Southwest Missouri State’s football team is 2-0 and coming off a victory against then 23rd-ranked Hampton.

It’s the first time SMS has started a season with consecutive victories since 1989. Coach Randy Ball doesn’t have any delusions about which team will be favored, however, when his Bears play 0-2 Kansas tonight at Memorial Stadium.

“The bottom line is they’re a Big 12 school,” he said, “and we’re a I-AA institution.”

Southwest Missouri State gave the Jayhawks a game in last season’s opener at KU. SMS was within four points before Derick Mills hauled in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Zach Dyer late in the first half. Kansas, which overcame four turnovers, shut SMS down in the second half of a 24-10 victory.

It helped, of course, that the Bears missed three field-goal attempts.

“They almost beat us,” sophomore defensive tackle Travis Watkins said. “They probably should have beat us. They had two dropped passes in the end zone.”

Things have gone better for SMS since then. The Bears finished 2001 with four straight victories to salvage a winning record at 6-5. They picked up where they left off with victories over East Central and Hampton this season.

The Bears pulled out a 28-26 victory at Hampton, despite the fact that starting quarterback Ryan Porter was knocked out of the game with a bruised sternum. Backup Mike White completed 8-of-16 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters.

Ball said Porter, a junior who has completed 20-of-36 passes for 231 yards, will start Saturday.

The Bears’ ground attack is led by tailback Eddie Linscomb. After rushing for 984 yards as a junior, Linscomb has 199 yards through two games.

“He’s been slowed by injuries a little bit all fall camp,” Ball said. “If we can ever get him healthy he’d be an outstanding running back. He’s doing OK, but he’s a lot better player than what he’s shown in games to this point.”

Backup Steve Ennis has run for 84 yards and two of the Bears’ three rushing touchdowns.

Southwest Missouri State’s most versatile offensive weapon is Olathe South graduate Beno Gore.

“We moved him from running back to wideout because we wanted to utilize his running ability in the open space,” Ball said.

“He’s an explosive guy. We’d like to get the ball in his hands in the open field or in situations where he’s one-on-one with somebody because the majority of the time he’ll make them miss.”

Gore, who’s dangerous on reverse plays, has rushed five times for 68 yards. He also has caught two of the Bears’ three TD passes.

The Bears’ leading receiver, however, is Mark Marcos, who has 10 receptions for 142 yards.

Southwest Missouri State’s defense has allowed an average of 340 yards per game. The Bears have forced three turnovers, including an interception linebacker Darryl Robinson returned for a touchdown.

Though Division I teams are usually expected to roll over Division I-AA opponents, the Jayhawks won’t take anything for granted.

“They’re 2-0, and we’re 0-2,” Watkins said. “We should have respect for them. They’ve beaten some good teams. They’re playing really well, and they’re going to be hyped to play a Division I team. We have to respect everyone.”