# 2016 Missouri Southern Lions football team

The 2016 Missouri Southern Lions football team represented Missouri Southern State University in the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. The Lions played their home games in Fred G. Hughes Stadium in Joplin, Missouri, as they have done since 1975. 2016 was the 48th season in school history. The Lions were led by second-year head coach, Denver Johnson. Missouri Southern has been a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association since 1989.

## Preseason

The Lions entered the 2016 season after finishing in 11th place last season with a record of 1–10, under Johnson. On August 2, 2016 at the MIAA Football Media Day, the Lions were chosen to finish in 10th place in the Coaches Poll, and 11th in the Media Poll.

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Along with Johnson, there were 9 assistants.
| Name | Position | Seasons at MSSU | Alma Mater |
| Denver Johnson | Head Coach | 2 | Tulsa (1981) |
| Kenny Evans | Defensive Coordinator | 2 | Northeastern State (1982) |
| Corey Fipps | Offensive Coordinator | 2 | Harding (2004) |
| Charles Alexander | Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator | 2 | Ohio State (2002) |
| Bill Bleil | Offensive Line | 1 | NM Highlands (1982) |
| Rashad Watson | Secondary | 4 | Alabama A&M (2002) |
| Bret Story | Wide Receivers | 2 | Newberry (2003) |
| Josh Dalton | Running Backs | 2 | Missouri Southern (2002) |
| Caleb Lewis | Kickers | 2 | Missouri Southern (1999) |
| Darius Hart | Defensive Line | 1 | Oklahoma State (2011) |
| Reference: ||||

### Roster
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 7:00 pm | at Fort Hays State | Lewis Field StadiumHays, KS | L 10–22 | 4,134 |
| September 10 | 6:00 pm | Missouri Western | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | L 14–51 | 4,274 |
| September 17 | 2:00 pm | at Emporia State | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | L 21–49 | 5,304 |
| September 24 | 6:00 pm | No. 1 Northwest Missouri State | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | L 21–45 | 5,267 |
| October 1 | 2:00 pm | at Nebraska–Kearney | Ron & Carol Cope StadiumKearney, NE | W 24–14 | 2,005 |
| October 8 | 3:00 pm | Washburn | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | L 13–45 | 5,674 |
| October 15 | 6:00 pm | Central Missouri | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | L 7–56 | 2,526 |
| October 22 | 2:00 pm | at Central Oklahoma | Wantland StadiumEdmond, OK | L 42–63 | 1,985 |
| October 29 | 2:00 pm | Northeastern State | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | W 45–33 | 4,236 |
| November 5 | 1:30 pm | at Lindenwood | Harlen C. Hunter StadiumSt. Charles, MO | L 28–42 | 1,563 |
| November 12 | 3:30 pm | Pittsburg State | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO (Miner's Bowl) | L 31–45 | 5,748 |
| HomecomingRankings from American Football Coaches Association Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||

## Game summaries
### Fort Hays State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| • Fort Hays State | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 22 |

### Missouri Western

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Missouri Western | 7 | 21 | 6 | 17 | 51 |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 14 |

### Emporia State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • Emporia State | 28 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 49 |

### Northwest Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #1 Northwest Missouri State | 0 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
| Missouri Southern | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 21 |

### Nebraska–Kearney

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Missouri Southern | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### Washburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Washburn | 3 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 45 |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |

### Central Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Central Missouri | 14 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 56 |
| Missouri Southern | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Central Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| • Central Oklahoma | 14 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 63 |

### Northeastern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northeastern State | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 33 |
| • Missouri Southern | 7 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 45 |

### Lindenwood

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri Southern | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| • Lindenwood | 0 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 42 |

## Pittsburg State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Pittsburg State | 14 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
| Missouri Southern | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |