SBU BEARCATS (5-5) at Missouri Sceince & Tech (5-4)
November 8, 2008 • 1:00 PM • Allgood-Bailey Stadium • Rolla, Mo.
BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats are within one game of their first winning season since 2001, and their second ‘over .500’ campaign since 1991. If the Bearcats, who are 5-5 this season, are to end 2008 with a winning record, they must win Saturday against Missouri S&T in Rolla. The Miners are playing for a winning record of their own, bringing a 5-4 mark into the contest. SBU leads the all-time series against Missouri S&T, 14-5-1, which includes a winning streak of 8 straight victories dating back to 1998. The last time the teams play, SBU won a 40-38 shootout in Rolla.
THE OPPONENT: Last week, Missouri S&T defeated Lincoln, 68-0. The point total was the most for a Miner team in modern history. (In 1923, they defeated Kansas City, 109-0). The Miners have outscored their opponents 67-27 in the first quarter this season. Through nine games, S&T has racked up 1436 on the ground and 2365 yards passing, averaging 34 points per contest. The Miners and SBU have two mutual opponents: St. Joseph’s (who S&T defeated 38-29 on October 4 in Rolla) and Kentucky Wesleyan (who S&T defeated 58-7 on October 18 in Rolla). S&T was 4-7 in 2007, and returned 14 starters to the 2008 squad.
TRENDS: Through SBU’s first nine games of the 2008 season, Steve Gachette has averaged 310.8 yards in the air. Johnnie King has been SBU’s leading receiver, with 79 catches for 982 yards (109.1 average). Jeff Finnell has gained 729 yards (64.6 average) on the ground, which includes 11 touchdowns on the season. Tyrin Holt is SBU’s leading tackler with 96 (56 solo) followed by Jarred Schumpert, who has 92 take-downs (57 solo). The Bearcats have 33 sacks as a team, led by Clint Carroz with 8.
BROKEN RECORDS: With one game remaining, SBU has broken 29 team and individual records this season. Notable record-breakers this season include Steve Gachette, who is the new single-season record-holder for touchdown passes with 26. He broke Chis Lowe’s old mark of 19, set in the 2001 season. Gachette is also the career leader in that category, now with 41. Gachette is the only player in SBU history to throw for more than 3000 yards in a season (3108). As a team, the 2008 Bearcats now hold records for most touchdowns in a season (52), most points in a season (373), most touchdown passes in a season (24), most first downs in a season (269), most yards of total offense (4922), and most passing yardage as a team (3327). Justin Finch, who has converted 41 of 44 extra points, holds the record for most PATs in season.
SCORING STREAK: SBU is on track to break their ‘consecutive games without being shutout’ in the last game of this season. Should the Bearcats score in all 11 games in the 2008 campaign, they will have avoided the shutout for 44 straight times against Missouri S&T on November 8, which passes the old mark of 43 set in the 10th game of the 1992 season.
COACH ALLEN ON LAST SATURDAY’S WIN: "We came out and started slow, but got on track and played hard. We were 3 for 3 in the red zone, which is something we’ve been working on all year. It’s good to be over .500, and playing for a winning season on Saturday."
COACH ALLEN ON MISSOURI S&T: "They are very good offensively. They put up 68 points last Saturday against Lincoln. They are going to be playing for a winning season like we are, and they are 3-1 at home. And since it’s their last game, it’s going to be ‘senior day’ - so we definitely expect them to be up for the game. They have a very good defense. They are well coached. They play extremely hard and extremely fast."
Game Notes
