Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football

Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football
2016 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football team
First season	1908
Athletic director	Mel Tjeerdsma
Head coach	Adam Dorrel 6th year, 74–8 (.902)
Stadium	Bearcat Stadium
Field	Mel Tjeerdsma Field
Year built	1917
Seating capacity	6,500
Field surface	FieldTurf
Location	Maryville, Missouri
NCAA division	Division II
Conference	MIAA
All-time record	570–395–33 (.588)
Claimed nat'l titles	5 (1998–99, 2009, 2013, 2015)
Conference titles	28
Consensus All-Americans	69
Colors	Bearcat Green and White[1]
Mascot	Bobby Bearcat
Marching band	Bearcat Marching Band
Outfitter	Adidas
Rival	Pittsburg State
Website	www.bearcatsports.com

National football championship trophy room at Bearcat Stadium prior to its national title in 2009. The two trophies in the middle are national championships in 1998 and 1999. The four trophies on the left are for appearances in the title games in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Northwest in 2009 made unprecedented fifth consecutive national title game in 2009 and won its third title. The stick in the middle left is the Hickory Stick in the contests with Truman State.

The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football team has appeared in nine NCAA Division II national title games – winning five – since going 0–11 in Mel Tjeerdsma's first season in 1994. The Bearcats have made the playoffs in 18 seasons and have also won or shared 27 MIAA titles.

Northwest Missouri State plays its games at Bearcat Stadium, built in 1917, and the oldest NCAA Division II stadium still in use. The field was expanded to 6,500 seats and a video screen was added in 2003 after Tjeerdsma began his run.^[2] This screen was replaced in 2014 by a 20-foot by 40-foot high-resolution screen with the scoreboard attached underneath.^[3]

It used to play its games with Pittsburg State University at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead. The series was discontinued in 2013, games are now played on campus sites. Pittsburg has made four national title appearances since 1991. The Oct. 17, 2002 game was witnessed by 26,695—the largest number in MIAA history.^[4]

The team's best-attended local home game was 11,002 on October 18, 2014 against Pittsburg State University.

Conference

Northwest was one of the original 1912 organizers of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. It has not played in any other conference. The conference headquarters until 1997 was in the Maryville, Missouri home of its first commissioner Ken B. Jones. In 1997 it moved to Overland Park, Kansas and has subsequently moved to Kansas City.^{[4] [4]}

Championships

National championship seasons

Season	Coach	Selectors	Record	Bowl
1998	Mel Tjeerdsma	NCAA Division II Playoff	15–0	Won NCAA Division II Championship
1999			14–1	Won NCAA Division II Championship
2009				Won NCAA Division II Championship
2013	Adam Dorrel		15–0	Won NCAA Division II Championship
2015				Won NCAA Division II Championship
National Championships			5

Conference championship seasons

• Conference Championships (28)^[5][6]

Year	Conference	Coach	Overall Record	Conference Record
1925	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association	H. Frank Lawrence	7–0–1	3–0–1
1931		E.A. Davis	9–0	4–0
1938		Ryland Milner		5–0
1939
1941†			6–2–1	3–1–1
1942†			4–2–1	3–1
1948†			4–1	6–2
1952†			6–3	4–1
1972†		Gladden Dye	7–3	5–1
1974			8–2
1979		James Redd	6–5
1984		Vern Thomsen	10–1	5–0
1996†	Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association	Mel Tjeerdsma	11–2	8–1
1997			12–1	9–0
1998			15–0
1999			14–1
2000			11–1
2002			12–1
2003†			8–3	7–2
2006			14–1	9–0
2007			12–2
2008			13–2	10–0
2009			14–1	9–0
2010			12–2
2013		Adam Dorrel	15–0	10–0
2014†			11–2	10–1
2015			15–0	11–0
2016			13–0
Total Conference Championships:			28
† Denotes co-champions

NCAA Division II championship games

1998

In 1998, the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II football national championship by going 15–0. It was the first time in history a Division II school won 15 games and the first time a Northwest athletic program won a team national championship in any sport.

