Gorillas end season with a thud at Truman
Josh Letner
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
The Truman Bulldogs added insult to injury by handing the Gorillas a 28-21 loss and giving coach Chuck Broyles the first losing season of his celebrated tenure at Pitt State and the first losing season for the Gorillas since 1977.
The win snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Bulldogs and proved to be the icing on a nightmarish season for Pitt, which saw the Gorillas go 1-5 away from Carnie Smith Stadium and 3-6 in MIAA play. The loss was the first for the Gorillas in Kirksville since 1968.
The Gorillas committed three turnovers, including a fumble inside the Truman five-yard line. Pitt also turned the ball over on downs on their first possession of the game.
The Bulldogs took advantage of a slow start for the Gorillas and jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead before Pitt scored on a one-yard run by Cardell Clemons with 3:12 left to play in the first half. The Gorillas got the ball one more time in the half, but the drive was cut short by penalties.
The Gorillas out-scored Truman 14-7 in the second half, but it was too little too late as Truman held on for the improbable win.
Despite their record, the Bulldogs have historically pulled of at least one upset win each year. Last season, the Bulldogs upset Nebraska-Omaha, and this season, it was the Gorillas' turn to get bit in Kirksville.
"I told our guys, if we play good and Truman plays good, we're going to win, but if we play bad and Truman plays good, we're going to lose, and I think our players felt like since Truman was 1-9, we were going to walk in there and get a victory," PSU offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "It just didn't happen that way. We played bad, they played good, therefore we got down 21-0. We had some late rallies, but it was too little too late."
The Gorillas close out the season with a 5-6 record and begin the task of rebuilding for the 2010 campaign. According to Beck, the Gorilla coaching staff is already looking at film of high school prospects, but the coaches are not allowed to talk to recruits until the first day of December.
The Gorillas will begin the 2010 campaign in Edmond, Okla., as they take on the University of Central Oklahoma.
The win snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Bulldogs and proved to be the icing on a nightmarish season for Pitt, which saw the Gorillas go 1-5 away from Carnie Smith Stadium and 3-6 in MIAA play. The loss was the first for the Gorillas in Kirksville since 1968.
The Gorillas committed three turnovers, including a fumble inside the Truman five-yard line. Pitt also turned the ball over on downs on their first possession of the game.
The Bulldogs took advantage of a slow start for the Gorillas and jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead before Pitt scored on a one-yard run by Cardell Clemons with 3:12 left to play in the first half. The Gorillas got the ball one more time in the half, but the drive was cut short by penalties.
The Gorillas out-scored Truman 14-7 in the second half, but it was too little too late as Truman held on for the improbable win.
Despite their record, the Bulldogs have historically pulled of at least one upset win each year. Last season, the Bulldogs upset Nebraska-Omaha, and this season, it was the Gorillas' turn to get bit in Kirksville.
"I told our guys, if we play good and Truman plays good, we're going to win, but if we play bad and Truman plays good, we're going to lose, and I think our players felt like since Truman was 1-9, we were going to walk in there and get a victory," PSU offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "It just didn't happen that way. We played bad, they played good, therefore we got down 21-0. We had some late rallies, but it was too little too late."
The Gorillas close out the season with a 5-6 record and begin the task of rebuilding for the 2010 campaign. According to Beck, the Gorilla coaching staff is already looking at film of high school prospects, but the coaches are not allowed to talk to recruits until the first day of December.
The Gorillas will begin the 2010 campaign in Edmond, Okla., as they take on the University of Central Oklahoma.
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