November 8, 2014-Emporia State outscored #7 Northwest Missouri 14-7 in the second half but could not overcome a 35-0 deficit in the first half in a 42-14 loss to the defending national champions.
The Hornets took the opening kick off and were able to drive 44 yards to the Bearcats 36 before Ty Reasnor was sacked for a loss of eight back to the NWMSU 44 yard line. After a punt Northwest drove 70 yards on eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on a two yard run by Robert Burton with 8:19 left in the opening quarter. On the next possession Reasnor was sacked and stripped of the ball by the Bearcats Matt Longacre, setting Northwest up at the Emporia State five yard line. Two plays later Brady Bolles tossed the first of his four touchdown passes to give the Bearcats a 14-0 lead with 7:25 left in the quarter. After a three and out by the Hornets, Northwest seemed poised to add another score before Deveon Dinwiddie intercepted Kyle Zimmerman in the endzone and returned it out to the 18 yard line and the quarter ended with the Bearcats ahead 14-0.
Bolles tossed his second touchdown with 14:25 left in the second quarter to give Northwest a 21-0 lead. Following a three and out by the Hornets, Bolles capped an 11 play, 86 yard drive with his third scoring pass with 8:40 left in the half to go up 28-0. Bolles final touchdown throw came with 18 seconds left in the half as the Bearcats took a 35-0 lead into the locker room.
The Hornets forced a three and out on the Bearcats first possession of the second half. Josh Matthews was able to get a piece of Kyle Goodburn's punt to give Emporia State the ball at the Northwest 34 yard line. Nine plays later Reasnor scored on a one yard run to put the Hornets on the board with 9:52 left in the third quarter. Emporia State recovered an onside kick but could not convert on fourth and five from the Northwest 34 yard line. The Hornet defense forced another three and out by the Bearcats and Lyndell Johnson returned the punt 65 yards down to the Northwest 19 yard line. Four plays later Antonio Brown scored on a six yard rush to pull the Hornets within 35-14 with 5:44 left in the third. Brown had three carries for all 19 yards on the series. The Bearcats answered with a 14 play, 78 yard drive capped by a one yard run by Cameron Wilcox for the final score of the game with five seconds left in the third quarter.
On the Bearcats first possession of the fourth quarter James Junious sacked Bolles and forced a fumble that Lear Schrader recovered at the Northwest 22 yard line. Emporia State got down to the Northwest 13 yard line but a pair of penalties pushed them back to the 23 yard line and the Hornets could not convert on fourth down with 11:35 left in the game. The Bearcats took the ball down to the Hornet 35 yard line but the Emporia State defense held on fourth down with 7:22 left and that would be the last time either team reached enemy territory.
Brown had 34 yards rushing on nine carries and a touchdown for Emporia State. Austin Willis had four catches for 32 yards. Reasnor went 14 of 31 for 84 yards while Braxton Marstall was one for five for 29 yards in the final two possessions for Emporia State. The Hornets were just the third team this year to have over 200 yards of total offense against the Bearcats this year. Deshawn Dinwiddie had a game high 11 tackles while Seth Culp had nine stops. Deveon Dinwiddie finished with seven tackles and his fourth interception of the season.
Emporia State will wrap up the season next Saturday at Neb.-Kearney. Kick-off from Foster Field at Cope Stadium in Kearney, Neb. is set for 1:00 p.m.
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