By MATT PIKE
The Northwest Missouri State football team is gearing up for another conference matchup against Missouri Southern on Saturday.
The Bearcats opened their MIAA slate with a 31-24 win over Washburn last week, letting a 24-3 lead slip away in the second half of the game to the Ichabods. Head Coach John McMenamin says looking at the film, he didn't feel Northwest did anything bad, it was just Washburn making good plays.
"We had a couple breakdowns individually here or there, not necessarily schematically, but they took advantage of a couple things and made plays," McMenamin tells reporters. "And I've been on the other end where that momentum starts going and you're able to capitalize and win the game, and I think I probably sold it more than anything was a good job stopping the bleeding and then finding a way to score to make sure you win handily there."
"We just want to make sure our eyes are right, our discipline is right, and we've got to make a few more plays when it counts," McMenamin adds. "I think third down wasn't as good as I'd like it to be, on either side, so extend drives and then try to get them off the field."
Southern comes into the matchup 1-1 on the season, fresh off a narrow 21-19 victory over Upper Iowa. The Lions opened the season with a close loss to Midwestern State University Texas, falling 30-23. Southern has won just four games against the Bearcats, losing by just seven last season 21-14, extending their losing streak to 30 games against Northwest.
McMenamin knows though the Lions bring a high level of play to the field and will bring a challenge when they hit the field at Bearcat Stadium.
"I had kind of an impression of what Southern was, probably back from just when I played, but its totally different now," McMenamin says. "These guys are flying around, they're playing well, they gave us a great game last year, they'll give us a great game this year, our kids understand what's at stake and we'll be ready to play, but that's a great team that's coming up here."
And that 30 game losing streak the Bearcats have the Lions on, while lengthy and a nice accomplishment, means nothing to Northwest.
"We're looking at their personnel, what they do well, and we're going to try to exploit them, how are they going to try to exploit us, but I don't think we can get to caught up on that, either side I don't think would, and I was on the other end talk about it either," McMenamin says.
"I had no clue it was 30 years and that's kind of something we don't really think about going into the week is past years, because this is a new team and every team is new," offensive lineman Harrison Merriman says. "You can't really base how you think you are, how another team is on years past, they're going to come in with a new squad and they'll be confident, we'll be confident, just a game you take a play at a time."
Northwest and Missouri Southern kickoff at 1:30pm on Saturday. It is Family Weekend at Northwest Missouri State University as well, and fans are asked to wear black to blackout Bearcat Stadium.
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