GAME PREVIEW: 11th ranked Butler Football travels to Miami for non-conference showdown at NEO

EL DORADO, Kan. –The 11th ranked Butler Grizzlies head to Miami, Okla. for a non-conference game at Red Robertson Stadium with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Kickoff was originally set for 6 p.m. CT but was pushed up to 3 p.m. CT due to forecasted inclement weather.

The Grizzlies (2-1, 2-1 KJCCC) are coming off a 26-20 home win over Independence while NEO (0-3) hosted Navarro and lost 42-0 last Saturday.

HOW TO WATCH AND LISTEN

The game will be streamed on NEOathletics.com, ($) which is a paid live stream. The Butler radio broadcast, however, is free. Dennis Higgins has the call, and it can be heard on 98.7 FM and 1330 AM KNSS (audacy.com/knss) with the pregame show starting at 2:30pm.

PREVIEW

Butler quarterback Tanner Murray is coming off his best statistical performance as a Grizzly as he was named the KJCCC offensive player of the week for his performance vs. Indy. Murray threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns to go with an interception while leading the Grizzlies with 49 rushing yards on seven carries (7 YPC). He looks to help lead the offensive progression for as the Grizzlies rolled up 367 total yards of offense in week three vs. Indy, a season high. They face a Norsemen defense that has given up 40-plus points in all three games this season.

NEO lost 44-0 to Indy week one at home, 48-0 at Kilgore week two and 42-0 to Navarro at home in week three. The Norsemen are looking to get on the scoreboard for the first time in week four against the Grizzlies, but the Butler defense has other plans. Last week, the Butler defense allowed only 49 total rushing yards to Indy and finished with 11 tackles for loss. Butler has progressively improved at getting into opponents backfields as had six tackles for loss at Garden City, 10 vs. Highland and 11 vs. Indy last week. Defensive lineman Marlin Dean leads the way for Butler with five tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble vs. Indy. Safe to say the Grizzly defensive line is firing on all cylinders ahead of week four.

The Butler special teams unit will look to block an extra point and return it for two points for a fourth straight week. Last week Butler blocked two field goals and an extra point, all in the first half. Defensive back Ashton Levells was named KJCCC special teams player of the week as he blocked a field goal and extra point, his second and third blocks of the season.

THE MATCHUP

Saturday marks the 12th all time meeting between Butler and NEO. Butler leads the all-time series 6-5 with the first meeting coming in 1981. The last meeting between the two schools was the 2018 Midwest Classic Bowl at NEO's home field as Butler defeated the Norsemen 34-30 in the postseason game. The Grizzlies have won five straight games against the Norsemen, with the Midwest Classic Bowl in 2018 becoming the first meeting since the 2001 season opener. The Grizzlies are 2-1 against NEO in bowl games. Butler has a storied tradition with NEO and some classic matchups. The Grizzlies first ever national championship came on Nov. 22, 1981, against the Norsemen with a 21-14 win in the Rodeo Bowl in Arkansas City, Kansas as Butler ended NEO's 23-game win streak. The Grizzlies shut out the Norsemen in the second half, outscoring them 14-0.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

No. 15 Butler overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and held on late for a 34-30 victory over No. 10 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 34-30 to win the Midwest Classic Bowl on December 2, 2018.

Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, Butler (8-4 overall, 5-2 KJCCC) rallied with three consecutive touchdowns for a 26-21 lead, then added a game-winning touchdown with 4:35 remaining to earn its first bowl win since 2011.

Butler quarterback Trae Self, who earned offensive MVP honors, scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 7-yard keeper. Self then added a two-point conversion pass to Darren Wilson for a 34-28 lead.

The Grizzly defense ended NEO's hopes for a comeback bid with two interceptions on the final two possessions - including a game-ending interception by Robert Hatchett on a Hail Mary attempt on the game's final play.

LAST TIME OUT FOR BUTLER

Butler defeated Indy 26-20 at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Saturday, Sept. 16. Butler outgained Indy in total yards 367 to 362 although the Pirates ran 20 more offensive plays at 77 to 57. Butler outrushed the Pirates 122 to 49. Murray finished 12-of-25 for 245 yards, a career-high, and two touchdowns as well as an interception. He also led the Grizzlies with 49 rushing yards on seven carries. Wide receiver Jamarion McDougle (Deerfield Beach, FL) led the Grizzly pass catchers with 82 yards on two receptions, one being a 61-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put Butler ahead 8-6. The Grizzlies outscored Indy 11-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Butler moved above .500, at 2-1, for the first time this season following the win. Indy moved to 2-2 and 1-1 in KJCCC play.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE RANKINGS?

The Grizzlies (2-1, 2-1) moved up a spot to 11th in the week four NJCAA D1 football poll. This ranking comes after Butler took down unranked Indy at home, 26-20 in week three. The Grizzlies have been ranked in 19 straight polls with the last time they were unranked being the 2022 preseason poll. Butler is the second-highest ranked KJCCC team behind only top ranked Hutchinson (3-0, 0-0). Garden City (2-2, 1-0) slotted in at No. 14 for a second straight week while Dodge City (2-1, 2-0)  is receiving votes.

Butler has two future non KJCCC opponents that were ranked as Iowa Western (4-0) is No. 2 and Iowa Central 32-1) moved up from No. 6 to No. 4.

NJCAA RANKINGS

Receiving Votes: Dodge City, Monroe, Lackawanna, Northeast Mississippi, New Mexico Military

KJCCC STANDINGS