The 2018 Missouri State Bears football team represented Missouri State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Dave Steckel, the Bears compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing ninth in the MVFC. Missouri State played home games at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| 7:00 p.m. | at Oklahoma State* | | | FS1 | L 17–58 | 50,103 |
| 10:00 a.m. | Lincoln (MO)* | | | ESPN3 | W 52–24 | 1,284 |
| September 15 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 20 Northern Arizona* | | - Robert W. Plaster Stadium
- Springfield, MO
| ESPN3 | W 40–8 | 7,217 |
| September 29 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 9 Illinois State | | - Robert W. Plaster Stadium
- Springfield, MO
| ESPN+ | W 24–21 | 12,224 |
| October 6 | 2:00 p.m. | at South Dakota | No. 24 | | ESPN3 | L 28–35 | 10,092 |
| October 13 | 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana State | | | ESPN+ | W 29–26 | 6,721 |
| October 20 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | | - Robert W. Plaster Stadium
- Springfield, MO
| ESPN+ | L 14–31 | 12,109 |
| October 27 | 2:00 p.m. | Southern Illinois | | - Robert W. Plaster Stadium
- Springfield, MO
| ESPN+ | L 35–49 | 6,374 |
| November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 7 South Dakota State | | | ESPN+ | L 7–59 | 5,869 |
| November 10 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | | - Robert W. Plaster Stadium
- Springfield, MO
| ESPN+ | L 7–48 | 5,224 |
| November 17 | 4:00 p.m. | at Northern Iowa | | | ESPN+ | L 0–37 | 10,072 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
|
[1][2]
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
|---|
| STATS FCS | — | — | — | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | |
|---|
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | |
|---|
Preseason
Preseason MVFC poll
The MVFC released their preseason poll on July 29, 2018, with the Bears predicted to finish in ninth place.[3]
Preseason All-MVFC Teams
The Bears placed three players on the preseason all-MVFC teams.[4]
|
Offense
2nd team
Marquis Prophete – OL
|
Defense
1st team
Angelo Garbut – LB
2nd team
Darius Joseph – DB
|
Game summaries
At Oklahoma State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bears
|
0
|
7
|
10
|
0 |
17 |
| Cowboys
|
17
|
14
|
14
|
13 |
58 |
Lincoln (MO)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Blue Tigers
|
10
|
0
|
7
|
7 |
24 |
| Bears
|
7
|
28
|
10
|
7 |
52 |
Northern Arizona
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 20 Lumberjacks
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
2 |
8 |
| Bears
|
10
|
13
|
10
|
7 |
40 |
Illinois State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 9 Redbirds
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
7 |
21 |
| Bears
|
3
|
7
|
7
|
7 |
24 |
At South Dakota
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 24 Bears
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
0 |
28 |
| Coyotes
|
14
|
3
|
10
|
8 |
35 |
At Indiana State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bears
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
8 |
29 |
| Sycamores
|
0
|
10
|
7
|
9 |
26 |
Western Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Leathernecks
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
14 |
31 |
| Bears
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
7 |
14 |
Southern Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Salukis
|
0
|
21
|
21
|
7 |
49 |
| Bears
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
14 |
35 |
At South Dakota State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bears
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
0 |
7 |
| No. 7 Jackrabbits
|
7
|
31
|
7
|
14 |
59 |
North Dakota State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 1 Bison
|
20
|
14
|
14
|
0 |
48 |
| Bears
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
7 |
At Northern Iowa
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bears
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
| Panthers
|
10
|
10
|
7
|
10 |
37 |
References
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| Bowls & rivalries | |
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| Seasons | |
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