#24 EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL FALLS TO #1 NORTHWEST MISSOURI 41-14

September 1, 2016-The #24 Emporia State Hornets led top ranked Northwest Missouri 7-3 after the first quarter but the defending national champions would score 41 straight points on the way to a 41-14 win in at Welch Stadium on Thursday night.
 
OPENING DRIVES
The Bearcats took the opening kickoff down to the Hornet 40 yard line before being forced to punt.  Taking over at their own 12 yard line after the punt, Emporia State went 88 yards on 12 plays capped by a three yard touchdown pass from Braxton Marstall to Justin Brown. It was the first time in 27 quarters dating back to last season that Northwest Missouri had trailed in a game.
 
GOAL LINE STAND
Northwest came back on their next drive and had first and goal from the Emporia State three yard line.  The Hornet defense held on three straight running plays to force an 18 yard field goal from Simon Mathieson with 1:16 left in the quarter.
 
THREE AND OUTS
The Hornets would be forced to go three and out on six of their next seven possessions getting negative yardage on four of them.
 
TAKING CONTROL
The Bearcats would take the lead on an 11 yard run by Kyle Zimmerman with 13:46 left in the half and went up 17-7 with five yard pass from Zimmerman to Phil Jackson with 7:11 remaining in the period.  Northwest Missouri took control with a ten play, 37 yard drive in the final three minutes of the half that ended with a 40 yard field goal from Mathieson with nine seconds left.
 
SECOND HALF TROUBLES
After another three and out to start the third quarter by the Hornets, the Bearcats went 57 yards on seven plays to go up 27-7 with 11:09 left.  Shawn Bane got the score when he recovered his own fumble in the end zone at the end of a 26 yard pass from Zimmerman.  Northwest made it 34-7 on a one yard run by Cameron Wilcox that capped a 12 play, 49 yard drive with 2:35 left in the third.  It was the third scoring drive of under 50 yards by the Bearcats on the night.  The final score for Northwest came on another run from Wilcox, this one from three yards out with 11:06 left in the game to give the Bearcats a 41-7 lead.
 
A LITTLE SPARK
Jaylen Lowe relieved Marstall at quarterback to start the fourth quarter and led the Hornets on a nine play, 76 yard drive.  Lowe put the finishing touches on the drive with an eight yard touchdown run with 7:14 left in the game. The Hornets would then force a three and out and Emporia State drove to the Northwest four yard line before back to back sacks ended the scoring threat.
 
THE NUMBERS
Marstall was eight of 16 in the air for 63 yards and a touchdown while adding a team high 31 yards rushing.  Lowe went four of five for 35 yards passing and added 19 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Kole Schankie led the Hornet defense with nine tackles while AJ West and Josh Monteagudo were both credited with six stops.
ATMOSPHERE
The announced attendance of 6,821 was the largest season opening crowd for the Hornets since 7,305 were at the season opener against Ft. Hays State on August 31, 2000.  It is the largest home game crowd for the Hornets since an announced attendance of 6,834 at the 59-57 four overtime loss to Pittsburg State on Sept. 30, 2006.
 
UP NEXT
The Hornets will travel to Kearney, Neb. on Thursday, September 8 to take on the Lopers.  Kick-off from Cope Stadium at Foster Field is set for 7:00 p.m.