Football | 12/16/2011 2:04:00 PM
November 12, 2011-One week after leaving a game with concussion like symptons in the third quarter against Southwest Baptist, Emporia State’s Tyler Eckenrode was 26 of 42 for 282 yards and a touchdown but it wasn’t enough as the Hornets fell 62-21 at #11 Northwest Missouri State. ESU gave up a season high 349 yards rushing and allowed both an interception return and punt return for touchdowns in the loss.
The Hornets failed on an attempted on-side kick to open the game when the kick failed to go ten yards. The Bearcats took advantage and went 41 yards on six plays to take a 7-0 lead on a three yard run by Jordan Simmons. ESU answered with an eight play, 58 yard drive and tied the score on Adrian Abner’s three yard touchdown run with 6:47 left in the quarter. Tyler Chilson would pin the Bearcats down at the one yard line with a 36 yard punt with 3:21 left in the quarter. James Franklin busted through the line for a 74 yard run on first down and two plays later Simmons hauled in a 23 yard pass from Trevor Adams for a 14-7 lead at the end of the quarter.
Simmons made it 21-7 with a 43 yard run to open the second quarter and Bryce Enyard returned a running back option pass by LaDarrian Page 59 yards to go up 28-7 with 6:46 left in the half. The Bearcats were driving to make it 35-7 and had it on the Hornets seven yard line when Vince Harris intercepted Adams and returned it to the ESU 30 yard line. Eckenrode then led the Hornets on a seven play, 70 yard drive to make it 28-14 with 23 seconds left in the half. The score came on an acrobatic catch by Shjuan Richardson in the end-zone of a 26 yard pass.
Northwest Missouri would put the game away with 24 points in the third quarter and would score 34 straight before ESU got on the board with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Adrian Abner to Matt Coursen at the end of the fourth quarter.
The Hornets ended the game with 386 yards of total offense but gave up 603 yards to the Bearcats. Page led ESU with 63 yards on 13 carries. Ray Ray Davis was Eckenrode’s favorite target with seven catches for 99 yards.
Franklin had 229 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns for NWMSU while Adams was 18 of 30 for 254 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Jordan Sanders led ESU with a career high 15 tackles while Wayne Burgess and Vince Harris had interceptions for the Hornets.
ESU will now await their post season fate. Should the MIAA get four teams into the playoffs, the Hornets are in the mix for a bowl bid as the sixth place team in the MIAA.
NOTES:
Eckenrode moved into second place in single season passing yardage at ESU with 2,580 yards.
Eckenrode moved into third place in career passing yardage with 4,289 yards in three years.
###HORNETS###
