#24 EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL HEADS TO LINCOLN

Football | 10/2/2013 11:02:00 AM

Game #5
#24 Emporia State Hornets (4-0, 4-0 MIAA)
at Lincoln Blue Tigers (1-3, 0-3 MIAA)
Sat. Oct. 5, 2013 • 2:00 p.m. • Dwight Reed Stadium (5,500) • Jefferson City, Mo.
Series Record: ESU leads 3-2
Last Meeting: ESU 37, LU 26 (Sept. 29, 2012)
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9), 1:00 p.m. Pregame  TV: None
Internet (Audio): www.kvoe.com Internet (Video): americaonesports.com ($8 per game)
Up Next: ESU vs. Southwest Baptist • Saturday, October 12 • 2:37 p.m.
Jones Field at Welch Stadium (7,000) • Emporia, Kan.

BACK EAST  
Emporia State will venture east for the first time this year as they travel to Jefferson City, Mo. to take on Lincoln. The Hornets are looking to go 5-0 for the second straight year.

LAST TIME OUT
Brent Wilson moved into a tie for fourth in single season touchdown passes as Emporia State defeated Northeastern State 45-24 at Jones Field at Welch Stadium. Wilson went 27 of 41 for 410 yards and five touchdowns and added 75 rushing yards on 13 carries for the Hornets. He found seven different receivers on the day. Austin Willis, the nations leader in receiving yards entering the game, finished with nine catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns.  Kavaski Ervin ended with six catches for 93 yards, two touchdowns and a blocked punt. Ray Ray Davis had six receptions for 74 yards and a score. Wilson led the Hornets in rushing with 75 yards while Antonio Brown had ten carries for 51 yards and a score. Deshawn Dinwiddie had 11 tackles and a sack to lead the Hornet defense.

THE?COACHES
Garin Higgins has compiled a career record of 84-47 in his 12th season as a head coach. He led the Hornets to ten wins for just the second time in school history last year. He is 33-38 in his seventh season at his alma mater and is 24-14 over the last three seasons. He had a 51-9 career record as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma, including two trips to the national championship game. Higgins was a quarterback for Emporia State from 1987-90 and was on the 1989 national runners-up team. He is 2-0 against Lincoln.
Mike Jones is 3-23 in his third year at Lincoln. He is 0-2 against ESU.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is ranked in the top ten nationally in total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency, completion percentage and first downs. Austin Willis is leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns while Brent Wilson is ranked in the top three in passing yards, passing efficiency, touchdown passes, and points responsible for.  

SCOUTING?THE BLUE TIGERS
Lincoln is 1-3 on the year, 0-3 in the MIAA with their win coming against NCAA FCS member Grambling in front of 20,156 in Arrowhead Stadium. The Blue Tigers rank fourth in the MIAA in rushing offense as Morris Henderson is averaging 115.2 yards per game to rank third in the league individually. Henderson is leading the MIAA in kick returns at 31.8 yards per return including a 100 yard return against Grambling.

THE SERIES
Emporia State has won the last three games to take a 3-2 series lead.  The first meeting between the two was a 21-6 victory by Lincoln in the 1958 Mineral Water Bowl.  

LAST TIME AGAINST LINCOLN
Emporia State connected on an MIAA record seven field goals by three different players on their way to a 37-26 victory over Lincoln at Welch Stadium.  Tyler Eckenrode finished the day 22 of 36 for 197 yards through the air and added 52 rushing yards on 12 carries. Derwin Hall led Emporia State in rushing with 60 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns.  Shjuan Richardson had a team high seven receptions for 66 yards as nine different Hornets caught a pass.

UP NEXT
The Hornets return to Welch Stadium for Homecoming against Southwest Baptist on October 12. Kick-off for the MIAA Television Game of the Week is set for 2:37 p.m.

LAST LOOK AT NORTHEASTERN STATE
After going 12 of 23 for 214 yards in the first half, Brent Wilson was 13 of 14 for 177 yards and two touchdown in the third quarter and first two plays of the fourth quarter as Emporia State took a 38-17 lead against Northeastern State.  The RiverHawks are ranked second in the MIAA in pass defense and were giving up just 145.7 yards per game and five passing touchdowns on the season before the Hornets posted 411 yards and five touchdowns through the air on Saturday.
 
