October 27, 2018-Justin Brown blocked a potential game winning field goal on the last play of regulation and then scored the game winning touchdown in overtime for the Hornets as Emporia State defeated Washburn 34-31 in the 115th edition of the Turnpike Tussle.
Defense was the name of the game for the first five possessions of the game as the two teams combined for five punts and two total yards on the first 15 plays of the game. Emporia State finally broke through with a six play, 78 yard drive capped by a 14 yard touchdown pass from Braxton Marstall to Jordan Reed with 6:10 left in the quarter. Marstall jump started the drive with a 52 yard pass to Tyler Harris in which he broke the Emporia State career passing yards record.
Washburn tied the score on the first drive of the second quarter with a 20 yard touchdown score from Mitch Schurig to James Brania-Hopp with 13:36 left in the half. Emporia State answered on the next drive with a two yard touchdown pass from Marstall to Harris for a 14-7 lead with 11:52 left. Schurig and Brania-Hopp connected again with 5:31 left to pull the Ichabods back into a 14-14 tie.
After a Marstall pooch punt pinned the Ichabods at their own three yard line, Schurig found Brania-Hopp for an 80 yard completion on second down and then hit Marcus Meier for an 11 yard touchdown as Washburn took their first lead of the game with 2:53 left in the half. Marstall led the Hornets down the field quickly and carried it in from one yard out with 47 seconds left to tie the score at 21-21. Wasbhurn was able to drive into field goal position, but Perry Schmiedeler's 37 yard attempt hit the left upright as the teams went to the locker rooms tied at 21.
The Hornets took the opening drive of the second half down to the Ichabod six yard line but Marstall was intercepted in the endzone by Corey Ballantine who returned it 40 yards to the WU 40 yard line. Emporia State forced a three and out and took over at their own 19 yard line. The Hornets went 81 yards in 16 plays before Marstall scored his second rushing touchdown of the day, again from one yard out to give Emporia State a 28-21 lead with 2:31 left in the third quarter.
Washburn answered with a nine play, 65 yard drive of their own and retied the score at 28 when Schurig and Brania-Hopp connected from 14 yards out with 14:51 left in the game.
The teams again traded punts until Emporia State drove to the Washburn six yard line with under four minutes left. Marstall was intercepted in the end zone when his pass was deflected and Kevin Neal, Jr. picked it off. The Ichabods drove to the Hornet seven yard line and after a kneel down with a loss of three yards to set the ball in the middle of the field, lined up for a 27 yard field goal attempt. Justin Brown was able to leap in the middle of the line to block the kick and send the game to overtime.
Emporia State won the toss and elected to go on defense first in the overtime. Washburn was able to get a first and goal from the four yard line but the Hornet defense was able to hold and forced them to settle for a 23 yard field goal by Schmiedeler to take a 31-28 lead.
Landon Nault burst through the middle of the line on first down for a gain of 17 yards. On first and goal from the eight yard line, Marstall found Brown at about the five yard line and he bulled his way into the endzone for the game winning score as Emporia State won 34-31.
Marstall finished the game 32 of 51 for 373 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 40 yards on the ground on 12 carries with two scores. Brown had seven catches for 91 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Harris finished with eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Reed added 48 yards on four catches with a touchdown as well. Nault was the leading rusher with 73 yards on 20 carries. Defensively Jace McDown had a career high 14 tackles and forced two fumbles.
The Hornets return to Jones Field at Welch Stadium for the final home game of the season against Missouri Southern next Saturday. Kick-off for the Senior Day/Military Appreciation Day is set for 2:00 p.m. with the introductions of 19 seniors at approximately 1:50 p.m. and a military flyover scheduled for right before game time.
NOTES
With his 373 passing yards Braxton Marstall now has 8,981 yards on his career and broke Brent Wilson's Emporia State school record of 8,621 set from 2012-15. He also passed Blake Bolles of Northwest Missouri (8,668 yds from 2007-10) for eighth on the MIAA career passing list.
Marstall's 414 yards of total offense give him 10,113 yards in his career and moved him past Pittsburg State's Anthony Abenoja (10,036 from 2011-14) and Missouri Western's Kasey Waterman (10,056 from 1998-2001) for fifth all-time in the MIAA.
Brown's touchdown catch gave him 28 in his career and moved him into a tie with Shjuan Richardson (2009-12), JJ Richard (2002-05) and Bruce Cerone (1968-69) for third all-time in career touchdown passes at Emporia State.
Brown's 90 receiving yards moved him past JJ Richard (2,716 yds from 2002-05) for fourth on career receiving yards at Emporia State.
This was the second overtime game in 115 meetings between the two and the first since a 35-28 Emporia State victory in 2003
