After a thrilling victory against the Gorillas of Pittsburg State, the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats will be looking to keep their MIAA record perfect against the Mules of Central Missouri.

The Bearcats look impressive on both sides of the football as the offense is averaging 48.2 points per game and the defense has held opponents to only 19.6 points per game. This week, however, should be a good test for not only the Bearcats but also the Mules. Coming off a rather one-sided victory, the Mules will face their highest ranked opponent so far. While the Mules record may be impressive against conference opponents this year ,it won’t help them escape the unfriendly confines of Bearcat Stadium without a fight.

Look for the defense to be a huge key to a Mules victory as they have only allowed an average of 78.3 rush yards per game which is good enough to be ranked second in the MIAA. As PSU found out last week, stopping Northwest running back Xavier Omon is not an easy task. The senior tailback has already reached the end zone 17 times this season with five of those coming last week against the Gorillas.

The Mules also have a decent tailback in Glenn Milner, who has 12 touchdowns and 694 yards this season.

Expect this game to be a close defensive battle for the first half, but the Bearcats could prove to be too much to handle for this Central Missouri team.

If the Mules find a way to beat Northwest, it will be because of their run defense. With starting quarterback Josh Mathews out for the week, the Bearcats may be one dimensional.

The Mules could take full advantage and possibly escape with the win. The game starts at 1 p.m. in Maryville and will definitely be the game in the MIAA to watch this week.