THE POLLS SAY
The Hornets remained #24 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Poll. The Hornets are one of five MIAA teams in the Top 25. Emporia State has received votes in the last 15 polls dating back to Sept. 17, 2012.  The Hornets stayed #24 in the D2Football.com poll this week as well.  
Despite the national recognition, Emporia State was slated for seventh in both the MIAA Coaches and Media Preseason Polls. The Hornets did garner one first place vote in the media poll. There was a clear split in the voting of both polls. The Hornets were almost as close to first as they were to eighth in the coaches poll.  Emporia State was just 46 points behind co-favorites Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri in the coaches poll and were 43 points in front of Ft. Hays State, who came in eighth. The Hornets were one of four teams to pick up a first place vote in the media poll.  The gap between seventh and eighth was the largest point differential in both polls.

THAT'S OFFENSIVE
Emporia State is ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency, completion percentage, and first downs.  The Hornets are averaging 44.0 points per game and have scored at least 28 points in 16 of their last 20 games.

LEADING THE WAY
Quarterback Brent Wilson (So./Ponca City, Okla.) is second in the nation in total offense,  points responsible for, and touchdown passes and is ranked third in passing efficiency and passing yards. He leads the MIAA in points responsible for, completions, passing touchdowns, and passing yards and is second in the league in passing efficiency.  He went 27 of 41 for 410 yards and five touchdowns with 75 rushing yards on 13 carries agaisnt Northeastern State. He was 11 of 12 for 129 yards in the third quarter alone against the RiverHawks. He was named MIAA, D2Football.com and BSN National Offensive Player of the Week after setting MIAA records for passing yards, total offense and touchdown passes at Central Oklahoma.  He was 38 of 47 for 522 yards with seven touchdowns against the Bronchos and added 49 yards rushing for a total of 571 yards. He was 21 of 28 for 295 yards and four touchdowns in the first half in Edmond.  He went 23 of 34 for 297 yards with four touchdowns against Neb.-Kearney. He was the first quarterback in Emporia State history to throw for over 300 yards in his first start as he went 21 of 29 for 301 yards and three touchdowns against Ft. Hays State.  He also ran for 74 yards on 13 carries with a pair of rushing touchdowns for 375 yards of total offense. He saw action in nine games as a true freshman in 2012 and was three for four for 70 yards and a touchdown over his last three games. He threw for 2,747 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at Ponca City HS.

THE FIFTH ELEMENT
Quarterback Corben Jones (Fr.-RS/Yukon, Okla.) was one for three for 19 yards in his Hornet debut. He carried the ball four times for a total of seven yards against the Tigers. He redshirted last season following an All-State career at Yukon HS. He threw for 1,999 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior and had over 7,000 career passing yards for Yukon HS.

WITHIN REASON
Quarterback Ty Reasnor (Fr./Cashion, Okla.) will likely travel as the third quarterback to start the season for Emporia State. He earned first-team Class A All-State honors as he threw for 3,562 yards and 48 touchdowns with just three interceptions to lead Cashion HS to a 13-1 record as a senior.

WHAT YOU TALKIN' ABOUT
Receiver Austin Willis  (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdown catches, and is ranked 13th in scoring, 15th in receptions, and 17th in all-prpose yardage. He leads the MIAA in receiving yards and touchdown catches and is ranked second in receptions, fourth in scoring and fifth in all-purpose yards. He had nine catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Northeastern State. He is the first Hornet to have over 125 yards receiving in four straight games as an NCAA Division II school and is the only MIAA player to have over 100 yards receiving in every game this season. He had eight catches for 196 yards and a touchdown against Central Oklahoma. He had six catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns against Neb.-Kearney. He caught nine passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns at Fort Hays State.  He also had a rush for 18 yards to give him 234 all-purpose yards. The 216 yards are the most by a Hornet since Shjuan Richardson caught 11 passes for 217 yards against Truman last season. He is averaging 21.9 yards per catch on the season. Of his 32 receptions on the year, 12 have gone for more than 25 yards including three catches for over 60 yards. He has already passed his yardage total for last season when he caught 26 passes for 326 yards as a sophomore. Also a member of the Hornet track team, his 74 yard touchdown catch gave Emporia State the lead at Southwest Baptist and was the fourth longest play from scrimmage last year for the Hornets. He has 1,037 yards on 59 receptions in his career for a 17.6 yard average per catch..
 