1999

In 1999 Northwest defeated Carson-Newman College 58–52 in four overtimes to defend the title. The game was the longest in NCAA football playoff history in number of extra periods, surpassing six contests that were extended by three overtimes. The broadcast analyst on ESPN called it the best college football game he'd ever seen. The game solidified ESPN's interest in Division II football, prompting ESPN to cover the semi-final games.

2005

In 2005 the Bearcats were a Cinderella team, ranked 22nd at the start of the playoffs, but they won all of their playoff games on the road until reaching the finals against Grand Valley State University. Northwest led the game until the closing minutes and still almost pulled the game out. The Cinderella nature of Northwest coming from 22nd to challenge the #1 team in the final has been evoked as a weakness of the Bowl Championship Series, where such a run would be impossible.

2006

In the 2006 regular season the Bearcats went undefeated at 11–0. In their third playoff game, a game played against Bloomsburg University, ESPNU televised the game live from Maryville. This was the first nationally televised game from Bearcat Stadium. The game was also the first time that temporary lights (provided by ESPN) were used at Bearcat Stadium, its lights having been removed in 1977. The Bearcats went 3–0 in the playoffs, thus earning a rematch against the Grand Valley State University Lakers in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game at Florence, Alabama, on December 16, 2006. The Bearcats fell to GVSU 17–14 after turning the ball over four times during the game.

2007

In the 2007 regular season the Bearcats went 9–1. Their only loss was to the #1 University of Nebraska at Omaha, who went 12–0 in the regular season. The Bearcats received a first round bye. In the second round, they faced #3 West Texas A&M University at Bearcat Stadium, and won with a final score of 56–28. In the quarterfinals the Bearcats traveled to Chadron, Nebraska to face #1 Chadron State College. Xavier Omon lead the Bearcats to a 26–13 victory by rushing for a personal best 309 yards (283 m). The Bearcats faced their long-time post-season rivals Grand Valley State University in the semifinals. Both Grand Valley and Northwest were #2 seeds in their respective regions, but the NCAA stated that due to Northwest's strength of schedule, Northwest would receive the home game. The game was broadcast from Bearcat Stadium on ESPN2; this was the second nationally televised game from Bearcat Stadium. The game was close through the third quarter. At the beginning of the fourth quarter Northwest lead the close contest, 17–16. But after a Northwest interception that produced a touchdown, and a 98-yard (90 m) Xavier Omon touchdown run, the Bearcats prevailed with a final score of 34–16, ending Grand Valley's NCAA record-setting 40-game winning streak. The Bearcats lost to #8 Valdosta State University in the NCAA Division II football national championship at 12pm (Eastern) on Saturday December 15, 2007 in Florence, Alabama; the game was broadcast on ESPN2.

2008

In 2008 the Bearcats played in their fourth consecutive national title game and lost to Minnesota-Duluth, which had a 15–0 season. Northwest has never lost a championship by more than seven points.

2009

In 2009, the Bearcats made its fifth consecutive national title appearance. No NCAA team in any division has ever done that. The Bearcats, which were ranked #2 going into the playoffs, received a first round bye. In the second round they avenged their only loss of the season by defeating Abilene Christian. In the closest game of the playoffs they defeated Central Washington University (ranked #1 at the time) in the quarterfinals by rallying in the second half and then blocking a Central Washington extra point in the closing seconds. In the semifinals it defeated California University of Pennsylvania to qualify for its third meeting in the finals with Grand Valley.

2013

Northwest won its fourth title in 2013 defeating the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 43–28. It was the first Bearcat national championship game not coached by Mel Tjeerdsma, who retired after losing in the semi finals in 2010. He was succeeded by Adam Dorrel who had been with Tjeerdsma during his entire tenure at Northwest including Tjeerdsma's initial 0–11 team in 1994. Tjeerdsma came out of retirement in 2013 to become Northwest's athletic director. The Bearcats were undefeated 11–0 in the regular season and won the 4 playoff games. The game was the last title game at Braly Stadium in Alabama. The MIAA, sparked by the success of Northwest and Pittsburg, successfully bid to host the championship games starting in 2014 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas about 100 miles south of the Northwest campus.

