Pittsburg State University athletics director/head football coach Chuck Broyles announced Friday PSU has signed a one-year contract with Chadron State College to extend the series between the Gorillas and the Eagles into the 2010 season.
Chadron State will travel to Pittsburg on Sept. 4, 2010, for a scheduled Noon (CDT) kickoff. The game completes Pitt State's 2010 schedule and gives the Gorillas a sixth home game for the season.
The Eagles, the three-time defending champions of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the No. 9 team in the final 2008 AFCA Division II Top 25 poll, have posted a 35-4 combined record the past three years, advancing to the NCAA-II national quarterfinals in 2006-07 and reaching the NCAA-II second round in 2008.
Chadron, which posted an 11-2 record in 2008, had its season end with a 20-10 loss to eventual national champion Minnesota Duluth last year. The Gorillas also scored a dramatic 38-31 win over the Eagles on Sept. 6 at Chadron, Neb., with quarterback Mark Smith breaking loose for a 61-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 1:45 remaining.
"We are very excited to extend our series with Chadron State for a third year in 2010," said Broyles, who has compiled a 193-41-2 record, 15 trips to the NCAA-II playoffs and four appearances in the DII national championship game in 19 seasons leading his alma mater.
"Last year, the Gorillas were fortunate to win a hard-fought contest between two top 10 programs on the road. We expect Coach (Bill) O'Boyle and his staff to bring outstanding teams down to Pittsburg the next two seasons. I think we benefit from the challenge of early season games against high-quality teams like Chadron and Central Oklahoma, and certainly it's important to play at home when we have the opportunity to do so in non-conference scheduling."
Chadron State is expected to return 14 starters (nine offense, five defense) from its 2008 squad, including senior wide receivers Brandon Harrington and Isaac Stockton, who combined to catch 151 passes for 1,629 yards and 19 TDs last year.