TARHEEL TORNADO
Receiver Ray Ray Davis (Sr./Indian Trail, N.C.) is ranked second in the nation in touchdown receptions and is eighth in the nation in receptions per game. He leads the MIAA in receptions, is second in touchdown catches and sixth in receiving yards. He had six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown against Northeastern State. He had an MIAA record five touchdown catches and finished with 16 receptions for 181 yards against Central Oklahoma. The 16 receptions are the most by a Hornet since Jarrett Vito's school record 21 catches against Truman in 1995. He caught eight passes for 94 yards against Neb.-Kearney. He had five catches for 35 yards against Fort Hays State. He earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors after catching 61 passes for 899 yards and eight touchdowns. He is a versatile athlete who caught and threw a touchdown pass in the Kanza Bowl.  He had five catches for 50 yards and two carries for 19 yards at Washburn, including his second straight rushing touchdown off a direct snap. He had a career high 138 yards on nine catches at Northwest Missouri and scored a touchdown on a five yard rush. He caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown against Missouri Western. He had five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns at Truman. He caught seven passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against Lindenwood. He had 97 yards on six catches at Northeastern State following a six reception, 91 yard day against Central Oklahoma. As a sophomore he was sixth in the MIAA in receptions with 50 catches for 540 yards and four touchdowns in ten games. He has 146 catches for 1,823 yards and 19 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Hornets.

MAGIC
Receiver Kavaski Ervin (So./Mesquite, Texas) had a break out game with six catches for 93 yards with two touchdowns and he also blocked a punt against Northeastern State. He had three catches for 40 yards at Central Oklahoma. He played at both receiver and corner back last season. He was the only Hornet to have a rush of over 25 yards and a reception of over 40 yards last season. He was credited with two tackles at Northwest Missouri. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch last year including a 42 yard touchdown reception against Central Oklahoma before moving over to defense against Truman.

BIG FOOTE
Mitchell Foote (Fr.-RS/Enid, Okla.) had two catches for 29 yards against Northeastern State. He  caught a five yard touchdown pass the first time he set foot on the field for the Hornets with a five yard touchdown on a fade against Neb.-Kearney. He was a first-team All-State selection and was Enid HS's all-time leader with 102 receptions for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns in his career.

MORE TARGETS
A total of 12 players have caught at least one pass this season. Drake Smithon (So./Woodward, Okla.) had a 17 yard catch against Northeastern State. He had four catches for 34 yards last season after transferring from Oklahoma State. Dyland Walker (So./Schertz, Texas) had a 44 yard touchdown at Washburn last season.

HIGHWAY 99 ALL-STAR
H-back Josh Klumpe (Sr./Olpe, Kan.) caught two passes for 38 yards against Northeastern State. He had a career high five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown at Central Oklahoma. He has 11 catches for 108 yards in his first three games. He had three catches for 28 yards against Neb.-Kearney and three catches for 25 yards against Fort Hays State with a long of 13 yards. He had three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in the final two regular season games last year. He had two receptions for 63 yards and a score at Washburn. He pulled in a 32 yard pass at Northwest Missouri.

THAT'S A DOZIE
Running back Dozie Iwuagwa (Sr./Pittsburg, Calif.) is ranked eighth in the MIAA and 74th in the nation in rushing yards. He only carried the ball five times against Northeastern State for 26 yards and added one reception for seven yards. He went for 90 yards on 16 carries at Central Oklahoma. He had a career high 123 yards on 19 carries against Neb.-Kearney. He had a then career high 86 yards on 18 carries against Ft. Hays State. He was the first Hornet to rush for over 85 yards in each of the first three games of a season since Tyler Paul hit that mark in the first five games of 2003.  He had 357 yards on 91 carries with six touchdowns last season. He led Emporia State with 79 yards on 14 carries with a career high three touchdowns at Truman. He was the first Hornet to have three rushing touchdowns in a game since Page at Southwest Baptist in 2011. He had a then career high 18 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns at Northeastern State last year. He also had four catches for 54 yards to end with 134 all-purpose yards.  

TICE IS NICE
Running back Jordan Tice (Jr./Osage City, Kan.) had a season high 43 yards on eight carries at Central Oklahoma. He had nine carries for 36 yards against Neb.-Kearney. He carried the ball 13 times for 38 yards at Ft. Hays State. He had 320 yards on 82 carries last season with two touchdowns. He led Emporia State with 12 carries for 67 yards at Southwest Baptist. He had a career high 91 yards on 12 carries against Central Oklahoma. He had ten carries for 33 yards and a touchdown at Neb.-Kearney. He had 88 yards from scrimmage on 14 carries and four catches with a touchdown against Ft. Hays State. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry with a touchdown as a freshman.