2015

Northwest took on the Shepherd Rams at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas on December 19 at 3:00 p.m. CST. The game was the Bearcats ninth appearance in the national title game and first at its new site in Kansas City. Northwest took home their fifth national title since 1998, second under head coach Adam Dorrel, defeating Shepherd 34–7.^[7]

Post season results

At the conclusion of the 2014 season Northwest is 41–15 in post-season play. It has been in the playoffs every year since 2004 and is 30–9 in that string and been in the national title game six times (winning two).

Year	NW Rank	Venue	Opp Rank	Opponent	Score	W/L	Round	Notes
1984	-–	Away	-–	Nebraska–Omaha	15–28	L	1st Round
1989	18	Away	-–	Pittsburg State	7–28	L	1st Round
1996	2	Away	-–	Nebraska–Omaha	22–21	W	1st Round
1996	2	Away	-–	Northern Colorado	26–27	L	Quarterfinal
1997	3	Maryville	16	North Dakota State	39–28	W	1st Round
1997	3	Maryville	-–	Northern Colorado	19–35	L	Quarterfinal
1998	2	Maryville	16	Nebraska–Omaha	28–14	W	1st Round
1998	2	Maryville	6	Northern Colorado	42–17	W	Quarterfinal
1998	2	Maryville	11	Texas A&M–Kingsville	49–34	W	Semifinal
1998	2	Braly Stadium	3	Carson–Newman	24–6	W	Final
1999	4	Maryville	9	North Dakota State	20–13	W	1st Round
1999	4	Maryville	3	Northern Colorado	43–35	W	Quarterfinal
1999	4	Maryville	-–	Indiana University (Pa.)	20–12	W	Semifinal
1999	4	Braly Stadium	1	Carson–Newman	58–52	W	Final
2000	1	Maryville	5	North Dakota State	17–13	L	1st Round
2002	4	Maryville	11	Minnesota–Duluth	45–41	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2002	4	Maryville	7	Northern Colorado	12–23	L	Quarterfinal
2004	4	Maryville	6	Texas A&M–Kingsville	34–14	W	1st Round
2004	4	Away	1	Pittsburg State	36–50	L	Quarterfinal
2005	21	Away	29	Angelo State	45–14	W	1st Round
2005	21	Away	12	Washburn	42–32	W	2nd Round
2005	21	Away	23	Pittsburg State	21–10	W	Quarterfinal
2005	21	Away	13	North Alabama	25–24	W	Semifinal
2005	21	Braly Stadium	1	Grand Valley State	17–21	L	Final
2006	2	Maryville	18	Midwestern State	27–0	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2006	2	Maryville	8	Chadron State	28–21	W	Quarterfinal
2006	2	Maryville	6	Bloomsburg	33–3	W	Semifinal
2006	2	Braly Stadium	1	Grand Valley State	14–17	L	Final
2007	5	Maryville	4	West Texas A&M	56–28	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2007	5	Away	2	Chadron State	26–13	W	Quarterfinal
2007	5	Maryville	1	Grand Valley State	34–16	W	Semifinal
2007	5	Braly Stadium	8	Valdsota State	20–25	L	Final
2008	3	Maryville	10	Pittsburg State	38–35	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2008	3	Away	2	Abilene Christian	45–36	W	Quarterfinal
2008	3	Away	5	North Alabama	41–7	W	Semifinal
2008	3	Braly Stadium	6	Minnesota–Duluth	14–21	L	Final
2009	2	Maryville	16	Abilene Christian	35–10	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2009	2	Away	1	Central Washington	21–20	W	Quarterfinal
2009	2	Maryville	20	California (Pennsylvania)	56–31	W	Semifinal
2009	2	Braly Stadium	3	Grand Valley State	30–23	W	Final
2010	3	Maryville	-	Missouri Western	28–24	W	1st Round	Northwest trailed by 17 at half—it largest deficit that it had come back from.[8]
2010	3	Away	4	Texas A&M–Kingsville	35–31	W	2nd Round	Texas had defeated Northwest on opening day. Northwest won with 17 seconds remaining on Blake Bolles to Josh Baker pass.
2010	3	Maryville	7	Central Missouri	37–20	W	Quarterfinal	Northwest had won earlier game in Warrensburg on a field goal as time expired that was attended by 13,096—the biggest crowd at MIAA venue in history.[9]
2010	3	Away	4	Texas A&M–Kingsville	35–31	W	2nd Round	Texas had defeated Northwest on opening day. Northwest won with 17 seconds remaining on Blake Bolles to Josh Baker pass.
2010	3	Away	1	Minnesota–Duluth	13–17	L	Semifinal	Played during snowstorm that collapsed the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome roof. Temperatures were in the single digits and the wind blew at 30 mph. Northwest led most of the game until 4:12 left in the fourth quarter.
2011	7	Away	17	Missouri Western	35–29	W	1st Round	Northwest lost earlier game in St. Joseph 31–28. Northwest rallied in second half with 21 unanswered points. Northwest had been down 16–0 in the first four minutes of the game.[10]
2011	7	Away	1	Midwestern State	38–31	W	2nd Round (1 OT)	Midwest was ranked #1 going into the game and was one of only 3 undefeated D2 teams. Midwest led 28–10 in the second quarter – the biggest Northwest deficit since it began its dominance in 2004. The game was played in 30 mph winds. Midwest marched to the Bearcat 9 with 10 seconds remaining. Greg Saladino shanked a potential game winning field goal throwing it into overtime. Bearcat quarterback Trevor Adams hit Kyle Kilgore on a 13-yard wheel route for the overtime's only score by either team.[11]
2011	7	Away	6	Pittsburg State	16–41	L	Quarterfinal	Pittsburg had defeated the Bearcats earlier in the season in a game that broke Northwest's record 49 straight MIAA victory record (a game in which the Bearcats had led 21–0) and this was a rematch of MIAA teams. The game was played in a driving rain. Northwest led 10–0 at the end of the first quarter and it was tied at half. Pittsburg scored 31 points in second half.
2012	10	Maryville	9	Harding University	35–0	W	1st Round
2012	10	Away	2	Minnesota State–Mankato	35–38 (2OT)	L	2nd Round	Northwest was down 0–21 but scored 28 points in the second half to force two overtimes in which Northwest ultimately lost after Mankato turned an intercepted pass into a field goal.
2013	2	Maryville	5	Minnesota–Duluth	45–21	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2013	2	Maryville	12	St. Cloud State	59–21	W	Quarterfinal	[12][13]
2013	2	Maryville	22	Grand Valley State	27–13	W	Semifinal	Game was attended by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon who gave a pep talk to team at the beginning.[12][13]
2013	2	Braly Stadium	13	Lenoir–Rhyne	43–28	W	Final	Lenoir set a record for most offensive rushing yards in any NCAA division in one season however it was held in check by Northwest which jumped to a 17–0 lead in the first quarter. The game was the last Division II championship at Braly Stadium. Northwest's home conference MIAA won a bid the week before the game to host future championships 100 miles from Maryville in Kansas City at Sporting Park .[12][13]
2014	6	Away	2	Minnesota–Duluth	21–25	L	1st Round	Northwest led 21–6 going into the 4th quarter.[14]
2015	1	Maryville	11	Humboldt State	54–7	W	2nd Round (1st Round bye)
2015	1	Maryville	18	Emporia State	38–17	W	Quarterfinal
2015	1	Maryville	7	West Georgia	38–23	W	Semifinal
2015	1	Kansas City, Kansas	7	Shepherd	34–7	W	Final

