BOLIVAR - The Bearcats will be hosting the Emporia State University Hornets this weekend for the first time in four years. SBU will be looking for a solid win after dropping the last decision 35 to 28.

The SBU offense is lead by junior quarterback Dan Connors who has thrown for 1603 with 10 touchdowns over the first nine games of the season. Connors has a completion percentage of 64.7% and is averaging 200.4 yards passing per game this season. Thad Everson leads all Bearcat rushers with 504 rushing yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 56.0 yards per game, and Charles Johnson leads the Bearcat receivers with 556 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 61.8 yards per game.

The Bearcat defense is lead by Zach Moore who has recorded team highs in tackles (78) and tackles for loss (5.5) this season. As a team, the Bearcats have wrapped up 15 sacks, picked off 11 passes, recovered 10 fumbles, and blocked 7 kicks on the season.


Dexter native Glen Johnson continues to see extensive playing time as a member of the Bearcats’ defensive line rotation.

The Bearcats are off to one of the best starts in school history, and look to move to 7-3 on the season with a wn over Emporia State this Saturday. The game is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. from Bolivar, Missouri.

The Coaches

Keith Allen has already engineered a significant turnaround at SBU, moving the ‘Cats from 0-11 his first year as interim coach, to 5-6 in 2008, to the winning record of 6-5 in 2009, and followed up with a 7-4 record in 2010. Allen served as defensive and recruiting coordinator before being named SBU head coach in 2007. His past coaching experience has included stops at San Jose State, Quincy, TCU and Oklahoma.

Garin Higgins is in his 5th season as the head coach at Emporia State University. In Higgins’s five years at Emporia, he has lead his team to an overall record of 18-34.

Scouting the Hornets

The Hornets enter into this weekend with a 4-5 record, coming off of a 52-18 win against Truman State University. ESU is lead in passing by Tyler Eckenrode who averages 243.1 passing yards per game, lead in rushing by Dasor Horton who averages 53.9 rushing yards per game, and lead in receiving by Shjuan Richardson who averages 66.2 receiving yards per game.

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Southwest Baptist University is a four-year evangelical Christian university that was established in 1878. The main campus is located about 30 minutes north of Springfield, Missouri, in Bolivar, a town of approximately 10,000 people.

DHS alum Glen Johnson is a defensive lineman for the Bearcats.

For more information on SBU Bearcat Athletics, visit sbubearcats.com.