BROWN AND SERVE
Running back Antonio Brown (Fr.-RS/St. Louis, Mo.) had ten carries for 51 yards and a touchdown against Northeastern State. He had seven carries for 19 yards and added a 19 yard reception in his Hornet debut against Ft. Hays State. He was a first-team All-State selection at Christian Brothers HS in St. Louis. He scored 46 touchdowns with over 2600 rushing yards combined as a junior and senior. He had four games with over 200 yards rushing as a senior.

JOSHING AROUND
Running back Josh Matthews (Sr./McKinney, Texas) had six carries for 29 yards in his Hornet debut at Ft. Hays State. He transferred to Emporia State last year from Drake where he played in 22 games as a defensive back for the Bulldogs. He is the brother of Hornet defensive end Aaron Matthews.

PUTTING IT BLUNTLY
Tackle Aaron Blount (Jr./Garland, Texas) earned Squarehead Award honors for the Northeastern State Game. He was the Squarehead winner for the Truman and Northwest Missouri games last season. He was the first overall pick in the Hornets 2012 Spring Game Draft.
 
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU
Tackle Clayton Brown (Jr./Braymer, Mo.) earned Squarehead honors against Central Oklahoma. He was the Squarehead winner at Neb.-Kearney last season after transferring from Iowa Central CC.

A FEW GOOD MEN
Danny Goodman (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) has taken over the starting center spot for the Hornets and was named the Squarehead Award winner against Ft. Hays State.

OFF THE ICE
Guard Jarrett Stastny (Fr.-RS./Sanger, Texas) earned the Squarehead Award against Neb.-Kearney.

SCOOBY DOO
Guard Jordan McAdoo (So./Piedmont, Okla.) started eight games as well between the guard and tackle position and earned Squarehead honors against Lindenwood.

VINLAND
Garrett Ericson (Sr./Bronson, Kan.) worked his way into the starting line up against Ft. Hays State in his third year in the program after transferring from Ft. Scott CC.

QUALIFYING
Offensive tackle Jake Roepke (So./Fort Polk, La.) saw his first action against Central Oklahoma. He sat out the first two games while an eligibility issue was resolved. He was set to enroll at Emporia State in the fall of 2012 when his tour of duty with the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry of the 4th Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army was extended into the school year. He played at Butler CC one semester before enlisting in the Army and serving our country in Afghanistan.
 
TURF MONSTER
Tanner Surber (Jr./Osawatomie, Kan.) saw action in four games last season and is the main back up at both tackle positions.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Emporia State is ranked in the top five of the MIAA in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, pass defense efficiency and red zone defense. The Hornets are tied for the most red zone turnovers forced despite allowing the fourth fewest penetrations.

THE POST MAN
Safety Chris Poston (Sr./Oklahoma City, Okla.) returns for his final season and was on several preseason All-American watch lists. He is tied for the MIAA lead and ranked 32nd in the nation with two interceptions on the season. He had seven tackles and a sack against Northeastern State. He recorded seven tackles and had an interception at Central Oklahoma. He had eight tackles with an interception return for 23 yards, pass break up and tackle for loss against Neb.-Kearney. He had four interceptions last season with a season long 47 yard return at Neb.-Kearney and a 41 yard interception return against Texas A&M-Kingsville. He returned to safety and had nine tackles, 1.5 TFL and a pass break up at Washburn after recording five solo tackles and an interception while playing corner at Northwest Missouri. He recorded seven tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass break up against Missouri Western. He had eight tackles, including the final stop on fourth down at Northeastern State last season.  He was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick as a true freshman for the Hornets in 2008. He has nine career interceptions in 29 career games.

IT'S IN THE BAG
Safety Kadeem Satchell (Jr./Princeton, Texas) had five tackles against Northeastern State. He had nine tackles at Central Oklahoma to share the team lead. He had two solo tackles against Ft. Hays State including one tackle for a loss of five yards. He had 45 tackles last season including a career high ten stops with a pass break up against Missouri Western. He had seven tackles, including a tackle for loss against Lincoln in his first career start.  He had six total tackles in ten games as a freshman.

