow	Athletics Facebook \| Athletics Twitter \| Football Facebook \| Football Twitter \| Instagram \| #WeAreMoState \| #OutHitOut Hustle \| @MoStateFootball

Accessibility
Missouri State University is committed to providing an accessible and supportive environment for those with disabilities. To request reasonable disability accommodations, contact the Deputy Compliance Officer at (417) 836-6755 or DeputyComplianceOfficer@MissouriState.edu.

First and Ten Notes

Coming off one of the biggest wins in program history last week at Liberty, Missouri State returns to Robert W. Plaster Stadium on Saturday for a 2 p.m. Homecoming matchup against UTEP (ESPN+) in the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Miners.
In a campus tradition that dates back to 1921, the Bears are 23-21 on homecoming during their Division I era (since 1981) with 4 straight wins. Over the last 50 years, the Bears are 28-22 in homecoming games.
Missouri State is up 7 spots this week to No. 96 (out of 136 teams) on MasseyRatings.com, which puts the Bears No. 2 in CUSA (in their inaugural season) behind WKU (89) and just ahead of Jax State (97), Kennesaw State (100) and LA Tech (103).
Since the season opener at USC, the Bears have held 8 straight opponents under 30 points. The last time MoState's defense had a longer run of scoring stinginess was a 10-game stretch from 10/21/95 to 10/5/96. There are only 10 other FBS schools (7 of which are in this week's AP Top 25) with active streaks of 8 or more consecutive games allowing less than 30 points.
Bears QB Jacob Clark needs just 73 passing yards to reach 2,000 for the season and 47 yards of total offense to reach 2,000. For his career, Clark needs 11 completions for 500 and 381 passing yards for 7,000.
In conference games, MSU has scored in 17-of-18 red zone opportunities (94.4), which ranks 2nd in CUSA, trailing only Jacksonville State (95.0).
MSU has recorded 36 explosive passing plays of 20 or more yards, which ranks t28th nationally.
CB Jordan Dunbar ranks 2nd in CUSA and tied for 10th nationally in passes defended per game (1.22).
The Bears have eclipsed 2,000 passing yards for the 5th consecutive season and are averaging 257.7 aerial yards per game, ranking 38th nationally (3rd in CUSA).
This week's game matches two of the youngest coaches in the FBS ranks with UTEP's Scotty Walden (turns 36 on Saturday) and MSU's Ryan Beard (36 years, 5 months), who are third and fifth, respectively among the nation's youngest sideline bosses.
Starting guard Mark Hutchinson (Sr., Hayward, Calif.) will be playing in his 35th consecutive game.
Under coach Ryan Beard, the Bears are 4-0 when allowing less than 300 yards of total offense.
QB Jacob Clark was announced Tuesday as an honorable mention pick for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award weekly honors. It marks the third time this season MSU's signal caller has made the list. He engineered 3 touchdown drives on MSU's last four possessions to lift the Bears to a thrilling, come-from-behind win at Liberty. He was 4-for-4 on MSU's game-winning drive, covering 70 yards in just a minute before putting the visitors ahead for good with 27 seconds remaining.
WR Jmariyae Robinson has 110 career receptions, which ranks 13th in club history and 1,440 yards (15th) with receptions in 31 straight appearances. He needs 4 catches to reach MSU's career top 10 and 60 yards to become the club's 11th 1,500 yard receiver.
RB Shomari Lawrence ranks 5th in CUSA in rushing yards per game (66.44) and 9th in all-purpose yards (75.00). In CUSA play, he ranks 4th in rushing per game (78.00).
A Missouri State win would ...
- Secure a .500 home record for the 6th straight season.
- Give the Bears a 7-win season for the third time in 5 years.

Series History

First Meeting

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.
At 36 years old, coach Beard enters the 2025 season as the fifth-youngest head coach in the FBS ranks.
Head coach Ryan Beard has been named the CUSA Coach of the Week by @CBSSports pundit Matt Zenitz three times this season.
Last season (2024), the Bears' final campaign at the FCS level, Beard guided MoState to an 8-4 overall record and No. 23 national ranking with 12 all-conference standouts and three All-Americans in his camp. Quarterback Jacob Clark finished 14th in the Walter Payton FCS Player of the Year voting, while running back Jacardia Wright signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seahawks after the season. The Bears reeled off eight straight wins from Sept. 14 to Nov. 9, the squad's longest since a stretch from 1988-89.
The 2024 Bears finished 6-2 in Valley play to tie for fourth place (one game behind tri-champions NDSU, SDSU and USD) and match the team record for conference victories (1978, 2021), including MSU's first 6-0 start in conference play since 1978. Likewise, the Bears started 8-2 overall for the first time since 1990 and reached eight overall wins for the ninth time in program history -- first since the 2021 NCAA playoff team. Likewise, MSU's four-game road win streak was its first since a split-season stretch from 1996-97.
Beard's 2024 squad boasted one of the nation's most efficient offensive attacks, racking up 306.2 yards per game through the air (5th), 424.8 total yards per game (17th) and 34.8 points per outing (13th), all of which ranked in the top 20 nationally.
In his inaugural head coaching season (2023), 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-team picks 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 the end of the 2023 campaign, 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 (2020-22), Beard played a significant role in the team's resurgence under coach Bobby Petrino, 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 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.