Where Colin Bado goes tonight, Haskell Indian Nations University football defenders are sure to follow.

Bado led all of NCAA Division II in receptions last season with 88, so the Missouri Southern senior has to be a focus in the Fightin’ Indians season opener.

“Obviously, he has a big star on his head,” HINU coach Eric Brock said, “so the awareness is there.”

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at Haskell Stadium.

Bado, a suburban Dallas product, has been tapped a preseason All-American even though he hardly looks the part of a classic wide receiver at 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds.

“He’s a little guy, but he can run,” Brock said. “And they move him around so you can’t double him. We don’t want to focus on him, though, and let another guy have a big day.”

Missouri Southern also boasts a veteran quarterback in Adam Hinspeter, a junior who is built more like a tight end at 6-4, 245 pounds but who has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and for 30 touchdowns in the last two seasons.

Haskell’s attack appears more balanced. Brock has two quality wide receivers in senior Hunter Smith and junior Kaleb Harris, but he also has a pair of skilled running backs in soph Bubba Wills and freshman speedster Quentin Haynes.

Victor Ramos, a red-shirt freshman, will be the quarterback, and he’ll be operating behind an inexperienced offensive line, leading to speculation the Indians could struggle, particularly against an NCAA Div. II school.

Missouri Southern, located in Joplin, Mo., is a member of the MIAA, a conference that includes Sunflower State powerhouses Pittsburg State and Washburn. The Lions finished 5-6 a year ago, including a 3-6 league record, but four of the losses were by 10 points or less.

In other words, the Lions, even though they’re picked seventh in the MIAA preseason poll, are obviously a cut above the NAIA-affiliated Indians.

“I guess they’d be coming in here expecting a win,” HINU wide receiver Harris said. “But we’re very excited. We welcome the challenge.”

Because Haskell is an independent, the Indians have difficulty filling the schedule. This year, for example, HINU will have only four home games, including tonight’s opener.

“We were having a hard time finding someone,” Brock said, when asked why he had scheduled MSU, “and they needed an away game, and they’re paying a guarantee to come here.”

Brock declined to divulge the amount of the guarantee, but it’s unusual for a school to pay a guarantee for a road game. Customarily, teams travel only when the home team offers them a guarantee.

Regardless, tonight’s game won’t make or break the Indians’ season. Their goal is to post a plus-.500 record after last year’s 2-9 disappointment.

“Right now we’re working on gelling and becoming a team that will be able to handle the good and the bad,” Brock said. “We don’t want to get too cocky when things go well, and get too down when things are going bad.”

Haskell’s next game will be a week from Saturday, also at home, against South Dakota Tech.