THE BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS
Cornerback Deveon Dinwiddie (Jr./Hutchinson, Kan.) had three tackles and a pass break up against Northeastern State. He led the Hornets with nine tackles, eight of them solo including a tackle for loss at Central Oklahoma. He had eight tackles against Neb.-Karney with a pass break up. He had three tackles and an interception return of 44 yards against Ft. Hays State. He also had a 23 yard kick-off return and a long punt return of 18 yards. He transferred from NCAA Division I-FCS Champion North Dakota State. He played running back and gained 206 yards on 29 carries in ten games as running back for the Bison last year. He rushed 143 times for a team-high 860 yards and 12 touchdowns for Hutchinson CC and returned four kickoffs for an average of 21.8 yards per return. He was rated a two-star prospect and the 15th best player in Kansas by Rivals.com and played an integral role in Hutchinson HS's four straight state championships.

BULL DOZIER
Cornerback Julian Dozier (Sr./Round Rock, Texas) was credited with three solo stops against Northeastern State. He had eight solo tackles and two pass breakups at Central Oklahoma. He had four solo tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He made his return to the line up against Ft. Hays State after missing most of last season. He saw action in the first two games last year before suffering a broken foot. He was named Defensive Player of the Game by the Hornet coaches after recording seven tackles with a forced fumble against Ft. Hays State last year. He had played in 35 straight games until his injury.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Cornerback Gary Fortune (Sr./Indian Head, Md.) is tied for the MIAA lead and ranked 32nd in the nation in interceptions with two. He had a fourth quarter interception that sealed the win against Central Oklahoma. He had a tackle and interception and a pass break up against Neb.-Kearney. He missed the final five games of last season with an ACL injury. He picked off two passes against Lindenwood and had two more pass break ups to go with four tackles before injuring his knee. He had four tackles at Southwest Baptist. He recorded five tackles and a pass break up against Lincoln. He had five tackles and a pass break up against Central Oklahoma after missing the Neb.-Kearney game with a hamstring injury. He had one tackle for loss against Ft. Hays State and added a 24 yard kick return after transferring from Ohio University.

SPARTACUS
Cornerback Jarrett Strode (So./St. Charles, Mo.) had three solo tackles and a pass break up against Ft. Hays State. As a freshman he moved into the starting line up late last year as injuries piled up in the Hornet secondary. He had 12 total tackles in seven games that included two starts last season after earning all-district honors for Francis Howell HS in St. Charles, Mo. as a senior in high school.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Brandon Gentz (So./Emporia, Kan.) has moved to safety after playing receiver last season. He had a career high five catches against Lincoln for 16 yards and had one catch for 37 yards against Ft. Hays State.

THE COLONEL
Linebacker Jordan Sanders (Sr./Warner Robins, Ga.) is averaging 8.3 tackles per game  oer three games to rank 13th in the MIAA. He recorded 13 tackles, ten of them solo, and was in on a tackle for loss against Neb.-Kearney. The ten solo tackles rank 25th in the nation for a single game this year. He had five tackles and a blocked PAT against Ft. Hays State and was named the Defensive Player of the Game by the Hornet coaching staff. He will return to the line-up after sitting out last game. He is back after earning honorable mention All-MIAA honors last season when he was second on the team with 97 total tackles. He is also being mentioned on some preseason All-America lists after grabbing at least ten tackles in each of the last three games, including a season high 15 in the Kanza Bowl against Texas A&M-Kingsville. He had ten tackles at Washburn. He had 11 tackles at Northwest Missouri. He led Emporia State with nine tackles, an interception, 1.5 tackle for loss, two pass break ups and a quarterback hurry against Lincoln. He had ten tackles and a fumble recovery against Central Oklahoma after recording ten tackles and a team high seven solo stops at Neb.-Kearney. He had three tackles and a sack against Ft. Hays State. He was the second leading returning tackler for the Hornets with 65 stops in just seven starts as a sophomore. He has 187 tackles in his three years at Emporia State.

STRIKER
Linebacker Tariq Allen (Jr./Irving, Texas) is ranked fourth in the MIAA in solo tackles and 19th in total tackles. He was credited with eight solo stops against Northeastern State. He had five tackles at Central Oklahoma. He had a career high 13 stops with a sack and a quarterback hurry against Neb.-Kearney. He had four tackles and was credited with the Big Stick Award against Ft. Hays State. He was rated among the top 20 inside linebackers in the country at #4 by ESPN and #16 by rivals.com as a senior at MacArthur HS before joining the Texas Longhorns.

