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Missouri State

FB Game Week 11

Bears Kick Off November with Road Test at Liberty

November 04, 2025

By: MSU Athletics Communications
GAME 9 - Missouri State Bears (5-3, 3-1 CUSA)  vs. Liberty Flames (4-4, 3-1 CUSA)
Date and Time Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 | 12:02 p.m. (Central)
Stadium Info Arthur L. Williams Stadium (25,000), Lynchburg, Va.
Tickets LibertyFlames.com | (434) 582-7328
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Corey Riggs, Nathan Stokes, Maddux Radosevic) | Bears Radio Network |
Varsity Network App
Television ESPN+ (Matt Warner, Joe Jauch, Annie Cory) | Watch
Fan Information Shop BearWear | Weather | Stadium Information
Coverage Ryan Beard Weekly Presser | MoState Update / Audio Clips 
Series Series tied 1-1. Last Meeting: LU 27, MSU 19 (10/15/94)
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Liberty | 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

First and Ten Notes
  • Missouri State kicks off the month of November on Saturday with a key Conference USA matchup at Liberty University (12 p.m. CT, ESPN+) in the squad's first trip to Lynchburg since 1989. Both teams enter the game riding three-game win streaks.
  • Missouri State (7-2) is one of just 10 FBS clubs to boast 7 or more road wins in their last 9 away games. Only Oregon (9-0) and BYU (8-1) have had better road success than the Bears over their last 9 road contests. 
  • In its first FBS season, Missouri State is ranked No. 103 (out of 136 teams) by MasseyRatings.com, which puts the Bears No. 4 in CUSA behind WKU (87), LA Tech (98) and Jax State (99).  
  • WR Ronnel Johnson has 19 catches for 261 yards in conference play, including the game-winner in OT at NM State. In CUSA games, he ranks 4th in receiving yards per game (65.25).
  • Since the season opener at USC, the Bears have held 7 straight opponents under 30 points. The last time MoState achieved that was in 1998 under coach Del Miller. In CUSA games, the Bears rank 2nd in the league in scoring defense (21.3).
  • With last week's win over FIU, the Bears completed a perfect 3-0 October and clean sweep through Weekday CUSA games. MSU also extended its October win streak to 6 straight under coach Ryan Beard.
  • The Bears have outscored their opponents 48-24 in the opening quarter this season and scored first in 7-of-8 contests.
  • MSU has recorded 30 explosive passing plays of 20 or more yards this season which ranks t43rd nationally.
  • Missouri State's defense has laid the foundation for wins in 4 of its last 5 outings, ranking 9th nationally with 7 fumble takeaways on the season. Likewise, MSU's 14 total takeaways on the campaign is tied for 28th. 
  • Over the last 5 games, the Bears are averaging 391.4 yards of total offense per contest, including three efforts of 400+ yards.
  • MoState has scored on its opening drive of the second half in 5 straight games (4 touchdowns, 1 FG).
  • WR Jmariyae Robinson eclipsed 100 career receptions in the home win over FIU, becoming the 17th Bear to reach that milestone. He now has 105 career catches, which ranks 14th in club history and 1,371 yards (16th) with receptions in 30 straight appearances. 
  • QB Jacob Clark needs 2 pass attempts to reach 700 for his MSU career and would be come the 5th Bear to reach that milestone. He ranks 2nd in CUSA in pass efficiency (144.05), 4th in total offense (240.29) and 4th in passing yards per game (234.43).
  • RB Shomari Lawrence ranks 4th in CUSA in rushing yards per game (68.8) and is coming off a season-high 104 yards on 14 carries and 2 TDs vs. FIU. He also eclipsed 2,000 career yards in the win. His 85.5 rushing avg. in CUSA games also ranks 4th.
  • The Bears have eclipsed 2,000 passing yards for 5th consecutive season and are averaging 254.13 aerial yards per game which ranks 38th nationally. 
  • CB Jordan Dunbar ranks 3rd in CUSA and tied for 18th nationally in passes defended per game (1.13).
  • LB Jalen Brooks had a breakout game in the win over FIU with a career-high 13 total tackles and 8 solos. His 7.75 tackles per game in CUSA play ranks 10th.

Series History
  • MSU's first trip to Lynchburg (11/18/89) saw the No. 9 Bears roll up 342 total yards in a 31-20 victory in the regular-season finale. Phillip Collins rushed for three MSU TDs, while the defense broke up 12 passes and recorded 6 sacks.
  • In the second meeting between the clubs (10/15/94) in Springfield, the Bears and Flames combined for 860 yards on Homecoming at Plaster with Liberty capitalizing on a fumble return TD and two fourth-quarter field goals to take a 27-19 decision. Jeremy Hoog threw for 375 yards, and the Bears racked up a season-high 475 total yards.
  • Missouri State DL Ahmad Poole is from Danville, Va., just 71 miles south of Lynchburg.

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 was named the CUSA Coach of the Week by @CBSSports pundit Matt Zenitz on Sept. 8, 2025 after MSU's first FBS win at Marshall and again on Nov. 3 after the Bears defeated FIU for their first-ever FBS home win. 
  • 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.
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