PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team, the  No. 13 ranked team in NCAA Division II, will travel to Emporia, Kan., Saturday (Oct. 10) to face MIAA rival Emporia State University. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CDT) .

Pittsburg State, the winningest all-time NCAA Division II program, is off to a 4-1 start to the season. The Gorillas rallied from a 20-point deficit to claim a 31-27 Homecoming victory over Missouri Western State University last Saturday (Oct. 3). Pitt State climbed two spots to No. 13 in the most recent AFCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Monday (Oct. 5).

Emporia State is 5-0 and ranked No. 18 in the AFCA poll. The Hornets remained unbeaten with a 20-13 road win over Lindenwood University last Saturday at St. Charles, Mo.

The Coaches
Tim Beck is in his sixth season as head coach at Pitt State with a 51-15 (.773) career record.  

Beck led his alma mater (PSU, '88) to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship three seasons ago, earning national coach of the year honors from Liberty Mutual, the Don Hansen Football Committee and FieldTurf™.

Beck became the school's 14th all-time head football coach in December 2009, after serving for 23 seasons as an assistant coach for the Gorillas including 16 years as the team's offensive coordinator from 1994-2009.

In his first season leading the Gorillas, Beck guided Pitt State to a 6-6 record and a victory in the 2010 Mineral Water Bowl.  In 2011, Beck led the Gorillas to the program's second NCAA national championship and the school's fourth national title overall in a 13-1 campaign. Pitt State captured the MIAA Championship and ultimately the NCAA-II National Championship with a 35-21 victory over Wayne (Mich.) State on Dec. 17, 2011.

In 2012, the Gorillas opened the season 5-0 before finishing the year 7-3 overall, while in 2013 Pitt State posted the program's 20th all-time 10-win season during a 10-2 campaign.

Last year, the Gorillas shared the MIAA regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs during an 11-2 campaign.

During his 16 seasons as offensive coordinator, the Gorilla offense consistently ranked among the finest units in NCAA Division II.

In 2008, Beck was selected the inaugural NCAA Division II Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com, following a vote of his coaching peers.

In 2004, Beck's offensive unit established itself as the most prolific squad in the history of NCAA football.  PSU shattered a 118-year-old scoring record, scoring an amazing 837 points (55.8 ppg).  His squad also set the NCAA all division records for rushing (5,320 yards) and total offense (8,976 yards).

Prior to assuming the offensive coordinator's role, Beck served two years as Pitt State's defensive coordinator (1992-93).  He became a full-time assistant on the Pitt State staff in 1989, after serving first as a student assistant (1987) and then as a graduate assistant (1988).

This will be Beck's sixth meeting vs. the Griffons.  He is 3-2 vs. Western.

ESU's Garrin Higgins is in his ninth year leading the Hornets and his 14th year as a collegiate coach. Higgins (ESU, '92) has compiled a 47-46 (.505) record leading his alma mater as well as a 98-55 (.641) career mark. He is 1-5 vs. Pitt State, averaging a 43-11 defeat in those games.

The Pitt State-Emporia State Series
This will be the 93rd all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Hornets in a series that dates all the way back to the 1915 season.  The Pitt State-Emporia State series is the ninth-longest rivalry in NCAA Division II football.

Pitt State holds a commanding 58-32-2 advantage in the series.  The Gorillas are 28-16-1 vs. the Hornets in Pittsburg and 30-16-1 vs. the Hornets at Emporia all-time.
Pitt State is 30-5 in its last 35 meetings against Emporia State.

This will be just the third time the Gorillas will face a nationally-ranked Hornet squad, the first since 2003.

Last year, quarterback Anthony Abenoja and wide receiver Gavin Lutman teamed up for a record-breaking afternoon as No. 18 Pitt State shook off a slow start, and a 10-0 deficit, to roll to a 45-17 victory over Emporia State on Oct. 11 before 10,845 partisan Homecoming fans at Carnie Smith Stadium.

Abenoja tossed five touchdown passes, including four to Lutman, to spark the Pitt State rally. Lutman finished the game with 10 receptions, setting new Pitt State and MIAA single-game receiving records with 268 yards.

Lutman hauled in a 53-yard scoring grab from Abenoja to get the Gorillas on the board with 10:01 to play in the second quarter. Pitt State fell behind 10-0 after ESU capitalized on a 50-yard run by Antonio Brown to set up a field goal and Lundell Johnson returned a blocked field goal attempt 77 yards for a touchdown.

Gorillas on the Road
Pitt State has posted a 75-22-0 (.773) record in its last 97 road games (including post-season play). The Gorillas posted a school and MIAA record 20 straight road wins between the 2010 and 2014 seasons before dropping a 24-21 overtime decision to Minnesota State in the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs on Nov. 29, 2014. Prior to that loss, Pitt State last dropped a road game on Oct. 9, 2010, in a 17-14 setback to Emporia State.

The Gorillas enter Saturday's action with a 22-game regular season winning streak still intact, spanning back to the ESU loss in 2010.

During the last 22 years (1994-pres.), the Gorillas are an equally impressive 86-24-1 (.779) on the road.

PSU's Regular Season Success
Pitt State has won 279 of its last 329 regular season games, posting a phenomenal 279-48-2 (.851) mark during the past 31 seasons (1985-2015). PSU is 151-17-1 at home, 124-22-1 on the road and 4-9-0 at neutral sites in the regular season during that span.

All-Time Winningest Programs
Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II football program.  The Gorillas, who are in their 108th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 688-334-48 overall record, winning 66.5 percent of their 1,070 all-time games.

