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Gorillas to open against LincolnFrom staff reportsPITTSBURG, Kan. - Former MIAA opponent Lincoln provides the opposition as Pittsburg State opens its football season tonight.It’s Hall of Fame Night for Pittsburg State.The Gorillas enter the season with incentive. They missed the NCAA Division II playoffs, despite an 8-3 record, for just the second time in 13 seasons last fall.PSU, stacked with veteran players, hasn’t dropped off the national charts. The Gorillas are ranked No. 11 in the national preseason poll.Lincoln has 18 returning starters from a 4-7 team. The Blue Tigers opened the season on Aug. 28 with a 37-13 loss at Central Missouri State, another nationally ranked MIAA team.Pittsburg State will field a veteran team led by junior quarterback Neal Philpot and senior defensive tackle Aaron McConnell, a three-time All-American.But fans will need programs to keep up with the running game. The lone veteran is sophomore tailback Joe. Taylor, a former St. Mary’s-Colgan standout. Taylor finished strong last season and wound up with 495 yards and nine touchdowns.Junior Matt Strange is expected to get the start at fullback.Other backs in a traditionally strong ground game are all newcomers: Redshirt freshman Justin Bean (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and true freshmen Germaine Race (Warrensburg, Mo.) and Andrew Tuggle (Blue Springs, Mo.)Philpot, despite an injury-plagued sophomore season, already ranks No. 9 in career total offense at Pittsburg State with 4,138 yards.McConnell, at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, is the recognized leader of the PSU defense. Linemen Mark Stephen and Josh Lawson and outside linebacker Terek Wilson, all seniors, earned MIAA mention last season. Sophomore backer Josh Lattimer, from Fort Scott, led the Gorillas returnees in tackles.Lincoln lost a standout last week when junior running back Dodie Wilson was hurt on a kickoff return. Wilson hadGorilla notesLincoln at Pittsburg St.Kickoff: 7 p.m.Site: BrandenburgField/Carnie Smith Stadium.Records; Lincoln 0-1, Pittsburg State 0-0.Coaches:Chuck Broyles,14th year at Pittsburg State (131-26-2). Fred Manuel, 2nd year at Lincoln (4-8).Series: PSU leads 5-0,Hall of Fame Night Halfback Don German (1941-42. '4647, running back Darren Dawson (1988-91) arid defensive end Troy Wilson (1989-92) will be inducted into the PSU Athletics Hall of Fame at 1 p.m. today, and then recognized at halftime.Radio: KKOW (860 AM), 6 p.m.1,055 yards rushing and scored 12 touchdowns in 2002. The Blue Tigers, minus Wilson, had just 15 yards rushing against Central Missouri.Quarterback Erik Garcia threw for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Mules. Senior Irving Baptiste had four catches for 90 yards and a score.Sophomore linebacker Clifford Owens and junior tackle Brandon Beard were the Lincoln defensive leaders.Notes: This is the second of five straight road games to open the season for Lincoln. The Blue Tigers won’t have a home game until an Oct. 4 date with Langston. After playing Northwestern Oklahoma in Jefferson City the following week, they’ll finish with four more road games.... Pittsburg State is tuning up for a nonconference home game next Satur day against St. Cloud (Minn.) State, ranked No. 8 in the national poll. ... Transfer Vernard Veasley is a potential standout for the PSU defense. Veasley had 122 tackles and six interceptions last season at Kilgore (Texas) College. ... The Gorillas remain all-time leader in victories among Division II schools with 570. No. 2 on the list, with 552 wins, is North Dakota State.... PSU is 89-4-1 in “The Pitt” in regular-season games over the past 18 years.... Lincoln quarterbacks completed just two touchdown passes, as opposed to 11 interceptions, last season.
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sat, Sep 06, 2003
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Blake O.
NA, NA 27 Sep 2024
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