2001 Southwest Missouri State Bears football team

2001 Southwest Missouri State Bears football
Conference	Gateway Football Conference
Record	6–5 (3–4 GFC)
Head coach	Randy Ball (3rd season)
Home stadium	Plaster Sports Complex

2001 Gateway Football Conference standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Northern Iowa $^		6	–	1					11	–	3
No. 12 Western Kentucky ^		5	–	2					8	–	4
No. 15 Youngstown State		5	–	2					8	–	3
Western Illinois		4	–	3					5	–	5
Southwest Missouri State		3	–	4					6	–	5
Indiana State		2	–	5					3	–	8
Illinois State		2	–	5					2	–	9
Southern Illinois		1	–	6					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2001 Southwest Missouri State Bears football team represented Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State University) as a member of the Gateway Football Conference (GFC) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Randy Ball, the Bears compiled an overall record of 6–5, with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, and finished fifth in the GFC.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 1	at Kansas*	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	L 10–24	37,500	[1]
September 8	Midwestern State*	Plaster Sports Complex Springfield, MO	W 28–6	500	[2]
September 15	at Southeast Missouri State*	Houck Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	W 31–28	8,680	[3]
September 22	at No. 8 Western Kentucky	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	L 7–23	9,500	[4]
October 6	No. 18 Northern Iowa	Plaster Sports Complex Springfield, MO	L 3–27	12,592	[5]
October 13	at No. 5 Youngstown State	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	L 20–41		[6]
October 20	Indiana State	Plaster Sports Complex Springfield, MO	L 19–25	13,662	[7]
October 27	at No. 16 Western Illinois	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	W 43–28	5,187	[8]
November 3	Drake*	Plaster Sports Complex Springfield, MO	W 63–14		[9]
November 10	at Southern Illinois	McAndrew Stadium Carbondale, IL	W 25–24	2,140	[10]
November 17	Illinois State	Plaster Sports Complex Springfield, MO	W 48–31	5,540	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Bedraggled Jayhawks take out SMS". The Salina Journal. September 2, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Delayed gratification for SMS". The Springfield News-Leader. September 9, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "In Cape Girardeau, a game gives fans reason to cheer". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 16, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Hilltoppers hit their stride, 23–7". Messenger-Inquirer. September 23, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Power run game carries Panthers into league lead". The Des Moines Register. October 7, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Youngstown State handles SMS". The Courier. October 14, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Fourth-quarter failure; SMS gives up 18 points in final period losing homecoming tilt". The Springfield News-Leader. October 21, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "SMS springs upset on No. 16 Western Illinois". The Springfield News-Leader. October 28, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "S.W. Missouri State cruises after solid start by Drake". The Des Moines Register. November 4, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "SMS stuns Dawgs". Southern Illinoisan. November 11, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "SMS proves to be a bear to stop as ISU ends at 2–9". The Pantagraph. November 18, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.