Records

Year	Coach	W	L	T	MIAA	NCAA D2
1908	Paul A. White	3	2	1
1916	George Palfreyman	2	5
1917	George Palfreyman	0	7
1918	M.H. Simms	1	1
1919	Robert Rice	0	4
1920	Robert Rice	0	3
1921	Russell Sprong	2	6
1922	Eugene Maynor	4	4
1923	H.F. Lawrence	3	3	1
1924	H.F. Lawrence	6	1	1
1925	H.F. Lawrence	7	0	1	X
1926	H.F. Lawrence	6	2
1927	E.A. Davis	1	7
1928	E.A. Davis	5	3	1
1929	E.A. Davis	3	2	3
1930	E.A. Davis	4	5	1
1931	E.A. Davis	9	0		X
1932	E.A. Davis	4	4	1
1933	E.A. Davis	1	8
1934	E.A. Davis	4	5
1935	E.A. Davis	3	5	1
1936	E.A. Davis	4	4	1
1937	Ryland Milner	2	5	2
1938	Ryland Milner	9	0		X
1939	Ryland Milner	9	0		X
1940	Ryland Milner	7	2
1941	Ryland Milner	6	2	1	X
1942	Ryland Milner	4	2	1	X
1943	Ryland Milner	5	1	1
1944	Ryland Milner	7	0
1946	Ryland Milner	4	3
1947	Ryland Milner	5	2	2
1948	Ryland Milner	6	2		X
1949	Ryland Milner	5	2	1
1950	Ryland Milner	3	5	1
1951	Ryland Milner	2	6	1
1952	Ryland Milner	6	3		X
1953	Ryland Milner	3	4	1
1954	Ryland Milner	2	6
1955	Ryland Milner	2	5	1
1956	Ryland Milner	2	7
1957	Ryland Milner	1	6	1
1958	Paul Turner	0	8
1959	Paul Turner	3	3	2
1960	Earl Baker	5	4
1961	Earl Baker	2	7
1962	Earl Baker	0	9
1963	Ivan Schottel	3	5	1
1964	Ivan Schottel	6	3
1965	Ivan Schottel	6	3
1966	Ivan Schottel	4	5
1967	Ivan Schottel	3	6
1968	Ivan Schottel	0	9
1969	Ivan Schottel	3	6
1971	Gladden Dye	4	5
1972	Gladden Dye	7	3		X
1973	Gladden Dye	6	4		X
1974	Gladden Dye	8	2
1975	Gladden Dye	7	3
1976	Jim Redd	8	2
1977	Jim Redd	5	5	1
1978	Jim Redd	0	11
1979	Jim Redd	6	5		X
1980	Jim Redd	2	8
1981	Jim Redd	6	4
1982	Jim Redd	2	7	1
1983	Vernon Thomsen	5	6
1984	Vernon Thomsen	10	2		X	1st Round
1985	Vernon Thomsen	4	6	1
1986	Vernon Thomsen	2	9
1987	Vernon Thomsen	3	8
1988	Harold "Bud" Elliott	2	9
1989	Harold "Bud" Elliott	9	3			1st Round
1990	Harold "Bud" Elliott	2	8	1
1991	Harold "Bud" Elliott	5	6
1992	Harold "Bud" Elliott	6	5
1993	Harold "Bud" Elliott	3	8
1994	Mel Tjeerdsma	0	11
1995	Mel Tjeerdsma	6	5
1996	Mel Tjeerdsma	11	2		X	Quarterfinals
1997	Mel Tjeerdsma	12	1		X	Quarterfinals
1998	Mel Tjeerdsma	15	0		X	Finals-Champ
1999	Mel Tjeerdsma	14	1		X	Finals-Champ
2000	Mel Tjeerdsma	11	1		X	1st Round
2001	Mel Tjeerdsma	7	4
2002	Mel Tjeerdsma	12	1		X	Quarterfinals
2003	Mel Tjeerdsma	8	3		X
2004	Mel Tjeerdsma	11	2			Quarterfinals
2005	Mel Tjeerdsma	11	4			Finals-Runner Up
2006	Mel Tjeerdsma	14	1		X	Finals-Runner Up
2007	Mel Tjeerdsma	12	2		X	Finals-Runner Up
2008	Mel Tjeerdsma	13	2		X	Finals-Runner Up
2009	Mel Tjeerdsma	14	1		X	Finals-Champ
2010	Mel Tjeerdsma	12	2		X	Semifinals
2011	Adam Dorrel	11	3			Quarterfinal (3rd round) loss to Pittsburg which had unseated it as MIAA champ.
2012	Adam Dorrel	11	3			Second Round loss to Minnesota State-Mankato
2013	Adam Dorrel	15	0		X	Finals-Champ
2014	Adam Dorrel	10	2	0	X	Lost in the first round
2015	Adam Dorrel	15	0	0	X	won the National Championship
2016	Adam Dorrel	13	0	0	X

Coaching death

On June 5, 2011 Bearcats head coach Scott Bostwick died of an apparent heart attack in Maryville.^[15] The 49-year-old Bostwick had been named head coach of the Bearcats in December, 2010 following the retirement of longtime coach Mel Tjeerdsma.^[16] Bostwick had been on the Northwest coaching staff since 1994, and most recently had served as defensive coordinator under Tjeerdsma. In 2007, Bostwick had been voted the American Football Coaches Association Division II Assistant Coach of the Year.^[17]

Notable players and coaches

• Josh Baker – National Football League tight end who is currently a free agent.
• Brandon Dixon – defensive back who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
• Brian Dixon – defensive back who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
• Chris Greisen – former quarterback in the NFL.
• Chad Kilgore – NFL linebacker who is currently a free agent.
• Matt Longacre – National Football League defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams.
• Tony Miles – retired CFL wide receiver; school's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
• Xavier Omon – retired NFL running back.
• Michael Peterson – Retired tight end. Former player with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
• Jamaica Rector – former NFL and CFL wide receiver.
• Mel Tjeerdsma – Northwest's national championship winning coach, and most winning DII post-season coach with 22 victories.
• Dave Tollefson – Retired NFL defensive end.
• Seth Wand – Former NFL offensive lineman
• Baron Corbin (Thomas "Tom" Pestock) – Former Offensive Lineman for Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals. Current WWE Superstar.

References

1. NWMSU Athletics Brand Standards Guide (PDF). 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
2. Northwest Missouri State University Football Media Guide – nwmissouri.edu – Retrieved September 22, 2009
3. Brown, Tony. "Crew Prepare to Install New Video Screen". Maryville Daily Forum. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
4. "Conference History". Themiaa.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
5. DeLassus, David (2015). "Northwest Missouri State Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
6. "Northwest Missouri State Football Year By Year Results". Northwest Missouri State Bearcats. 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
7. McDowellsmcdowell, Sam (2015-12-19). "Northwest Missouri State beats Shepherd 34–7 to win Division II national championship | The Kansas City Star". Kansascity.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
8. http://www.ncaafootball.com/NEWS/tabid/1237/Article/216303/northwest–missouri–rallies–past–missouri–western–28–24.aspx
9. "Field Goal as Time Expires Gives Title to NWMSU". The Miaa. 2010-11-06. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
10. Sam Robinson St. Joseph News–Press (2011-11-19). "Northwest storms back in 2nd half to beat Western – Sports News Story – St. Joseph". Newspressnow.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
11. Sam Robinson St. Joseph News–Press (1959-06-19). "Northwest Missouri continues comeback run with OT victory – College Sports News Story – St. Joseph". Newspressnow.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
12. "DII College Football Rankings – Regional Rankings". NCAA.com.
13. Archived October 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
14. "Northwest Missouri State University – Bearcats fall to UMD in NCAA first round". Bearcatsports.com. 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
15. "NWMSU: Head Coach Scott Bostwick Has Died". KCTV 5. June 5, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
16. "Coach dies from apparent heart attack". Associated Press via KTVO-TV website. 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
17. "Northwest Missouri State coach dies". USA Today. 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-06-05.

External links

• Official website