Pittsburg State is one of just 20 NCAA Division II institutions to have recorded 500 all-time victories and the Gorillas are just one of five schools to have reached the 600-win plateau.  Tuskegee is second on the all-time list with 662 victories, followed by Hillsdale (613), Carson-Newman (608) and Central Oklahoma (603).

Quick Strike Offense
The Pitt State offense has exhibited a penchant for being a "quick strike" unit.
During the last 11 seasons (2005-15), the Pitt State offense has generated 712 scoring drives (597 TDs, 115 FGs) and averaged just 2:53 of elapsed time per drive. [Overtime scoring drives not included in elapsed time figures.]

2005    97 scoring drives (86 TDs, 11 FGs)    2:40 elapsed time    2011    78 scoring drives (60 TDs, 18 FGs)    2:54 elapsed time
2006    79 scoring drives (72 TDs, 7 FGs)    2:14 elapsed time     2012    51 scoring drives (40 TDs, 11 FGs)    2:58 elapsed time
2007    64 scoring drives (55 TDs, 9 FGs)    3:02 elapsed time     2013    83 scoring drives (70 TDs, 13 FGs)    2:29 elapsed time
2008    69 scoring drives (61 TDs, 8 FGs)    3:23 elapsed time     2014    74 scoring drives (53 TDs, 21 FGs)    3:06 elapsed time
2009    49 scoring drives (44 TDs, 5 FGs)    3:21 elapsed time     2015    27 scoring drives (22 TDs, 5 FGs)    3:10 elapsed time
2010    41 scoring drives (34 TDs, 7 FGs)    3:04 elapsed time

The Gorillas have been highly successful when they are quick out of the gates.  Pitt State has scored on its opening drive 63 times (53 TDs, 10 FGs) in the last 126 games (including four of five games this season), posting a 59-4 (.937) record in those games. By contrast, Pitt State is 35-28 (.556) in games it doesn't score on its opening drive during the same span.

Roderique Leads Pitt State Offense
Pittsburg State freshman quarterback John Roderique, Jr. continues to post solid numbers leading the Gorillas offense.

Roderique has completed 78 of 126 passes (.619) for 965 yards (193.0 ypg) and five touchdowns with three interceptions on the season. He also has carried the ball 67 times for 393 yards (5.9 ypc) and a team-leading seven touchdowns, averaging 78.6 yards per game.

The Webb City, Mo., native was named the MIAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Gorillas' 31-24 road win over Fort Hays State on Sept. 26.  Roderique rushed for a pair of fourth quarter TDs, including the go-ahead score with 5:36 to play, to help the No. 15 Gorillas rally past the Tigers after trailing 24-14 at halftime.

He also completed 19 of 21 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-28 victory over Lindenwood on Sept. 12.

Cushon Nearing 2,000-Yard Receiving Club
Pitt State senior wide receiver Marquise Cushon has moved into fourth place in Pitt State career record lists for receiving yards and receptions.

The Kansas City, Mo., native has 112 career receptions for 1963 yards (17.5 ypc).  He has a team-leading 20 catches for 257 yards (12.9 ypc) on the season.

Cushon needs just 37 yards to become just the fourth receiving in school history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. He also needs 112 yards to pass Gavin Lutman for third place on the Gorillas' career receiving yards list. Lutman caught 130 passes for 2,068 yards between 2010-14.

Cushon needs 12 receptions to pass Ronnie West for third place on Pitt State's career receptions list. West caught 123 passes between 1990-91.

Walker Among National Leaders in Interceptions, Passes Defended
Pitt State junior transfer cornerback Darnell Walker, Jr. enters Saturday's action ranking second in NCAA Division II in passes defended, while ranking in a tie for second place in interceptions.

Walker has 13 passes defended on the season – five interceptions and eight pass break-ups. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native made a drive-halting interception in the Gorillas' last game vs. MWSU.
Walker transferred to Pitt State from Coffeyville Community College after spending two seasons at the University of Tulsa.

He now has 15 career interceptions – four at Tulsa in 2013, six at Coffeyville in 2014 and five this season.

Washington Posts Career High Tackles
Pitt State junior safety Deron Washington made a career-high 11 tackles in the Gorillas' last outing against Missouri Western.

The Raymore, Mo., native leads the squad with 42 tackles (24 solo) on the season. He also has made six pass break-ups on the season. Washington has made 168 tackles (84 solo) and 14 PBUs in 31 career games for the Gorillas.

Scouting the Hornets
Offensively, Emporia State is averaging 39.2 points and 525.4 yards of total offense on the season, both MIAA highs, while the Hornets are surrendering 21.8 points and 398.4 total yards per game.

Senior quarterback Brent Wilson has completed 146 of 201 passes (.726) for 1,763 yards (352.6 ypg) and 17 TDs with three INTs.  Wilson ranks second in the nation in completion pct., fourth in passing yards and seven nationally in total offense.

Junior running back Antonio Brown has carried the ball 83 times for 347 yards (4.2 ypc) and three scores, while redshirt freshman Landon Nault has 56 carries for 267 yards (4.8 ypc) and three TDs.

Sophomore wide receiver Mitchell Foote has a team-leading 33 catches for 341 yards (10.3 ypc) and five TDs, while senior wide receiver Kavaski Ervin has 30 catches for 408 yards (13.6 ypc) and two scores.

Junior linebacker Josh Monteagudo has made a team-leading 39 tackles (22 solo) with 4.0 tackles-for-loss and three PBUs, while senior linebacker Jason Tetuan has made 33 tackles (13 solo) with 7.0 TFLs.

Sophomore Austin Morton has converted five of six field goals on the season. Sophomore Justin Marcha has punted 15 times for a 40.9-yard average with four kicks inside the opponent 20 yard line.