Photo by Brandon Zenner - News Press Now
PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Missouri Western football team (7-2) picked up its first win over Pittsburg State (5-4) since 2012, 35-21, Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium. An impressive defensive performance pushed the Griffons' win streak to six games this season and gave MWSU its ninth straight win in a stadium not named Spratt Memorial.
Pittsburg State scored 14 of its points and gained 212 of its 471 yards in the fourth quarter against mostly reserve defensive players for the Griffons. Missouri Western led 21-0 at the half to give the defense six straight shutout quarters. The Gorillas scored their first touchdown on their opening drive of the second half, but Missouri Western answered on its next drive. Anthony Vespo finished the Griffons' fourth scoring drive after Wyatt Steigerwald exited with a shoulder injury. Vespo went on to lead another scoring drive, the second capped by his first career touchdown, a 5-yard run with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.
NOTABLES
- Missouri Western matched its win total from last year with two games to go. It's the first seven-win regular season for the Griffs since 2014 (7-4).
- The two Vespo-led scoring drives in the third quarter gave MWSU its first third quarter points in three weeks.
- Three of the Griffons' last four wins in the series have come in Pittsburg.
- MWSU's defense held Pitt State to its second lowest scoring total of the season.
- Steigerwald's streak of four games without an interception ended early. He threw two but also had two more touchdown passes and finished 9 for 17 for 144 yards.
- Vespo was 3 for 6 for 41 yards with three rushes for 14 yards and the touchdown.
- Smith rushed 11 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, averaging over eight yards per carry.
- Evan Chohon led the defense with 13 tackles.
UP NEXT
- The Griffons return to Spratt Stadium for the final home game of the 2019 season Nov. 9 against Nebraska Kearney (5-4).
- It will be senior day as Missouri Western faces a UNK team that has a win over Northwest Missouri State and lost to Central Missouri on a last second Hail Mary, Saturday.
--- MWSU Athletics ---