THE GOVERNOR
Linebacker Deshawn Dinwiddie (Jr./Hutchinson, Kan.) is ranked second in solo tackles and 19th in total tackles in the MIAA. He cracked double figures in tackles for the first time against Northeastern State, ending with 11 total including one for a loss. He had seven tackles, a TFL and a pass break up at Central Oklahoma. He was credited with eight solo stops on his nine tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had three tackles and a fumble recovery against Ft. Hays State. He played in 21 games for NCAA Division I-FCS Champion North Dakota State before transferring to Emporia State. He recorded 24 tackles in 11 games as a sophomore for the Bison and played in 10 games as a true freshman, primarily on special teams. He was a second team all-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League Division I selection for Hutchinson HS in 2010.

PUNKED
Linebacker Ashton Reichmann (Jr./Maize, Kan.) had four solo tackles against Northeastern State. He recorded three tackles at Central Oklahoma. He had 21 tackles in 12 games last season for the Hornets.  He is in his fifth year with the program.  He had 13 total tackles as a sophomore when he saw time on both Hornet special teams and as a reserve linebacker. He was named first team All-State in class 6A at Maize High School where he had 126 tackles during his senior season.

BLOODLINES
Linebacker Jason Tetuan (So./Topeka, Kan.) had three tackles in his first career start at Central Oklahoma. He was credited with four tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had seven tackles, six of them solo, last year for the Hornets. He was an honorable mention All-State selection and earned All-Centennial League honors on offense and defense for Topeka Hayden HS. His brother John was an All-American baseball player at Wichita State, brother Jesse was a member of the 2003 Big 12 Champion Kansas State football team and brother Jarod was an All-MIAA performer for Washburn in 2007.  

PILLAR OF HERCULES
Linebacker Corben Abila (So./Weatherford, Texas) had four unassisted tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had an interception return of 21 yards against Ft. Hays State along with two tackles. He had 16 tackles last year for the Hornets. He was All-District as a utility player in high school as well as being named the team MVP at C.F. Brewer High School.   

REMEMBER TWO THINGS
Defensive end Aaron Mathews (Sr./McKinney, Texas) recorded five tackles, two for a loss including a sack against Northeastern State.  He was also credited with three quarterback hurries on the day. He had four tackles and a fumble recovery at Central Oklahoma. He is the lone returning starter on the defensive line and he led the Hornets with four sacks and nine tackles for loss last season. He had four solo tackles, including one for a loss at Washburn. He had two TFL including a sack and was credited with four quarterback hurries against Lindenwood. He had three solo stops at Northeastern State.    

WILSON!
Defensive lineman Justin Wilson (So./Luther, Okla.) had two tackles at Central Oklahoma. He recorded four tackles with half a tackle for loss against Neb.-Kearney. He got the only sack on the night for Emporia State against Ft. Hays State. He saw action in all 12 games last year.  He had three tackles against Missouri Western. He had two solo stops, one of them a tackle for loss against Central Oklahoma. He was credited with three tackles, including a tackle for loss at Neb.-Kearney.

LOUIE, LOUIE
Defensive lineman Ryan Louia (Sr./Burlington, Kan.) had a pass break up and asolo tackle against Northeastern State. He recorded three tackles with two of them solo at Central Oklahoma. He had two tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had a tackle and a pass break up at Fort Hays State.  He played in all 12 games with one start last season. He is able to use his size to break up four passes and block two kicks at the line of scrimmage. A fifth year player, he is one of the four Hornet team captains.

BRING THE LUMBER
Defensive lineman Nick Schutte (Jr./Elk Run Heights, Iowa) had his first career sack against Northeastern State. He recorded one tackle at Ft. Hays State. He had 36 tackles, 3.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks for Ellsworth CC team that finished last season 7-4 with a win at the Graphic Edge Bowl.  

A TREE
Defensive lineman James Junious (So./Arlington, Texas) recorded a tackle at Central Oklahoma. He had a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry against Neb.-Kearney. He saw action in nine of 11 games last year.  He had a solo tackle at Truman. He had five tackles and a quarterback hurry on the season. He was a second-team All-District pick at defensive end and an Academic All-State selection for Lamar HS.

DREAM WARRIOR
Defensive lineman Ryan Kinkaid (Kansas City, Kan.) had two assists against Neb.-Kearney from his interior spot on the line. He was named second-team All-Jayhawk Conference at Ft. Scott CC.

THE HAMPTONS
Defensive lineman Russell Hampton (So./Ottawa, Kan.) had a solo tackle against Neb.-Kearney. He had a tackle for loss and a forced fumble against Ft. Hays State.

LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Neil Shortell (Sr./Mission Hills, Kan.) missed the Northeastern State game with an injury. He is probable for the Lincoln contest. He had two solo tackles, one for a loss, at Central Oklahoma. He also returned three kick-offs from his up-back position with a long of 18 yards. He had two tackles against Neb.-Kearney.  He led Emporia State with five tackles at Ft. Hays State, including 2.0 tackles for loss. He played six games at UConn after transferring from Butler CC. He had four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown as a tight end for Butler CC in 2011 on his way to All-Jayhawk Conference honors. His brother Eric Shortell hit 23 home runs for the Hornet baseball team in 2008.

ISN'T THAT SPECIAL
Emporia State is eight of nine on field goal attempts lead the MIAA and rank second in the nation in makes. The Hornets were perfect on six PAT and a 41 yard field goal against Northeastern State. The Hornets have had two PAT, a field goal and a punt blocked this season. Emporia State is ranked 14th in the MIAA in net punting and kickoff returns. They are eighth in the MIAA in kickoff coverage thanks in large part to an MIAA high eight touchbacks.

BOOK OF ELI
Kicker Eli Kuhns (So./Copperas Cove, Texas) leads the MIAA in made field goals and field goal percentage with his eight makes in nine attempts. He ranks third in the nation in made field goals. He was two of two on field goals at Central Oklahoma. He hit two field goals against Neb.-Kearney, including a season long 49 yarder. He went three for three on field goals and four of five on PATs at Ft. Hays State. He is averaging 55.6 yards per kick-off with eight touchbacks in 34 kicks.  He is averaging 35.9 yards per punt with three of his 15 punts going inside the opponents 20 yard line. He was nine of 12 on field goals last season, with eight of them over 35 yards and was ranked seventh in the MIAA and 53rd in the nation in made field goals. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week by the MIAA and NCAA.com against Lincoln as he hit four field goals, all over 37 yards, including a school record tying 51 yarder against Lincoln. He was the first true freshman to hit six 40+ field goals in a season in school history and the first Hornet to hit four field goals of over 40 yards since All-American Justin Gray was eight of ten from over 40 yards in 2004. He averaged 53.6 yards on kick-offs with eight touchbacks last season.

DID YOU CATCH IT
For the fourth year in a row, the Hornets will have a home game featured on the MIAA Television Network when they play host to Southwest Baptist on October 12 for Homecoming. Emporia State was featured on the MIAA Television Network twice last year. The Hornets are third behind Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri for the most appearances on the MIAA Network over the last three years. The Thursday, Oct. 25 game against Missouri Western was the first televised match-up of nationally ranked teams from Jones Field at Welch Stadium. The MIAA Network is available live to nearly 2 million homes. The Hornets have played 15 games on live television in the last 16 seasons with six of the games coming from Welch Stadium. Video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season games are available on a pay per view basis from americaonesports.com.  Audio of all ESU games are available at www.kvoe.com with Greg Rahe, Chuck Samples and Ron Thomas providing the call.   

OUTSIDE?THE?CONFERENCE
The Hornets have gone 10-1 in non-conference games under Garin Higgins and are 21-6 outside the MIAA in the 21st century. Since joining the MIAA, ESU is 30-11 in non-conference games and has lost only three games to unranked non-conference D-II opponents since 1996.  The MIAA?has sent seven different schools to the NCAA?playoffs in the last eight years and has had a team in the national championship game seven of the last nine seasons.  The MIAA went 11-3 outside the league last year and are 34-6 outside the league over the last three seasons with five losses coming in postseason play and the sixth by Southwest Baptist against former MIAA member Truman. Two different teams lead the nation in at least one statistical category while two players from two different schools lead the nation in four individual categories Five MIAA schools are ranked this week in both the AFCA Division II Coaches and D2Football.com Media Top 25 polls.

THE?NFL EXPERIENCE
The Hornets have had 14 players play in one of the major professional football leagues.  Two Hornets have won Super Bowl rings - Kelly Goodburn with the Washington Redskins and Leon Lett with the Dallas Cowboys. Adam Schiltz caught two passes for the Houston Texans in exhibition action this season and is currently on the practice squad with the Tennessee Titans. Harold Ayodele was a part of the Kansas City Chiefs during training camp in 2011. Garin Higgins has coached three players that have gone on to play in the NFL regular season - Lynn Scott with the Dallas Cowboys, Sam Breeden with the Green Bay Packers, and San Diego Charger Patrick Crayton.

TOUGH LOSSES
The Hornets eight losses over the last two seasons have came to teams that went a combined 77-26 overall and included seven teams ranked in the top ten of Super Region-4. The last seven losses were to teams that were ranked in the AFCA top 25 nationally at some point during the season.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Linebacker Ben Carlson was named a Capital One Academic All-American last season.  He and offensive lineman Kameron Neal both earned Capital One Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA.  Carlson has a 3.84 GPA in business adminstration.  He was a two-time Academic All-American in baseball at Missouri State.  Neal has a 3.78 GPA in computer operating systems.

MIAA IN THE POSTSEASON
Since the MIAA first expanded in 1989 and the new teams became eligible for post season play in 1990, the MIAA has won five national championships and had a representative in 12 of 22 national championship games.  The MIAA has been represented in seven of the last nine national championship games.  In that time the MIAA is 28-11 in the NCAA Playoffs and 8-4 in bowl games for a combined post season record of 36-15 against non-conference opponents.

HEAD?COACH?GARIN?HIGGINS
Former Hornet Garin Higgins is the 21st head football coach at Emporia State and is just the second to lead the Hornets to ten wins in a season. Last year he became the sixth Hornet coach to lead his team to the post season. He is 84-47 as a head coach with a 32-38 record at his alma mater. He is 24-13 over the last three seasons and 18-4 over the last 22 games. He compiled a 51-9 record as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University before becoming the co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota State in 2005. He was the offensive coordinator at Northeastern State in 2006.  
With five more wins in 2012 than 2011, he led the Hornets to the biggest improvement in wins from one season to the next in Emporia State history.  He has helped establish a true home field advantage for ESU, with the Hornets winning at least four home games in three of the last four seasons. He had led the Hornets to within just one game of a post season berth in 2010 and 2011 before winning the Kanza Bowl in 2012.
While at NWOSU, he was named the Central State Football League Coach of the Year five straight years from 2000 through 2004. The Rangers won 31 consecutive games from 1998 through 2000 and were 15-3 against NCAA Division II schools under Higgins.
A native of Blackwell, Okla., Higgins graduated from Emporia State in 1992. He was a four-year letterman for the Hornets and helped lead the team to a national runner-up finish in 1989. He has been involved with four teams that have played for or won national championships as a player, coordinator or head coach. Higgins and his wife Heather, a 1995 graduate of ESU, are the parents of three children - son Halen and daughters Harlee and Gracyn.

INJURY REPORT
Offensive guard Trey Rodgers (Sr./Collinsville, Okla.) started the first five games at guard last year before a season ending injury. He reinjured the knee during training camp and is out. Defensive lineman Neil Shortell (Sr./Mission Hills, Kan.) is questionable and linebacker Tariq Allen (Jr./Irving, Texas) is probable.
 
A Hornet win would...
•make Emporia State 5-0 overall, 5-0 in the MIAA;
•make Emporia State 4-2 all-time against Lincoln;
•be Emporia State's fourth straight win over Lincoln;
•make Emporia State 5-0 for the second straight year and 11th time in school history;
•be Emporia State's seventh straight win overall dating back to last season;
•make Coach Higgins 34-38 at Emporia State and 85-47 overall.

A Hornet loss would...
•make Emporia State 4-1 overall, 4-1 in the MIAA.
•make Emporia State 3-3 all-time against Lincoln;
•snap Emporia State's three game winning streak against Lincoln;
•snap Emporia State's six game winning streak overall dating back to last season;
•make Coach Higgins 33-39 at Emporia State?and 84-48 overall.

WORKING?OVERTIME
• The Hornets are 3-8 in overtime games with wins in three of their last five after dropping their first four extra period contests.
• Three of ESU's 11 overtime games have come against Truman with ESU winning two of the three games.
• The quadruple overtime game in 2006 between ESU and PSU?was the first MIAA?regular season game to go to four overtimes and the first involving an MIAA?team since NWMSU's 4 OT?win against Carson Newman in the 1999 National Championship Game.
• ESU's 17 point deficit at the half against MSSU in 2011 was the largest half-time spread the Hornets have overcome for a win since joining the MIAA and matched the greatest deficit ever overcome for a win as an NCAA school. Including the win against MSSU, the Hornets have won 18 of their last 22 games. ESU came from 17-0 at the end of the first quarter to defeat Ft. Hays State 24-17 to open the 1992 season.